 No. 13 Seed Billikens Open NCAA Tournament Thursday
Dec. 2, 2008
This Week: No. 21 Saint Louis will open 2008 NCAA Tournament action for the entire field when it takes on Alabama A&M in a 4 p.m. (CT) match Thursday, Dec. 4, at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Ky. The Billikens (28-4), who earned the tournament's 13th overall seed, are making their second NCAA Tournament appearance in the last three years. Joining SLU and AAMU in Lexington are host Kentucky and Michigan, who square off at 6 p.m. (CT) Thursday. The first-round winners will play at 6 p.m. (CT) Friday, Dec. 5, for the right to advance to the Seattle, Wash. Regional Dec. 12-13. Following the Action: Gametracker will be available free of charge on Saint Louis' web site at www.slubillikens.com. Last Time Out: Saint Louis opened its final weekend of the regular season with a 3-0 sweep of Connecticut in the first match at the Middle Tennessee State Tournament last weekend. Then the Billikens escaped with a 3-2 win over the host Blue Raiders in the season finale to keep their 20-match win streak intact. It was only the second time this season that SLU was forced to play five sets to decide a winner. The result was the same each time as the Bills defeated their opponent on their home court. About the Billikens: SLU earned the A-10 West regular-season title with a 13-0 mark in addition to capturing the A-10 Championship crown in 2008. The Billikens have won 23 of their last 24 matches, including the nation's second-longest winning streak (20 matches), which is also a program best. Their only loss during that stretch was at top-ranked Penn State on Sept. 20. Seventeen of Saint Louis' 28 wins have been sweeps. Junior right-side hitter Sammi McCloud leads the team with 3.58 kills per set, while junior outside hitter Bridget Fonke trails with 3.44 kills per set. Meanwhile, junior setter Whitney Roth, SLU's career assists leader, runs a balanced offense with 11.17 assists per set. Junior middle blocker Sally Warning (1.00 blocks per set) provides the Billikens with a strong presence at the net, while junior libero Whitney Behrens (3.36 digs per set) is Saint Louis' top back-row defender. SLU's 28 victories are the most since it won 29 matches in 1995. Only six Billiken volleyball squads have finished with more wins. Saint Louis is enjoying its third straight 20-win campaign.
NCAA Tourney Field: The Billikens faced 10 schools that made the 2008 NCAA Tournament field. They posted a 9-4 record against those teams with their only losses coming against nationally ranked Penn State, Illinois, Purdue and Utah. About the Bulldogs: Alabama A&M (14-16) is the only team in the tournament field with a sub-.500 record. The Bulldogs, the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) champions, have appeared in the NCAA Tournament in eight of the last nine seasons. After dropping 14 of their first 20 matches this season, AAMU has won 10 of its last 12 contests. Freshman right-side hitter Karensa Beckford, the 2008 SWAC Tournament MVP, leads the squad with 2.34 kills per set, while junior outside hitter Madinah Abdullah trails with 2.28. Junior setter Natalie Rodriguez directs the attack with 8.91 assists per set. Senior libero Rose Corneille, the 2008 SWAC Defensive Player of the Year, is the Bulldogs' top back-row defender with 3.08 digs per set, while rookie middle blocker Anna Crutchfield leads the team at the net with 0.62 blocks per set. Head coach Nedra Brown is 29-26 in her second season at Alabama A&M with a nine-year career mark of 148-131. This is the first meeting between Saint Louis and AAMU. About the Wildcats: Kentucky (26-5) enters the tournament with wins in 11 of its last 13 matches. The 20th-ranked Wildcats are making their fourth straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Sophomore outside hitter Sarah Mendoza leads the squad with 3.28 kills per set, while junior setter Sarah Rumely runs the offense with 10.40 assists per set. Junior libero BriAnne Sauer turns in a team-high 4.20 digs per set, while Kentucky has two players averaging better than a block per set in rookie middle blocker Becky Pavan (1.20 bps) and senior middle blocker Queen Nzenwa (1.14 bps). Craig Skinner is 84-39 in four years as the Wildcats' head coach. The Billikens earned a victory over Kentucky by forfeit in 1975 in the only meeting between the two teams. About the Wolverines: Michigan (24-8) started the 2008 campaign on a 13-match winning streak, but that all ended once it entered Big Ten play. All of the 19th-ranked Wolverines' losses this season have come against a conference opponent. Michigan is making its ninth overall, and third straight, NCAA Tournament appearance. Junior outside hitter Juliana Paz posts a team-high 3.32 kills per set, while senior middle blocker Beth Karpiak follows with 3.06. Sophomore setter Lexi Zimmerman dishes out 11.44 assists per set. With 2.98 digs per set, senior libero Kerry Hance is one of five UM players averaging better than 2.00 digs per set. The Wolverines' top defenders at the net are freshman middle blocker Karlee Bruck (0.90 blocks per set) and Karpiak (0.86 blocks per set). Head coach Mark Rosen owns a 187-131 mark in 10 seasons with the Maize and Blue. His 15-year career record is 396-168. SLU and Michigan have never met on the volleyball court. A-10 in the NCAA Tourney: For the second straight season, two teams from the Atlantic 10 Conference will be participating in the NCAA Tournament. This season, Saint Louis earned the league's automatic bid after capturing the A-10 Championship crown, while Dayton earned an at-large bid. In 2007, Dayton earned the automatic bid and Xavier was an at-large selection. The only other time two A-10 teams competed in the NCAA Tournament was when Rhode Island and former league member Penn State participated in 1985. A-10 Championship Recap: Top-seeded Saint Louis earned its second Atlantic 10 Volleyball Championship crown on Nov. 23, after sweeping Dayton 3-0 in the title match at Chaifetz Pavilion in St. Louis. The Billikens, who also blanked Xavier in the tournament, are the first team since the 2003 Dayton squad to sweep both of their matches en route to the title. The win gave the Bills their second NCAA Tournament bid in program history and afforded head coach Anne Kordes her 100th career victory. Whitney Behrens, Bridget Fonke, Sammi McCloud and Whitney Roth were named to the All-Championship squad with Fonke taking home Most Outstanding Player honors. SLU also set a new standard for A-10 Championship hitting percentage, posting a .398 attacking percentage with 98 kills and only 16 errors on 206 swings. Right on Pace: If Saint Louis continues at its current rate, the Billikens will establish a new program standard for hitting percentage. SLU is hitting at a .265 clip this season, better than the current program standard of .255 set last season. Junior Sally Warning leads the team with a .351 hitting percentage. A-10 Hardware: For the first time in league history, four players from the same team were awarded A-10 first team honors when Saint Louis' Bridget Fonke, Sammi McCloud, Whitney Roth and Sally Warning accomplished the feat on Nov. 20. Xavier is the only A-10 school to have four players earn All-Conference honors, however, that was before members were designated as first or second team. SLU also tied the league record for most members on the All-Championship squad. The Billikens' Whitney Behrens, Bridget Fonke, Sammi McCloud and Whitney Roth were recognized, giving a single team four honorees for the first time since the 2003 Dayton squad. Singled Out: On Nov. 20, Saint Louis nearly swept the individual A-10 end-of-the-season awards when Sammi McCloud was named Player of the Year, Whitney Roth earned Setter of the Year plaudits and Anne Kordes was selected Coach of the Year. McCloud, a two-time first-team honoree, went from A-10 Rookie of the Year in 2006 to the league's top honor this season. Roth, also a two-time first-team honoree, picked up her second straight Setter of the Year award. It was also the second time that Kordes was recognized after being named Coach of the Year in 2006. On the Home Front: Saint Louis completed its 2008 home slate with a 13-1 record. The Billikens protected their home court in Chaifetz Pavilion by posting an 11-0 mark in the facility. SLU's only defeat in the complex was a 3-1 loss to No. 19 Illinois in Chaifetz Arena on Sept. 5 in its home opener. Bills Earn RPI Ranking: Saint Louis is ranked No. 9 in the final NCAA Women's Volleyball RPI (Nov. 9) before the NCAA Championship. The RPI is based on the win percentage of SLU, its opponents and the teams SLU's opponents have played. Five of SLU's opponents are ranked in the top 14. The Billikens are the only A-10 school in the top 40. Polling Place: Armed with a 20-match winning streak, Saint Louis continues to maintain its position in the Bison/AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 Poll. This week, the Billikens earned a program-best 334 points for the No. 21 spot in the poll. The Bills have earned votes in every poll this season, ultimately breaking into the Top 25 for the first time in program history Oct. 20 in the 25th spot. On the National Stage: The Billikens are ranked among the nation's top 25 in three statistical categories through matches of Nov. 30. SLU is ranked ninth in winning percentage (.875), 19th in hitting percentage (.265) and 21st in kills per set (14.02). Individually, Whitney Roth is ranked 19th with 11.17 assists per set. Reaping the Rewards: SLU was awarded a league-high seven A-10 Player of the Week plaudits in 2008. Sammi McCloud earned the honor a league-leading four times (Sept. 8, Oct. 13, Nov. 10 and Nov. 17), while Whitney Roth (Sept. 22), Sally Warning (Sept. 29) and Bridget Fonke (Oct. 27) each picked up one accolade. McCloud was the only player to earn the honor more than twice. Schedule Strength: Five teams on SLU's 2008 schedule earned votes in the final Bison/AVCA Top 25 poll prior to the NCAA Tournament. Reigning national champion Penn State (32-0) earned top billing, while Stanford (26-3) stayed at No. 2. Big Ten foes Illinois (24-7) and Purdue (24-8) came in at No. 14 and 17, respectively, while Utah (24-5) is No. 18. The Bills have faced four ranked teams thus far in 2008, the most they have ever played in a season. Saint Louis is 1-3 against ranked teams in 2008. All four of SLU's losses this season were against teams currently ranked among the top 18. Ranks of the Unbeaten: SLU was one of eight teams in Division I to complete its conference slate with a perfect record. Joining the Bills in the ranks of the conference unbeatens are Albany (America East), Grambling State (SWAC), Maryland-Eastern Shore (Mid-Eastern), North Dakota State (Summit), Penn State (Big Ten), Robert Morris (Northeast) and Wichita State (Missouri Valley). Conference Call: The Billikens are 40-12 all time (.769) in Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season matches, including a 22-4 mark at home. Dayton (three times) and Xavier are the only league members to claim wins on the Bills' home court since Saint Louis joined the league prior to the 2005 campaign. SLU has finished third or better each season it has been in the league. The Four Tops: Four Saint Louis juniors already rank among the program's top 10 in various statistical categories. Setter Whitney Roth is the program's career assists leader with 4,212 and counting, while libero Whitney Behrens ranks fourth with 1,319 career digs. Outside hitter Bridget Fonke is ninth on the career chart with 108 service aces, while right-side hitter Sammi McCloud is ninth on the career kills (1,076) and points (1268.5) lists. Junior middle blocker Sally Warning is about to join that group as she is closing on the top 10 in career block assists, ranking 11th with 208. Roth Rolls: Junior Whitney Roth is the first player in program history to surpass 4,000 career assists. SLU's career assists leader (4,212) reached the milestone during the second week of November on the road at Dayton and Xavier. Her 2008 assists total (1,240) ranks ninth on the program's single-season list. Former Billiken Shelly Metzler ranks second on the career list with 3,284. Hey, You, Get Off of Mc-Cloud: With 18 kills at Dayton on Nov. 15, junior Sammi McCloud became the 10th member of SLU's 1,000-dig club. She is only the sixth Billiken to compile 1,000 kills prior to her fourth season. McCloud ranks No. 9 on Saint Louis' career kills chart with 1,076. Behr-ing Down: Junior libero Whitney Behrens ranks fourth on Saint Louis' career digs chart (1,319). She is only the third Billiken to eclipse 1,000 digs in fewer than three complete seasons. Behrens needs just six digs to take over the No. 3 spot. Leaders of the Pack: As they did last season, juniors Whitney Roth and Bridget Fonke led the league in assists and service aces per set, respectively. Roth finished first in the A-10 with 11.22 assists per set, while Fonke led the league with 0.45 service aces per set. SLU led the conference with a .257 hitting percentage as well as 12.92 assists, 14.04 kills and 1.55 service aces per set, while holding opponents to a league-low .163 hitting percentage. In A-10 matches, Sally Warning boasted a league-high 1.13 blocks per set. In conference matches, the Billikens led the league with a .298 hitting percentage and 13.31 assists, 2.36 blocks, 14.40 kills and 1.51 service aces per set, all while holding their opponents to a league-low .130 hitting percentage. Head Coach Anne Kordes: Head coach Anne Kordes is in her fifth season at Saint Louis with a 102-53 (.658) career ledger. The 1998 Louisville graduate, who is enjoying her winningest campaign as a head coach, guided the 2008 Bills to the program's second A-10 West regular-season crown, its second A-10 Championship title and NCAA Tournament bid and the first unbeaten conference slate since 1997. In 2006, Kordes guided SLU to its first NCAA Volleyball Tournament appearance after her squad captured its first A-10 Championship crown and tied for the A-10 West regular-season title. She is only the second coach in program history to earn more than 100 victories at SLU. Kordes, the 2006 and 2008 A-10 Coach of the Year, is joined on the sideline by assistant coach Kyle Walton, volunteer assistant Corey Arbini and graduate assistant Lisa Orlet. More McLovin' for McCloud: After helping Saint Louis upset No. 3 Stanford in the final match of the Billiken Invitational, junior right-side hitter Sammi McCloud was recognized as the Sports Imports/AVCA Division I National Player of the Week. She averaged a team-best 4.08 kills per set en route to her second straight All-Tournament accolade. McCloud is the third Billiken to be named AVCA National Player of the Week. Colleen Hunter earned the accolade on Oct. 16, 2000, and Stephanie Feulner was named National Player of the Week on Oct. 9, 1995. One for the Ages: When Saint Louis defeated No. 3 Stanford 3-1 in the final match of the Billiken Invitational on Sept. 6, it marked just the second time in program history that the Bills had defeated a ranked opponent. Saint Louis is 2-19 all-time against ranked teams. SLU's victory also marked the first time since Sept. 2, 2006, that the Cardinal lost to an opponent outside the top 10. The Billikens' win over No. 3 Stanford is the biggest victory by an A-10 team since former league member Penn State defeated top-ranked Pacific 3-2 on Sept. 22, 1984, in Kingston, R.I. Come One, Come All: An on-campus record 2,152 fans witnessed Saint Louis' 3-1 win over No. 3 Stanford on Sept. 6 at Chaifetz Arena. One night earlier, the third-largest crowd in program history (1,016) attended the Billikens' match against No. 19 Illinois. Four of SLU's top 10 on-campus attendance marks have occurred within the Chaifetz Arena complex, which was completed prior to the start of the 2008 campaign. Additionally, six of the program's top 10 on-campus crowds have come during Kordes' tenure. |
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