Click for 1st and 2nd Round Results
Regional Pairings
UCLA (27-3) vs. Pepperdine (26-3)
Pacific, Calif. (30-2) vs. Northern Iowa (30-0)
Penn St. (32-1) vs. Minnesota (27-8)
BYU (28-4) vs. Florida (32-10)
Stanford (28-2) vs. Arizona (21-10)
Nebraska (27-5) vs. UC-Santa Barbara (28-5)
Hawaii (29-1) vs. Texas A&M (27-5)
Colorado St. (30-2) vs. Long Beach St. (29-3)
NCAA Championship Continues With Regionals This Week
The 1999 Womenís Volleyball NCAA Championship began with a field of 64 teams competing in first- and
second-round matches at participating institutions Dec. 2-5. The 16 winners now advance to four
regional tournaments that will be played Dec. 9-12, also at participating institutions. Host schools
for the regionals are Penn State, Pacific, Stanford and Hawai`i. The four regional winners will meet in Honolulu, Hawai`i for the national semifinals and finals, Dec. 16 and 18. The University of
Hawai`i, Manoa will host the championship event at the Stan Sheriff Center. Competition is
single-elimination, best three-of-five-game matches. Up-to-date information for the championship is available online at www.ncaachampionships.com.
Conference Representation in NCAA Tournament
The Big Ten Conference placed the most teams in the championship field with eight, followed by the
Big 12 Conference with six and the Pacific-10 Conference with five. The Big West and West Coast
conferences are each represented by four institutions. The Mountain West Conference received three
selections.
The Mountain West Conference is among elite company as one of only five leagues with multiple teams remaining in the NCAA tournament entering the round of 16. Both the Pac-10 and Big West still have three teams in the competition entering the week, however two Pac-10 teams will meet in the round of 16. The Mountain West Conference, Big Ten and Big 12 each have two teams alive. Four conferences (Missouri Valley, SEC, WAC and West Coast) have one team among the field of 16.
BYU Advances to Fourth Straight Regional Semifinal With Wins Over Princeton and Wisconsin
Powered by Mountain West Conference Player of the Year Nina Puikkonen, BYU advanced to its fourth
straight regional semifinal in its 18th NCAA appearance. Playing on their home court, the Cougars
opened NCAA action with a 3-0 sweep of Princeton, then rallied to defeat Wisconsin, 3-1, in the
second round. Puikkonen recorded 19 kills in the sweep and a season-high 24 kills vs. Wisconsin and
registered seven blocks in each match. Ranked No. 12 in the nation, BYU will travel to University of
the Pacific in Stockton, Calif. and face No. 4 Florida in the Regional Semifinal on Friday. The
winner of that match advances to meet the winner of the No. 5 Pacific vs. No. 17 Northern Iowa match
on Saturday.
Colorado State Reaches Regional Semifinal For First Time With Wins Over Loyola-Chicago and Kansas State
Competing in its 11th NCAA Tournament, Colorado State used the home court advantage to its fullest as it swept Loyola-Chicago in the opening round, then defeated Kansas State, 3-1, to advance to the regional semifinals for the first time in program history. Blocking was the key for the Rams as juniors Summer Jennings (16) and Krista Swartzendruber (11) collected career-highs and the Rams posted 22.5 team blocks vs. Kansas State. Senior Catie Vagneur led four CSU hitters in double figures as she registered her fourth 20-plus kill outing vs. KSU. The Rams hit .352 as a team vs. Loyola and .253 vs. KSU. Ranked No. 11 in the nation, CSU will travel to Honolulu to face reigning national champion No. 6 Long Beach State in the regional semifinal on Thursday. The winner of that match plays the winner of the match between No. 3 Hawaii and No. 13 Texas A&M on Friday.
Utah Sweeps Colorado, But Stopped By Hawai`i in Second Round
In its second consecutive NCAA appearance, Utah claimed its second first round win before being
stopped in the second round. En route to the opening round sweep over No. 21 Colorado, the Utes were led by Alissa Geddes with a career-high tying 18 kills and match-best 14 digs. Four Utah players reached double figures in the upset victory. Facing No. 3 Hawaii on its home court in front of over 6,000 fans, the Utes came up short. Senior setter Graciela Torres-Lopez ended her career as Utah's all-time leader with 5,130 career assists.
Three MWC Players Make AVCA All-District VII Team
Heather Bown *, Hawai'i, MB, Sr.
Tracy Chambers *, Pacific, MB, Sr.
Kari DeSoto, Cal Poly, MB, Sr.
Roberta Gehlke ***, UC Santa Barbara, OH, Sr.
Anja Grabovac *, Long Beach State, OH, Sr.
Nina Puikkonen *, BYU, MB, So.
Brooke Rundle, UC Santa Barbara, S, So.
Anna-Lena Smith *, BYU, S, Sr.
Jennica Smith *, Pacific, RS/Opp, Sr.
Elsa Stegemann **, Pacific, OH, Sr.
Catie Vagneur, Colorado State, OH, Sr.
Cheryl Weaver, Long Beach St., MB, So.
District Freshman of the Year:
Lily Kahumoku, Hawai'i, OH
* denotes previous times on All-District Team
All-Mountain West Conference Volleyball Teams
First Team All-Conference
Caroline Bower, BYU, Sr., OH
Melody Friehauf, Wyoming, Jr., MB
Angela Knopf, CSU, So., MB
Nina Puikkonen, BYU, So., MB
McKelle Stilson, Utah, So., MB
Catie Vagneur, CSU, Sr., OH
Setter, Anna-Lena Smith, BYU, Sr., S
Defensive Specialist, Kristen Vance, CSU, Sr., DS
Second Team All-Conference
Mari Carpenter, BYU, Sr., OH
Courtney Cox, CSU, So., OH
Alisa Geddes, Utah, So., OH
Summer Koons, AFA, Sr., MB
Angie Sylvas, UNLV, Sr., OH
Graciela Torres-Lopez, Utah, Sr., S
Setter - Allison Peckham, CSU, Sr., S
Defensive Specialist - Brooke Barton, Utah, Sr., DS
Coach of the Year
Tom Hilbert, CSU
Player of the Year
Nina Puikkonen, BYU, So., MB
Freshman of the Year
Sunny Tonga, BYU, Fr., OH
USA Today/AVCA National Poll
CSU No. 11, BYU No. 12
For the fourth straight week, all 25 teams remained the same, however repositioning continued to
occur in the USA Today/AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 national poll.
BYU (26-4/13-1 MWC) slipped three slots to No. 12 in this weekís poll after losing to Colorado State
in the Mountain West Conference Championship. The Cougars’ only other losses this season were to
Michigan in the season opener, to then-No. 7 Stanford on Sept. 25 and to then-No. 15 Colorado State
on Oct. 22. BYU also owns wins over Top 25 members Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine.
Colorado State (28-2/12-2 MWC) climbed one spot to No. 11 after upsetting then No. 9-BYU in the MWC
championship tournament on Saturday. The Rams registered three regular-season tournament titles and
wins over Top 25 teams Colorado, Loyola Marymount and BYU. Their only losses were to UNLV and
then-No. 11 BYU.
Conference Race Decided on Final Day of Regular-season,
Tie-break Rules Used for No. 4-7 Seeds
The inaugural Mountain West Conference regular-season title was decided on the final day of the
regular season. The showdown for the title took place with No. 10-ranked BYU playing host to No.
11-ranked CSU. Both teams entered the match with just one conference loss each. CSU had won the
first meeting between the two teams, but suffered a loss to UNLV. This time BYU prevailed in four
games to claim the league title and the No. 1 seed into the championship tournament. CSU received
the tournament’s No. 2 seed. Utah became the third MWC team to notch its 20th win of the season with
a sweep over Wyoming on the final day of the regular-season. The Utes claimed third place in the
standings, while Wyoming finished eighth.
The showdowns among the fourth through seventh place teams resulted in two ties in the standings,
thus the use of the tie-break rules to determine championship tournament seedings. Tied for fourth
in the standings, Air Force claimed the No. 4 seed over New Mexico. The two teams split their league
meetings, but the Falcons swept and the Lobos needed four games for their win. Tied for sixth-place
in the final standings, San Diego State earned the No. 6 seed and UNLV the No. 7 by virtue of a
series sweep by the Aztecs who claimed both matches in five games.
Three MWC Teams Record 20-Win Seasons
Three Mountain West Conference teams reached the 20-win mark during the league’s inaugural season.
Colorado State was the first to the prestigious mark on Oct. 29 and enters the NCAA Regionals with a
30-2 overall record, and the most wins in school history. The Rams have earned 20-wins 11 times in
program history, including each of the last five years. BYU reached the plateau on Nov. 5 and brings
a 28-4 record into the Regionals. Utah achieved the 20-win status on Nov. 20 and finished the season
with a 22-10 record.
Mountain West Teams In The Rankings This Season
Both BYU and Colorado State have been ranked in the USA Today/AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 poll
the entire 1999 season. CSU is currently listed No. 11 and BYU is right behind in the No. 12 slot.
Below is the list of where they have been ranked each week.
Date BYU CSU
9/6 12 19
9/13 12 17
9/20 10 17
9/28 11 15
10/4 10 15
10/11 8 14
10/18 8 15
10/25 11 12
11/1 10 11
11/8 10 11
11/15 10 11
11/22 9 12
11/29 12 11
Historically, BYU has been listed in the poll the seventh most times of all teams in the nation with
213 appearances. Colorado State stands 16th on the list of most appearances with 115 to date. CSU’s
highest ranking ever was No. 4 in 1985, while BYU has been ranked No. 1 on four occasions.
Coaching Milestones
Colorado State head coach Tom Hilbert obtained his 250th career win at Utah on Fri., Nov. 19. His
record entering the NCAA Regional is 255-88 in 11 years. Earlier this season, Hilbert notched his
70th victory at CSU.
New Mexico head coach Laurel Brassey Iversen passed the 250 mark this season and is UNM’s winningest
coach in program history. She finished the season with a 255-188 career record, all at New Mexico.
Non-conference Wrap
The final non-conference regular-season match was played when SDSU lost at cross-town rival San
Diego (West Coast Conference) on Wed., Nov. 17.
Mountain West Conference teams posted a 72-40 regular-season combined record against opponents from
other conferences. In those matches collectively, MWC teams won 239 games and lost just 159 in
non-league contests.
Here’s a quick look at how the Mountain West Conference stacks up against other conferences:
America East 0-1
Atlantic Coast (ACC) 3-2
Atlantic 10 2-0
Big East 6-3
Big Sky 5-3
Big South 1-0
Big Ten 0-1
Big 12 4-7
Big West 4-3
Colonial 2-1
C-USA 4-0
Ivy 1-0
Metro Atlantic 1-0
Mid-American 2-0
Mid-Continent 2-0
Mid-Eastern (MAAC) 1-0
Midwestern 1-0
Missouri Valley 5-1
Northeast 1-0
Ohio Valley 3-0
Pacific-10 4-5
Patriot 2-0
Southeastern (SEC) 3-1
Southern 1-0
Southland 1-0
Southwestern (SWAC) 1-0
Sun Belt 4-2
West Coast 3-8
Western (WAC) 3-2
Independents 1-0
Division II 1-0
Totals 72-40
(.643)
In regular-season action only
MWC’s NCAA Participants’ Series
vs. NCAA Field of 64 (Non-MWC)
Arizona 1-0
Arizona State 1-0
Cal Poly 1-0
Colorado 1-0
Houston 1-0
Louisville 1-0
Loyola Marymount 2-0
Northern Iowa 0-1
Notre Dame 3-0
Michigan 0-1
Pepperdine 1-1
Southeast Missouri State 1-0
Stanford 0-2
As a Whole (.723) 13-5
NCAA Championship Notes
Ten teams made their first appearance in the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship in
1999, however all 10 have been eliminated. They were Baylor, Davidson, Florida A&M, James Madison,
Northern Arizona, Prairie View and Robert Morris. Four institutions have played in all 19
championships: Pacific (Cal.), Penn State, Stanford and UC Santa Barbara. All four of these teams
remain alive entering the round of 16.
In the 18-year history of the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship, eight schools have
been crowned champion, all of which are in the 1999 field. Stanford has won four titles (1992, 94,
96, 97), while Hawai`i (1982, 83, 87), Long Beach State (1989, 93, 98) and UCLA (1984, 90, 91) have
claimed three each. Pacific has taken the trophy twice (1985, 86), and Nebraska (1995), Texas (1988)
and Southern California (1981) each once.
Thirty conferences were granted automatic qualification for the 1999 championship. The remaining 34
teams, including all three Mountain West Conference teams (BYU, CSU, Utah), were at-large
selections.
MWC Teams Have Rich Postseason History
Six of the eight MWC women’s volleyball programs have competed in postseason action over the years
while the other two programs have only been in competition since 1996. Leading the charge is BYU,
which is making its 18th appearance in the NCAA tournament. Highlighting BYUís NCAA success is a
national runner-up finish in 1993. The Cougars have also reached the Regional Final seven times,
including the past three years.
Colorado State is competing in its fifth consecutive NCAA tournament, bringing its total to 11. Utah
made its second straight NCAA appearance this season. San Diego State has played in 12 NCAA
tournaments, New Mexico seven, Wyoming four. In addition, CSU and Utah have each competed in the
National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) once.
BYU This Season vs. NCAA Field
L 0-3 Michigan S 03
W 3-0 Houston S 10
W 3-0 Loyola Marymount S 11
W 3-2 Pepperdine S 18
L 0-3 Stanford S 25
W 3-0 Notre Dame O 19
W 3-1 Arizona State O 25
W 3-2 Arizona O 26
W 3-0 at Utah O 15
L 0-3 at CSU O 22
W 3-0 vs. Utah N 12
W 3-1 vs. CSU N 20
L 0-3 vs. CSU N 27
BYU Total: 9-4 vs. NCAA Field of 64
3-3 vs. Teams in NCAA Round of 16
CSU This Season vs. NCAA Field
W 3-0 Colorado S 01
W 3-2 Southeast Missouri St. S 04
W 3-0 Loyola Marymount S 05
W 3-0 Louisville S 11
W 3-0 Cal Poly S 18
W 3-0 Notre Dame S 25
W 3-0 vs. BYU O 22
W 3-2 vs. Utah O 23
W 3-1 at Utah N 19
L 1-3 at BYU N 20
W 3-2 vs. Utah N 26
W 3-2 vs. BYU N 27
CSU Total: 11-1 vs. NCAA Field of 64
2-1 vs. Teams in NCAA Round of 16
Team Notes (Entering Regionals):
Air Force Falcons (17-12, 5-9 MWC)
The Falcons battled New Mexico for five games in the first round of the conference championship
before succumbing … AFA finished tied with UNM for fourth place in the league standings, but claimed
the No. 4 seed in the championship tournament by virtue of the tie-break scenario … Air Force and
New Mexico split their head-to-head matches, but the Falcons won in a sweep, while it took the Lobos
four games to claim their victory … The Lobos claimed the season series with the tournament victory.
Brooke Effland (Sr., OH) led the Falcons with 16 kills and 15 digs in her final match … Effland
ended her career ninth on the all-time list with 1,092 kills and is only the 10th player in Air
Force history, and the first since the program moved to the Divison I level in 1996, to reach the
prestigious 1,000 milestone … Her 3.71 kills per game average ranked seventh in the conference and
stands fifth on the academy’s list for season bests. All-conference selection, Summer Koons (Sr.,
MB) totaled eight kills and a match-high seven blocks in her final outing … Koons finished ninth on
the AFA all-time list with 404 total blocks and stands seventh with 282 assisted blocks in her
career. The league leader in digs per game with a 3.59 average, Tracey Wilkerson (Sr., OH) collected
eight digs and 13 kills in her career finale. Tharommony In (Sr., S) finished the season with a
12.01 assists per game average -0 a mark which established a new academy season record and ranked
fourth in the conference Ö For her career, In managed the sixth-highest assist total in AFA history
with 2,214 … In also ranked second in the league with an 0.45 ace per game average. Shaylor Billings
(Jr., MB), who is one of only three MWC players to register a triple-double (15 kills, 12 digs and
11 blocks vs. CSU), added 13 kills in the final match of the year. Historically, AFA entered the
season with just two wins ever over Mountain West Conference opponents, yet they totaled five this
season.
BYU Cougars (28-4, 13-1 MWC) – NCAAs
Ranked No. 12 in the national poll, BYU was one of three conference teams to receive an invitation
to the NCAA championship and is playing in its fourth straight NCAA Regional Semifinal … This year’s
NCAA appearance marks the Cougarsí 18th in the 19th year of the tournament. BYU won the inaugural
Mountain West Conference regular-season title, giving head coach Elaine Michaelis and the Cougars
the distinction of winning the first conference title in all five leagues in which they have played.
The Cougars finished as runner-up to Colorado State in the inaugural conference championship … CSU
is the only league team to take a game from the Cougars, handing BYU a 3-0 loss in the first
meeting, extending the regular-season showdown to four games, then sweeping the tournament finals …
BYU has now won 20 matches in the minimum three games … Ironically, all four of BYUís losses have
also been sweeps. MWC Player of the Year Nina Puikkonen (So., MB) headlines a list of five BYU
players who received all-conference honors. Puikkonen is joined on the first team by seniors
Anna-Lena Smith and Caroline Bower. Senior Mari Carpenter received second-team honors and rookie
Sunny Tonga was named the MWC Freshman of the Year … Puikkonen also earned all-tournament
recognition and was named to the AVCA All-District VII team. Puikkonen led the Cougars in both NCAA
matches and brought her number of double-digit kill efforts to 29 in BYUís 31 outings. She collected
19 kills vs. Princeton and a season-high 24 vs. Wisconsin and registered seven blocks in each NCAA
outing. She leads the league in three categories (4.24 kpg, 1.87 bpg and .372 hitting percentage)
and ranks third in the nation in blocks. In only her second season, Puikkonen already owns 432
career blocks … Smith also earned all-district honors … She is averaging 12.93 assists per game and
has the Cougars hitting a league-best .298 as a team (a mark which ranks sixth in the nation) … BYU
also continues to lead the league and rank among the national leaders with a 3.69 blocks per game
average. Bower led the team with 14 digs vs. Princeton and collected 11 vs. Wisconsin. Jackie Bundy
(So., MB) hit .545 (8-2-11) vs. Princeton as the Cougars hit .494, as a team, and narrowly missed a
triple-double with 14 digs, eight kills and nine blocks vs. UW. Tonga hit .667 (9-1-12) vs.
Princeton and .368 (10-3-19) vs. UW. Carpenter also reached double figures with 10 kills vs. UW. The
Cougars will travel to University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif. for the NCAA East Regional and
face No. 4 Florida at 5 p.m. Friday … The winner plays the victor of the No. 17 Northern Iowa vs.
No. 5 Pacific match Saturday at 7 p.m.
Colorado State Rams (30-2, 12-2 MWC) - NCAAs
The winner of the inaugural Mountain West Conference Volleyball Championship and one of three MWC
teams selected to compete in the NCAA Championship, CSU is ranked No. 11 in the USA Today/AVCA
national poll. The 1999 Rams own the most wins (30 entering NCAA Regionals) in the history of the
program. As the second place MWC team in the regular-season and since first-place BYU hosted this
year, CSU earned the right to host the 2000 conference championship in Fort Collins. The Rams went
undefeated (18-0) at home during the 1999 season and improved their home win streak to 28 matches.
CSU claimed 20 matches in the minimum three games this season and is 5-0 in matches that went the
full five games. The Rams are 5-1 against ranked teams, including 2-1 vs. BYU. During the conference
championship, CSU opened with a four-game win over UNLV, outlasted Utah in five in the semifinals,
then swept host BYU in the finals. After having five players selected to the all-conference teams
prior to the championship, the Rams dominated the all-tournament team with six being selected. A
first team All-MWC pick, Catie Vagneur (Sr., OH), was named the Tournament Most Valuable Player and
selected to the AVCA All-District VII team. Vagneur stands third in the league with a team-high 4.09
kills per game average and surpassed the 1,500 mark during the first match of NCAA play vs.
Loyola-Chicago. She enters the regional with 1,526 career kills … Another first team All-MWC choice,
Angela Knopf (So., MB) hit .615 (8-0-13) during the opening round vs. Loyola-Chicago and drilled 18
kills while hitting .484 (18-3-31) vs. Kansas State … The first team Defensive Specialist of the
Year, senior Kristen Vance was also chosen the conference tournamentís top DS after posting her
second 20-dig match and totaling 39 digs for the tournament … Vance led the team with 12 digs vs.
Kansas State and enters the regional fourth on the CSU all-time list with 1,131 career digs and
fifth in career aces with 125 … Named the MWC second team Setter of the Year, sophomore Allison
Peckham also received the conference championshipís top setter honors … Peckham crossed the 1,500
assist mark vs. UNLV on Nov. 24 and enters the regional with 1,650 career assists. Peckham leads the
conference with a 12.98 assist per game average … A second team All-MWC pick, Courtney Cox (So.,
OH) registered double figures in kills in both NCAA matches with 12 vs. Loyola and 19 vs. KSU …
Summer Jennings (Jr., MB) established a new career-high and registered the highest total by an MWC
player with 16 blocks vs. Kansas State. Her 15 assisted blocks is also a CSU all-time match record,
the first to be reset during the 1990s … CSU drew an average of 1,399 fans per match during the
regular-season, topping the 1,000 mark for the first time since 1993 (1,112) … The Rams own eight of
the top-15 attendance figures in the MWC, including the largest crowd by a MWC team as 4,112 cheered
them to victory over BYU on Oct. 22 … During the NCAA matches, an of average of 2,198 fans entered
Moby Arena … CSU will travel to Honolulu and meet reigning national champion and sixth-ranked Long
Beach State on Thursday at 5 p.m. (HST). The winner advances to play the winner of the match between
No. 3 Hawai`i and No. 13 Texas A&M at 7 p.m. (HST) Friday.
New Mexico Lobos (11-22, 5-9 MWC)
After tying with Air Force for fourth place in the league standings, New Mexico entered the
championship as the No. 5 seed due to the tie-breaker which took into account the Lobos split in
matches with the Falcons. The tiebreaker saw UNM come out on the short end of a 4-3 games split. The
Lobos survived a five-game battle with the Falcons in the tournament opener, then were swept by BYU
in the semifinals. Amber Smith (Sr., OH) improve her career total to 1,113 which stands fourth on
the UNM career charts … Smith is also fourth on the Lobo’s all-time blocking chart with 258 total
career blocks. Janelle Torres (Sr., S) continued to add to her Lobo career record and finished with
3,794 assists … Torres also passed the century mark in career digs and ended with 1,001. Micaela
Conley (Jr., OH) led all hitters in the Air Force match with 18 kills … Erika Sansoni (Fr., MB) hit
.556 (10-0-18) vs. AFA.
San Diego State Aztecs (11-19, 4-10 MWC)
The Aztecs finished tied for sixth in the conference standings with UNLV. SDSU claimed the No. 6
seed in the championship by virtue of the tie-break rules and a pair of five-game wins over the
Rebels … SDSU came out strong in the tournament, claiming the first and third games from Utah before
succumbing in five games. Jamie Evans (Sr., OH) drilled a career-high 21 kills to make her first
entry on the 20-kill chart … Evans made it her 11th double-double of the season by adding 16 digs.
Lisa Bostian (Sr., S/OH) finished her SDSU career seventh on the Aztecs’ all-time chart with 1,659
career assists … Bostian provided 64 assists and 13 digs in the loss. Amy Hallquist (Jr., OH) made
her first entry in the 20-dig club and the first for the Aztecs this season with a career-high 20
vs. Utah. After missing the majority of the season with a knee injury and returning to the lineup in
SDSUís regular-season finale, Nicole Curtis (Sr., MB) again made significant contributions hitting
.333 with seven kills. Katie Magnuson (So., OH) registered a double-double with 12 kills and 15 digs
in the final match of the season. The only freshman and first SDSU choice for Mountain West
Conference Player of the Week (on Nov. 1), Nicole Akporiaye (Fr., MB) collected 12 kills vs. Utah.
The schedule was not easy for SDSU, which opened the season against four ranked opponents and played
a total of nine top-25 foes.
UNLV Rebels (12-14, 4-10 MWC)
The Rebels tied for sixth place in the standings, but were the seventh seed in the championship due
to losses vs. SDSU. Although they claimed the second game of the match, the Rebels fell to
eventual-champ CSU in four games. A second-team all-conference selection, who was also named the
final conference player of the week, Angie Sylvas (Sr., OH) notched her 12th double-double of the
season with 11 kills and 10 digs in the final match … The conference leader in kills per game with a
4.19 average, Sylvas finished her UNLV career with a school record 912 kills as a Rebel and 1,681
overall (including two seasons at San Jose State) … Sylvas also stands fourth on the UNLV all-time
list with 574 digs in her UNLV career and 1,054 overall. Jeannette Graves (Sr., OH) led the Rebels
with 14 kills in the final match and ended her two-year UNLV career seventh on the all-time list
with 515 career kills. The UNLV record holder for most matches and games played, Christel Eves (Sr.
MB) totaled 829 career kills to stand second on the all-time list and is third in digs with 600.
Justine Kamelamela (Jr., OH) is already third on the UNLV career chart with 769 kills and stands
second in digs with 626. After opening the season with a school-best seven consecutive wins, the
Rebels lost 10 of their next 12 matches … Six of the Rebels’ losses came at the hands of ranked foes
(USC and Pepperdine once, then BYU and CSU twice each) … UNLV claimed its first league win with an
upset of previously undefeated No. 14-ranked Colorado State on Oct. 16, then put together a
three-match win streak to end the regular-season.
Utah Utes (22-10, 10-4 MWC) – NCAAs
One of three conference teams to receive an NCAA championship invitation, Utah made its second
straight appearance in the tournament. The Utes claimed their second straight first-round win with a
sweep of No. 21 Colorado before being stopped, 0-3, by No. 3 Hawai`i in the second round. Utah
earned third place in the league standings and the No. 3 seed in the championship. Both MWC
tournament matches went five-games with Utah prevailing over San Diego State in the first round, but
falling to Colorado State in the semifinals … The Utes reached the 20-win mark for the fourth
consecutive season … Second team all-conference selection Graciela Torres-Lopez (Sr., S) reached the
prestigious 5,000 milestone with a career-high tying 72 assists vs. SDSU on Nov. 24. Utahís all-time
assist record holder, Torres-Lopez ended her career with 5,130 assists. She owns three
triple-doubles this season and averaged 12.28 assists per game … First team all-conference honoree
McKelle Stilson (So., MB) drilled the highest total by an MWC player with a career-high 31 kills vs.
SDSU on Nov. 24 and reached double figures in kills during 26-of-31 matches this season, including
five with 20-plus. Second-team all-conference choice Alisa Geddes (So., OH) led the Utes with 18
kills amd 14 digs vs. Colorado and totaled 10 digs vs. Hawai`i. Jen Snow-Richards (Jr., OH) reached
double figures with 12 kills vs. Colorado. Adrianne Bradley (So., OH) led the Utes with seven kills
and added 11 digs vs. Hawai`i. All but one of Utah’s losses (vs. Georgia) this season were to top 25
ranked teams (No. Iowa, Pepperdine, Stanford, BYU twice, CSU three times and Hawai`i).
Wyoming Cowgirls (9-21, 3-11 MWC)
After finishing eighth in the league standings, the Cowgirls faced top-seeded BYU in the opening
round of the championship. First-team all-conference selection, Melody Friehauf (Jr., MB) finished
the season tied for the league lead with a team-high .360 attack percentage, sixth in kills per game
(3.74) and second in blocks per game (1.37) … Friehauf owns 976 career kills to stand seventh in
Wyoming history and is second in career blocks with 447. Jamie Burke (Jr., OH) led the Cowgirls in
digs (224) and is second in kills (261) on the season. Rachel Lau (So., MB), finished second on the
team in blocks (93) and third in kills (201). Michele Keller (Fr., OH) hit .267 vs. BYU in the final
match and collected a team-high six kills.
Match-Bests
Here is a list of the best individual and team single-match performances in the Mountain West Conference.
Attack Percentage
Indiv.: .909 (10-0-11) by Sunny Tonga (BYU) at Wyoming O 23
Team: .537 (34-5-54) New Mexico vs. Jackson State S 3
Kills
Indiv.: 31 by McKelle Stilson (Utah) vs. SDSU N 24
Team: 91 Utah vs. SDSU N 24
Blocks
Indiv.: 16 (1/15) by Summer Jennings (CSU) vs. Kansas St. D 3
Team: 22.5 Colorado State vs. Kansas St. D 3
Digs
Indiv.: 27 by Caroline Bower (BYU) at Arizona O 26
Team: 95 Colorado State vs. Utah O 23, New Mexico at Wash. State S 11
Assists
Indiv.: 78 by Maria Julia Goes (UNLV) at Nevada, Reno S 28
Team: 81 UNLV at Nevada, Reno S 28, CSU at Air Force N 5
Service Aces
Indiv.: 8 by Christel Eves (UNLV) at Maryland S 11
Team: 17 UNLV at Maryland S 11
Mountain West Among NCAA Leaders (As of 11/28)
Blocks
3rd Nina Puikkonen (BYU) 1.86
Team Hitting Percentage
6th BYU (1655-575-3661) .295
Team Assists
20th CSU 15.25
Team Blocks
3rd BYU (72 BS/589 BA/366 TB) 3.66
MWC Volleyball Milestone
First Serve: Colorado at CSU, 6:58 p.m., Sept. 1.
First MWC Kill: by CSU’s Catie Vagneur at 6:59 p.m., Sept. 1 against Colorado.
First Point Scored: On a kill by CSU’s Catie Vagneur at 6:59 p.m., Sept. 1 against Colorado.
First Victory: CSU d. Colorado (3-0) Sept. 1.
First 3-Game Win: CSU d. Colorado (3-0) Sept. 1.
First 4-Game Win: BYU d. Toledo (3-1) Sept. 4.
First 5-Game Win: BYU d. Georgia (3-2) Sept. 3.
First Victory vs. Ranked Opponent: No. 24 CSU d. No. 19 Colorado (3-0) Sept. 1.
First Home Victory: CSU d. Colorado (3-0) Sept. 1.
First Away Victory: BYU d. Georgia (3-2) Sept. 3.
First Neutral Victory: UTAH d. SMU (3-0) Sept. 3.
First Loss: Denver d. WYOMING (3-0) Sept. 1.
First 3-Game Loss: Denver d. WYOMING (3-0) Sept. 1.
First 4-Game Loss: Montana State d. WYOMING (3-1) Sept. 4.
First 5-Game Loss: Georgia d. UTAH (3-2) Sept. 7.
First Home Loss: Northern Iowa d. UTAH (3-0) Sept. 1.
First Away Loss: Denver d. WYOMING (3-0) Sept. 1.
First Neutral Loss: Michigan d. BYU (3-0) Sept. 3.
First Tournament Title: AIR FORCE won the Air Force Invitational Sept. 3.
First Tournament Title at Home: AIR FORCE won the Air Force Invitational Sept. 3.
First Tournament Title on Road: UTAH won the Texas Tech Four Points Sheraton Classic Sept. 4.
First Player of the Week: CSUís Courtney Cox (So., OH)
First 10-Block Outing: 10 (1/9) by Wyo’s Melody Friehauf vs. Montana State and (4/6) by BYU’s Nina
Puikkonen vs. Toledo on Sept. 4.
First 20-Kill Outing: 20 by AFA’s Shaylor Billings vs. Morgan State and 21 by UNLV’s Angie Sylvas on
Sept. 10.
First 30-Kill Outing: 30 by Wyoming’s Melody Friehauf vs. Evansville on Sept. 25.
First 20-Dig Outing: 20 by SDSU’s Jamie Evans vs. Creighton on Sept. 12.
First Triple-Double: (16k-1d-11b) by Wyoming’s Rachel Lau vs. Montana State on Sept. 4.
First Regular-Season Champion: BYU
First Conference Tournament Champion: Colorado State
MWC Preseason Coaches’ Predictions
The coaches from the eight Mountain West Conference institutions registered their votes for
projected order of finish in the new conference prior to the season. BYU, which has won the
conference title in its first year with each of its previous three conferences, is favored to claim
the inaugural MWC crown. The league competition should be exciting as the voting was very close the
rest of the way. Colorado State was chosen to be the runner-up, Utah was picked to finish third and
UNLV completes the upper half at fourth. Here is the complete preseason poll:
1. BYU
2. Colorado State
3. Utah
4. UNLV
5. Wyoming
6. New Mexico
7. San Diego State
8. Air Force
Four MWC Teams Were Mentioned In Preseason National Poll
Four women’s volleyball teams from the Mountain West Conference received mention in the USA
Today/AVCA preseason national poll. Two were listed among the nation’s top-25 and two others
received votes. BYU entered the season ranked No. 7 in the nation. Colorado State stood No. 24 in
the preseason poll. Utah received 24 votes to place just outside of the top-25. UNLV brought the
conference total to four teams mentioned in the preseason poll by gaining one vote.
Regular-Season Tournament Honors
During the season, Mountain West Conference teams competed in a total of 23 tournaments and claimed
10 titles. Individually, 29 different players received 46 all-tournament selections - highlighted by
six student-athletes earning Most Valuable Player honors seven times.
Four players from the Air Force Academy earned nine selections - including two MVP awards for the
same person at three tournaments. BYU competed in just two tournaments and saw three players claim
five different selections. Colorado State reaped three MVP honors by three different players and
seven selections en route to winning all three of the tournaments in which the Rams competed. Four
New Mexico athletes received six honors during four tournaments. San Diego State had three different
players chosen in two tournaments. UNLV claimed the most awards as six different players were chosen
a total of seven times over three events. Four players from Utah received five awards in two
tournaments. Wyoming saw two players chosen, one in each of its three tournaments - including one
MVP.
Superlative Clubs Lists
Triple-Double Club
(15k-12d-11b) Shaylor Billings (AFA) vs. CSU N 5
(12k-10d-62a) Graciela Torres-Lopez (Utah) vs. CSU O 23
(12k-16d-60a) G. Torres-Lopez (Utah) vs. Pepperdine S 17
(10k-11d-60a) G. Torres-Lopez (Utah) vs. Weber State S 7
(16k-11d-11b) Rachel Lau (Wyo) vs. Montana State S 4
20 Kill/20 Dig Club
(24k-20d) Jeanette Graves (UNLV) vs. Air Force N 19
30-Kill Club
31 McKelle Stilson (Utah) vs. SDSU N 24
30 Melody Friehauf (Wyo) vs. Evansville S 25
20-Kill Club
29 Angie Sylvas (UNLV) vs. Air Force N 19
28 Angie Sylvas (UNLV) vs. New Mexico N 20
27 Brooke Effland (AFA) vs. Denver O 6
26 Angie Sylvas (UNLV) at Wyoming N 13
25 McKelle Stilson (Utah) at Cal S 25
25 Angie Sylvas (UNLV) at Air Force O 23
24 Jamie Burke (Wyo) vs. Arkansas S 11
24 Shaylor Billings (AFA) vs. Tenn. Tech S 11
24 Amber Smith (UNM) vs. SDSU O 23
24 Catie Vagneur (CSU) at Air Force N 5
24 Courtney Cox (CSU) vs. UNLV N 11
24 Micaela Conley (UNM) vs. Air Force N 12
24 Jeanette Graves (UNLV) vs. Air Force N 19
24 Nina Puikkonen (BYU) vs. Wisconsin D 4
23 Courtney Cox (CSU) at Denver S 21
23 Catie Vagneur (CSU) at Denver S 21
23 Angie Sylvas (UNLV) at Nevada-Reno S 28
23 Angela Knopf (CSU) vs. Utah O 23
23 Catie Vagneur (CSU) vs. Utah O 23
23 Alisa Geddes (Utah) vs. Notre Dame O 20
23 Summer Koons (AFA) vs. Colorado State N 5
23 Adrianne Bradley (Utah) vs. Colorado State N 26
22 Amy Hallquist (SDSU) at Creighton S 12
22 Brooke Effland (AFA) vs. Utah O 2
21 Angie Sylvas (UNLV) at Louisville S 10
21 Melody Friehauf (Wyo) vs. Arkansas S 11
21 Jamie Burke (Wyo) vs. Notre Dame S 24
21 McKelle Stilson (Utah) at Air Force O 2
21 Shaylor Billings (AFA) vs. UNLV O 23
21 Angie Sylvas (UNLV) at San Diego State O 29
21 Melody Friehauf (Wyo) vs. Weber State O 30
21 Brooke Effland (AFA) at New Mexico N 12
21 Brooke Effland (AFA) at UNLV N 19
21 Summer Koons (AFA) at UNLV N 19
21 Jamie Evans (SDSU) vs. Utah N 24
20 Shaylor Billings (AFA) vs. Morgan State S 10
20 Amber Smith (UNM) vs. Wash. State S 11
20 McKelle Stilson (Utah) vs. Utah State S 16
20 Brooke Effland (AFA) at Alabama S 17
20 McKelle Stilson (Utah) vs. Pepperdine S 17
20 Nina Puikkonen (BYU) vs. Pepperdine S 18
20 Melody Friehauf (Wyo) vs. Notre Dame S 24
20 Amber Smith (UNM) vs. SMU S 25
20 Mari Carpenter (BYU) vs. Weber State O 5
20 Jamie Burke (Wyo) vs. New Mexico O 9
20 Nina Puikkonen (BYU) vs. Notre Dame O 19
20 Jeanette Graves (UNLV) at Air Force O 23
20 McKelle Stilson (Utah) at Colorado State O 23
20 Mari Carpenter (BYU) at Arizona State O 25
20 Courtney Cox (CSU) at Air Force N 5
20 Catie Vagneur (CSU) vs. San Diego St. N 13
20 Catie Vagneur (CSU) vs. Kansas State D 3
Double-Figure Block Club
16 Summer Jennings (CSU) vs. Kansas State D 3
13 Summer Jennings (CSU) vs. Utah O 23
13 Erin Grady (SDSU) vs. UNM N 19
12 Nina Puikkonen (BYU) vs. Colorado St. N 20
11 Summer Koons (AFA) vs. Utah O 2
11 Rachel Lau (Wyo) vs. Montana St. S 4
11 Alicia Erickson (UNLV) at SDSU O 29
11 Shaylor Billings (AFA) vs. Colorado St. N 5
11 Nina Puikkonen (BYU) at SDSU N 5
11 Nina Puikkonen (BYU) at UNLV N 6
11 Krista Swartzendruber (CSU) vs. Kansas State D 3
10 Alicia Erickson (UNLV) vs. SDSU O 2
10 Melody Friehauf (Wyo) at Colorado S 14
10 McKelle Stilson (Utah) at Georgia S 10
10 Melody Friehauf (Wyo) vs. Montana St. S 4
10 Nina Puikkonen (BYU) vs. Toledo S 4
10 Justine Kamelamela (UNLV) at SDSU O 29
10 Melody Friehauf (Wyo) vs. UNLV N 13
10 Nina Puikkonen (BYU) vs. Wyoming N 19
10 Jessie Goffard (UNM) at SDSU N 19
10 Vanessa Shields (UNM) at SDSU N 19
10 Summer Jennings (CSU) vs. Utah N 26
20-Dig Club
27 Caroline Bower (BYU) at Arizona O 26
26 Alisa Geddes (Utah) at Colorado State O 23
25 Brooke Effland (AFA) vs. Tennessee Tech S 11
22 Micaela Conley (UNM) at Wyoming O 9
22 Tracy Wilkerson (AFA) vs. Denver O 6
22 Alisa Geddes (Utah) at California S 25
21 Janelle Torres (UNM) vs. Wash. State S 11
21 Brooke Effland (AFA) vs. UNLV O 23
20 Tharommony In (AFA) vs. Utah O 2
20 Jamie Evans (SDSU) at Creighton S 12
20 Tracy Wilkerson (AFA) vs. UNLV O 23
20 Nana Allison (UNM) vs. SDSU O 23
20 Kristen Vance (CSU) vs. SDSU N 13
20 Amy Hallquist (SDSU) vs. Utah N 24
20 Alisa Geddes (Utah) vs. SDSU N 24
20 Kristen Vance (CSU) vs. BYU N 27
Grand Fan Club
4,112 BYU at Colorado State O 22
3,533# Pepperdine at BYU S 18
2,557 Utah at BYU N 12
2,584 Colorado at Colorado State S 1
2,500 Kansas State at Colorado State (NCAA 2nd) D 3
2,063 Notre Dame at Colorado State S 25
1,896 Loyola-Chicago at Colorado State (NCAA 1st) D 2
1,563 San Diego State at Colorado State N 13
1,532 Utah State at BYU S 17
1,471 SMU at Colorado State S 17
1,415 Wyoming at Colorado State O 29
1,381 Colorado State at Wyoming O 2
1,318 Evansville at Colorado State S 24
1,218 Notre Dame at BYU O 19
1,175 Utah at Colorado State O 23
1,154 New Mexico at BYU O 29
1,140 UNLV at Colorado State N 11
# New Arena Record
Club Additions During NCAA Tournament
Four entries have been made to these elite performance clubs during the during the NCAA championship
tournament. CSU’s Catie Vagneur made her fourth entry in the 20-kill club with a match-high 20 kills
against Kansas State. BYU’s Nina Puikkonen drilled a season-high 24 kills against Wisconsin for her
third 20-plus outing of the season. Summer Jennings and Krista Swartzendruber each posted
career-highs in blocks vs. Kansas State with 16 and 11, respectively.
