Post by bigfan on Sept 21, 2006 15:14:27 GMT -5
Women of Troy kick off difficult Pac-10 schedule
In a conference with five top-10 teams, USC starts off against weaker foe.
Alex Lebow
The No. 7 USC women's volleyball team (11-0) opens Pacific-10 Conference play tonight against Oregon State (3-6), a team itching to reverse the success of a nationally ranked competitor on its home court.
The Women of Troy, who won two tight games last week against No. 11 Purdue and No. 23 Pepperdine, hope to keep up their dominance on the road in the country's most competitive conference.
"We know we have to win on the road to have a successful conference season," USC coach Mick Haley said.
"We aren't going to take any team lightly. We'll expect our opponents to play as good as they can play. I wouldn't be taken back by this Oregon State team."
The Beavers take the court Thursday after 12 days without a game.
"(Oregon State) hasn't played this week just to get ready for us. They are itching because we beat them last year," Haley said.
In 2005, USC took two games from the Beavers, and has lost just seven of 40 in the all-time series.
Although the Beavers return 10 letter winners from 2005, 6-foot-5 freshman outside hitter Rachel Rourke leads the team with 151 kills and will require special attention from the Women of Troy.
Rourke (4.58) holds a slight lead over USC junior opposite hitter Asia Kaczor (4.55) for average kills per game in the Pac-10, while Kaczor leads the conference in total kills with 171.
Tonight's game also marks the beginning of the end for the four seniors on the roster. This will be the last time that setter Kimi Freeburg, libero Debora Seilhamer and defensive specialists Annie Montgomery and Alli Dillon face the Beavers in Oregon.
"Now every time we go somewhere, it's sort of sad because it's the last time in our college careers," Dillon said.
While preparing for some of the specific tactics of Oregon State, the Women of Troy continue to focus on their own team concerns.
"We'll still pay particular attention to ourselves, but anytime you start the conference, that's when everybody's going to play their best," Haley said.
Despite winning just three of nine games, Oregon State has successfully experimented with a talented roster and has beaten significant competition, including Fresno State.
The atmosphere this week in Corvallis will be intense as the Beavers face top-10 teams on back-to-back nights, facing No. 3 UCLA on Friday night.
It will also be a radically different attack for the Women of Troy, who last year relied on graduated middle blocker Bibiana Candelas in a four-game win when they traveled to Oregon. Candelas had 26 of the team's 66 kills in that game, but things figure to be much more diverse this time around.
"Normally this trip might not be so hard because it's the first of the conference, but they're going to play pretty big. We have to be good or we could get kicked in the butt," Haley said.
In a conference with five top-10 teams, USC starts off against weaker foe.
Alex Lebow
The No. 7 USC women's volleyball team (11-0) opens Pacific-10 Conference play tonight against Oregon State (3-6), a team itching to reverse the success of a nationally ranked competitor on its home court.
The Women of Troy, who won two tight games last week against No. 11 Purdue and No. 23 Pepperdine, hope to keep up their dominance on the road in the country's most competitive conference.
"We know we have to win on the road to have a successful conference season," USC coach Mick Haley said.
"We aren't going to take any team lightly. We'll expect our opponents to play as good as they can play. I wouldn't be taken back by this Oregon State team."
The Beavers take the court Thursday after 12 days without a game.
"(Oregon State) hasn't played this week just to get ready for us. They are itching because we beat them last year," Haley said.
In 2005, USC took two games from the Beavers, and has lost just seven of 40 in the all-time series.
Although the Beavers return 10 letter winners from 2005, 6-foot-5 freshman outside hitter Rachel Rourke leads the team with 151 kills and will require special attention from the Women of Troy.
Rourke (4.58) holds a slight lead over USC junior opposite hitter Asia Kaczor (4.55) for average kills per game in the Pac-10, while Kaczor leads the conference in total kills with 171.
Tonight's game also marks the beginning of the end for the four seniors on the roster. This will be the last time that setter Kimi Freeburg, libero Debora Seilhamer and defensive specialists Annie Montgomery and Alli Dillon face the Beavers in Oregon.
"Now every time we go somewhere, it's sort of sad because it's the last time in our college careers," Dillon said.
While preparing for some of the specific tactics of Oregon State, the Women of Troy continue to focus on their own team concerns.
"We'll still pay particular attention to ourselves, but anytime you start the conference, that's when everybody's going to play their best," Haley said.
Despite winning just three of nine games, Oregon State has successfully experimented with a talented roster and has beaten significant competition, including Fresno State.
The atmosphere this week in Corvallis will be intense as the Beavers face top-10 teams on back-to-back nights, facing No. 3 UCLA on Friday night.
It will also be a radically different attack for the Women of Troy, who last year relied on graduated middle blocker Bibiana Candelas in a four-game win when they traveled to Oregon. Candelas had 26 of the team's 66 kills in that game, but things figure to be much more diverse this time around.
"Normally this trip might not be so hard because it's the first of the conference, but they're going to play pretty big. We have to be good or we could get kicked in the butt," Haley said.
