Utes Sweep Cougars at Crimson Court
Utah snapped a nine-match losing streak to BYU by sweeping the No. 13 Cougars in Salt Lake City
Friday. The Ute victory also marked the first time Utah has beaten the Cougars in conference play
since 1985. Ute setter Lucie Turkova recorded her first triple-double with 32 assists, 10 kills and
10 digs.
Rams Return Home
Colorado State, 18-1 on the year and 5-0 in the conference, returns to Moby Arena for three matches
this week. The Rams have a NCAA-leading 37-match active home win streak.
Aztecs Win Third Straight
San Diego State is tied for third in the conference after winning three straight matches. Amy
Hallquist and Monet Solberg each recorded double-doubles to lead the Aztecs in a sweep over UNLV
Saturday.
Lobos Tied for Third
Micaela Conley led the Lobos with a career-high 20 digs to go with 13 kills in a three-game sweep
over Wyoming. UNM, which dropped a three-game set to No. 3 Colorado State Saturday, is tied with BYU
and SDSU in the conference race.
Turková Named MWC Volleyball Player of the Week
Senior setter Lucie Turková from Utah was named the Mountain West Conference Volleyball Player of
the Week after leading the Utes to victories over Idaho State and No. 13 BYU last week. A native of
Brno, Czech Republic, Turková became just the second MWC player to record a triple-double this
season after totaling 32 assists, 10 kills and 10 digs while hitting .600 (10k-1e-15a) in a
three-game upset over No. 13 BYU Friday. The Ute win snapped a nine-match drought vs. the Cougars,
and marked the first conference victory for Utah over BYU since 1985. Turková also racked up 36
assists and hit .222 (3k-1e-9a) in a three-game sweep over Idaho State Tuesday. An Academic All-MWC
selection in 1999, Turková set the single match assist record with 81 vs. then-No. 1 Stanford on
Sept. 5.
Record Season
So far this season, 28 records have fallen, including 11 in conference play. Twelve overall and
seven conference individual records have been shattered, while nine team marks were broken. Colorado
State and Utah are responsible for six new records each, and San Diego State snapped five marks.
This Week¹s Schedule
USA Today/AVCA ranking listed in parenthesis, All times are local, Home team in bold
October 10 (Tuesday)
* Denver at COLORADO STATE, 7 p.m.
* UTAH at Utah State, 7 p.m.
October 13 (Friday)
* AIR FORCE at BYU, 7 p.m.
* NEW MEXICO at UTAH, 7 p.m.
* SAN DIEGO STATE at WYOMING, 7 p.m.
* UNLV at COLORADO STATE, 7 p.m.
October 14 (Saturday)
* AIR FORCE at UTAH, 7 p.m.
* NEW MEXICO at BYU, 7 p.m.
* SAN DIEGO STATE at COLORADO STATE, 3 p.m.
* UNLV at WYOMING, 7 p.m.
Last Week¹s Results
October 3 (Tuesday)
* UTAH (16) def. Idaho State 15-6, 15-10, 15-5
October 5 (Thursday)
* COLORADO STATE (3) def. AIR FORCE 15-4, 15-7, 15-2
October 6 (Friday)
* UTAH (16) def. BYU (13) 15-5, 15-8, 15-7
* NEW MEXICO def. WYOMING 15-11, 15-12, 15-11
October 7 (Saturday)
* COLORADO STATE (3) def. NEW MEXICO 15-5, 15-5, 15-7
* SAN DIEGO STATE def. UNLV 15-13, 16-14, 15-2
* WYOMING def. AIR FORCE 16-14, 10-15, 15-0, 15-8
MWC Championship in Fort Collins
The 2000 Mountain West Conference volleyball championship will take place in Fort Collins, Colo.
Colorado State will serve as host to the championship which takes place Nov. 16-18 at Moby Arena.
For media credential information, contact Ron Christian at 719-533-9510.
Site: Moby Arena (8,745) -- Fort Collins, Colo., Colorado State University-host
Ticket Information: Call 800/491-RAMS
Date Event
Wednesday, Nov. 15 MWC Banquet
Thursday, Nov. 16 #1 seed vs. #8 seed, 11 a.m.
#2 seed vs. #7 seed, 1:30 p.m.
#3 seed vs. #6 seed, 4 p.m.
#4 seed vs. #5 seed, 7 p.m.
MWC Granted Automatic Qualification
Entering its second year in existence, the Mountain West Conference was granted automatic
qualification by the NCAA, meaning the champion of the postseason tournament will receive an
automatic bid to the 2000 NCAA Volleyball Tournament. Last year without the automatic bid, BYU, Utah
and Colorado State received at-large bids to the 64-team tournament.
Career Milestones This Season
Several Mountain West volleyball players have topped, or are approaching the 1,000-milestone in
career statistics. Only Colorado State junior Allison Peckham has topped two grand with 2,550 career
assists. Peckham ranks fifth on the CSU all-time assist chart while teammate Katherine Pettit is
seventh with 1,507 assists. Here¹s a look at the rest of the grand performers:
Wyoming senior Melody Friehauf -- 1,175 kills -- ranks fourth on the Cowgirl all-time kill list.
Utah senior Lucie Turkova -- 1,059 assists -- ranks sixth on the Ute all-time assist chart.
BYU junior Nina Puikkonen -- 1,029 kills.
Approaching the 1,000-milestone:
No Rally
Sixteen of the 20 conference matches played this season have been decided in three games, and the
other four matches only went four games. Colorado State and New Mexico are the only two teams that
have yet to reach a fourth game in conference play. The Rams won all five of their MWC matches in
three games, and currently have a 16-0 record this year when winning the first two games of a match.
The Rankings
Colorado State remained steady at No. 3 this week in the USA Today/AVCA Division I Top 25 Coaches
poll. BYU slipped to No. 17 and Utah jumped one spot to No. 15--the highest in school history. The
Rams have been ranked in the poll 124 weeks since the poll began in 1982 and the Cougars have been
ranked 219 weeks. BYU reached its highest ranking in school history at No. 1 on four occasions.
Pacific, Nebraska and Stanford lead the nation with 242 consecutive weeks in the poll.
National Attendance (compiled by Diane Nordstrom of Wisconsin media relations)
With the exception of matches played at Hawai`i, Colorado State and BYU played before the largest
crowd in the nation this season Sept. 29 when 5,307 fans packed Moby Arena in Fort Collins, Colo.
Colorado State ranks eighth overall in attendance with an average of 1,942 fans per match. The Rams
are fourth in total attendance with 17,474 fans over nine matches. BYU is 15th with 1,291 fans per
match, and Utah ranks 27th in attendance by averaging 780 fans per match. Hawai`i leads the nation
with an average of 6,987 fans per match.
Triple Threat
For the second straight week, the Mountain West Conference has the top three blockers in the nation.
BYU¹s Nina Puikkonen is the leader with 1.82 blocks per game, followed by Colorado State¹s Angela
Knopf at 1.80 bpg and San Diego State¹s Erin Grady at 1.76 bpg. The Cougars and Rams are No. 2 and
No. 3, respectively, in team blocking. Knopf also ranks fifth in the nation in hitting percentage at
.447. As a team, the Rams rank No. 5 in hitting percentage (.314).
Coaching Milestones
Several MWC volleyball coaches are approaching significant milestones this season.
Colorado State¹s Tom Hilbert will reach 100 victories at CSU with the Rams next win. Hilbert
needs just two wins to reach 275 career victories. Hilbert is currently 273-90 in 12 seasons overall
and 99-18 in four years with the Rams.
Utah¹s Beth Launiere needs seven wins to reach 200 career victories. Launiere is currently 193-140
in 10 seasons.
San Diego State head coach Mark Warner is approaching 100 career victories. In six seasons, Warner
has a record of 92-78.
Mountain West Conference First
Colorado State¹s upset of No. 1 UCLA in Gainesville, Fla., in week one marks the first-ever victory
by any Mountain West Conference team over a No. 1-ranked opponent. Utah and BYU matched that feat
this season as the Utes and the Cougars each topped then-No. 1 Stanford in week three.
Mountain West Conference Players of the Week:
Mountain West Conference Players of the Week:
Sept. 4 - Courtney Cox, Jr., OH, Colorado State
Sept. 11 - Nina Puikkonen, Jr., MB, BYU
Sept. 18 - Delavane Diaz, Fr., OH, Air Force
Sept. 25 - Angela Knopf, Jr., OH, Colorado State
Oct. 2 - Allison Peckham, Jr., S, Colorado State
Team Notes:
Air Force Falcons (6-10, 0-5 MWC)
Head Coach: Penny Lucas-White
Overall Record: 136-170 (10th year)
School Record: 41-90 (5th year)
The Falcons will face their first ranked opponents this weekend when they travel to No. 17 BYU and
No. 15 Utah. Air Force is 0-4 vs. BYU and 0-4 vs. Utah all time.
Freshman Delavane Diaz is entering the fourth straight week as the conference leader in kills per
game (4.26). She also ranks second in digs per game (3.22).
Diaz became just the second freshman to earn MWC Player of the Week honors Sept. 17 after helping
the Falcons win the Air Force Classic.
BYU Cougars (11-5, 3-2 MWC)
Head Coach: Elaine Michaelis
Overall Record: 852-214-5 (32nd year)
School Record: 852-214-5 (32nd year)
BYU's nine-match winning streak against rival Utah came to an end Friday as the Cougars suffered a
three-game loss to the then
16th-ranked Utes. The loss was BYU's first to Utah since 1995 and it marks the first time since 1995
that the Cougars have suffered more than one regular season conference defeat (BYU lost at No. 3
Colorado State last week). In the last four conference seasons, BYU has finished with records of
13-1, 13-1, 13-1 and 15-1, respectively, and has claimed at least a share of first-place.
BYU's usually potent offensive attack, ranked 15th in the nation
coming into the match, was held to a season-low .034 hitting
percentage against Utah. Three starters hit .000 or below.
The Utah match was the first this season in which BYU failed to have a player record double-digit
kills.
BYU allowed Utah a .276 hitting percentage - the second highest percentage by a BYU opponent this
season (Arizona hit .356).
BYU is now 1-4 on the road this year and 9-1 at home. The Cougars return home to face Air Force
and New Mexico Friday and Saturday. BYU has never lost to the Falcons in only four matches and is
46-7 overall against the Lobos. The Cougars have a 10-match winning streak against New Mexico dating
back to 1995 when the Lobos last beat BYU in Provo (3-0).
The Cougars have played a No. 1 team (Stanford) a No. 2 team (Long Beach State) and a No. 3 team
(Colorado State) this season. The Cougars defeated both Stanford and Long Beach State before losing
to the Rams. BYU has faced six top 20 foes this year.
Colorado State Rams (18-1, 5-0 MWC)
Head Coach: Tom Hilbert
Overall Record: 273-90 (12th year)
School Record: 99-18 (4th year)
Colorado State set a school record with last week¹s sweep at New Mexico. The Rams have won 25
straight games after sweeping their last eight opponents.
The Rams are in the midst of a 37-match home win streak (28 of which have been three-game sweeps)
dating back to Arizona¹s victory over Colorado State Sept. 6, 1998. This is now the longest current
streak in NCAA Division I after Penn State¹s loss at home last week. The Rams host Denver, UNLV and
San Diego State this week.
Colorado State leads the conference in hitting percentage (.314), kills per game (16.42) and
assists per game (15.03) this season.
Angela Knopf and Soraya Santos are ranked first and second, respectively, in hitting percentage in
the Mountain West statistics for the second consecutive week. Knopf is hitting .447, while Santos is
hitting at a .361 clip against all opponents. In league play, the pair are also 1-2, with Knopf
hitting .517, while Santos is hitting .450.
The Rams have yet to hit below .200 in any match this season, and 11 times out of 19 matches
Colorado State has hit above .300, including a season-high .437 against Loyola Marymount on Sept.
22. Only three opponents so far (UCLA, Nebraska and BYU) have hit over .200 in a match. The Rams
have held their opposition below .100 nine different times.
New Mexico Lobos (7-8, 3-2 MWC)
Head Coach: Laurel Brassey Iversen
Overall Record: 287-201 (17th year)
School Record: 287-201 (17th year)
New Mexico is 7-1 this season when holding the opposition under a .200 hitting percentage.
Junior Jessie Goffard recorded a league-high eighth double-double of the season against conference
rival Wyoming with 15 kills and 18 digs.
Senior Micaela Conley notched a career-high three service aces against Wyoming and a team
season-high 20 digs. Conley picked up her sixth double-double of the season with 13 kills and 20
digs.
UNM tied a Lobo season match high and set a conference three-game record with 76 digs against the
Cowgirls of Wyoming.
Freshman Lynzie Hayes hit a season best .750 hitting percentage against CSU with three kills and
no errors in four attempts.
San Diego State Aztecs (9-9, 3-2 MWC)
Head Coach: Mark Warner
Overall Record: 92-78 (6th year)
School Record: 92-78 (6th year)
A pair of Aztecs recorded double-doubles at UNLV Saturday.
Senior Amy Hallquist tallied her third double-double of the year with 17 kills and 14 digs while
teammate Monet Solberg recorded her second with 13 kills and 11 digs.
Outside hitter Amy Hallquist has emerged as SDSU's offensive leader over the past two weeks. In
San Diego State's last three matches, the senior from Phoenix, Ariz., hit .559 with an average of 14
kills and seven digs per match.
Senior Monet Solberg is averaging 12.75 kills per match over SDSU's last four contests. She leads
the squad in kill average at 3.29 kpg.
Senior Erin Grady is averaging 1.76 blocks per game this season, a figure that ranks third in the
nation entering the week. Earlier this season, she set a new San Diego State record with 15 block
assists in a match vs. Idaho on Sept. 9, breaking the previous mark of 13 set by Renate Busch vs. UC
Santa Barbara back in 1979.
The Aztecs have now won three straight conference matches for the first time since 1997. In their
last three matches, the Aztecs hit .344 as a team compared to .145 for the opposition. With its next
victory, SDSU will match its conference win total of last season.
With 696 assists in her first season at SDSU, sophomore Melissa Wright (transfer from Washington
State) has moved into the No. 10 spot on the Aztec career assist list. Junior Melissa Dickson is
currently ninth with 980 assists.
San Diego State remains the only team in the MWC which has not been involved in a five-game match
this season.
UNLV Rebels (1-13, 1-4 MWC)
Head Coach: Deitre Collins
Overall Record: 50-75 (5th year)
School Record: 50-75 (5th year)
Junior Amber Graham recorded her first double-double of the season with 18 kills and 11 digs vs.
San Diego State.
Freshman Leiana Oswald is currently 10th in the MWC with 3.31 kills per game. Oswald set the
conference season high for attempts in a three-game match with 61 vs. San Diego State Oct. 7.
The Rebels set a conference record with 167 attempts in a three-game loss to San Diego State Oct.
7.
Utah Utes (13-2, 4-1 MWC)
Head Coach: Beth Launiere
Overall Record: 193-140 (11th year)
School Record: 193-140 (11th year)
Utah has held five of its last six opponents under a .100 hitting percentage, posting a 5-1 record
in that time.
Utah is 3-2 vs. ranked teams this season after sweeping then-No. 13 BYU Friday. The Utes have
defeated two additional ranked teams this season (then-No. 1-ranked Stanford on Sept. 5, and
then-No. 24-ranked San Diego on Sept. 9). Utah lost its first match in 2000 to No. 13 Arizona on
Sept. 16, followed by a setback to No. 3 Colorado State on Sept. 29.
Utah snapped a nine-match losing streak to BYU Friday.
The Utes, who hold a 35-21 series advantage vs. rival Utah State, will look to win their 12th
straight over the Aggies Tuesday. Utah State, 2-0 vs. the Mountain West this year with victories
over BYU and Wyoming, made the top 25 for the first time in school history this season at No. 25.
Utah recorded the best start in school history at 8-0 after defeating Temple, topping the 7-0 mark
set by the 1992 team.
The Utes jumped to No. 15 in the latest USA Today/AVCA Top 25 poll.
Wyoming Cowgirls (7-13, 1-4 MWC)
Head Coach: Susan Judge
Overall Record: 102-109 (7th year)
School Record: 65-77 (5th year)
Freshman Melissa Robinett started the first two matches of her career last weekend. She recorded a
career high nine kills and 18 digs in the win at Air Force, and added four kills and 12 digs in a
loss at New Mexico.
Senior Jamie Burke is listed as day-to-day for this week¹s matches. She missed both matches last
weekend with a right ankle sprain.
Senior middle blocker Melody Friehauf, a 2000 NCAA Woman of the Year State winner, has notched
double figure kills in 10 matches this season. Friehauf is in the pool of 51 candidates for
consideration as the national NCAA Woman of the Year which will be announced Oct. 15.
Wyoming got back in the win column this week with a victory over Air Force. The Cowgirls, who had
faced five straight ranked teams prior to last weekend, were led by Michele Rauter¹s .300 hitting
percentage and 16 kills vs. the Falcons.
Melody Friehauf hit .276 over the last two matches after recording 15 kills vs. Air Force and 13
kills in a loss to New Mexico. Friehauf is ninth in the MWC with a .295 hitting percentage.
