VolleyMob

Russian Sport Federation Heads Take Part In Anti-Doping Seminar

The heads of various Russian sports federations – including volleyball – took part in an educational seminar organized by the Independent Public Anti-Doping Commission (PLA) this week.

Russian news site R-Sport reports that the seminar was organized by the PLA and included experts from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The meeting took place in Moscow on Tuesday, October 25.

R-Sport quotes Russian Swimming Federation President Vladimir Salnikov as saying the seminar was “encouraging” because it didn’t point fingers specifically at Russia:

“I really liked that the problem of doping at the seminar was marked not as a Russian problem, but as a world problem was a more constructive approach, and that is encouraging,” Salnikov said in the R-Sport report.

Russia has been under fire for doping concerns for much of 2016. Its entire Paralympic team was banned from the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, and a number of Russian Olympic athletes were banned from Rio as well, including the nation’s entire athletics program. Those Olympic and Paralympic exclusions were the result of a series of reports alleging that Russian athletes were benefiting from a massive, organized, state-sponsored doping program.

After running unopposed, Dr. Ary S. Graca was re-elected as President of FIVB – the Federation Internationale de Volleyball.

Graca will head up the international federation governing volleyball for 8 more years, from 2016 through 2024. The election took place at the 35th FIVB World Congress in Buenos Aires, Brazil earlier this month.

The 73-year-old Graca, who is originally from Brazil, was backed by all five continental confederations and was approved by 226 delegates from 201 federations, according to the FIVB release announcing his re-election. Graca originally took over the presidency in 2012 and is just the fourth president in FIVB history. France’s Paul Libaud served the first 37 years of the federation’s existence (1947-1984), followed by 24 years from Mexico’s Ruben Acosta (1984-2008) and just 4 years from China’s Wei Jizhong (2008-2012).

“Volleyball is undoubtedly in a golden era of success and it is an honour for me to have the prestigious opportunity to build on this great success and take our sport to even greater heights,” Graca said in the FIVB announcement.

“There is no limit to the evolution of volleyball, no limit to the sport’s success and no limit to how many people around the world we can inspire and I promise to help volleyball fulfill its huge potential.

“Thank you to the global volleyball family for believing in my vision, together we will make volleyball the number one family sport entertainment in the world.”

The World Anti-Doping Agency has officially affirmed the proposals to reform anti-doping efforts made by national anti-doping organizations (NADOs) at an August summit, and will consider the proposals next month.

The proposals came out of a meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark back in August between 17 NADOs: Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Singapore, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States, plus the Institute of National Anti-Doping Organizations. You can read more about that summit here.

The proposals ranged from adopting clearer and stricter sanctions for nations found to have institutional doping programs to more financial support to WADA, anti-doping organizations and whistleblowers in exposed doping programs.

WADA released a statement this week acknowledging those proposals and announcing that they would consider the proposals at the Foundation Board meeting on November 20. From the WADA website:

“WADA acknowledges the renewed proposals by the NADO leaders; and, would welcome meeting as they suggest to discuss them further,” said Olivier Niggli, WADA Director General. “The renewed proposals will be considered, along with other stakeholder feedback, by the Agency’s Foundation Board on 20 November,” continued Niggli. “WADA has received a lot of valuable feedback on such key topics as: sanctions and consequences for non-compliance; governance and funding; investigations; and testing,” he said. “It is encouraging to hear the sentiment re-emphasised yesterday to the effect that WADA must be given greater authority, regulatory and sanctioning powers,” he said. “We will take all these recommendations with us to the Foundation Board meeting; at which, the process towards a ‘roadmap’ for the anti-doping system will be drawn up.”

Match Stats

  • Kansas defeats Texas Tech 3-0 (25-15, 25-16, 25-20)
  • Kansas improves to 19-2
  • Texas Tech falls to 10-14

Press Releases

Kansas:

LUBBOCK, Texas – Kansas volleyball extended its winning streak to seven matches with a straight-set victory over Texas Tech on Wednesday night at United Supermarkets Arena, 3-0 (25-15, 25-16, 25-20).

Junior outside hitter Madison Rigdon led the sixth-ranked Jayhawks with 17 kills and three aces, while junior All-American right-side hitter Kelsie Paynenotched her sixth double-double of the season with 16 kills and 10 digs.

The Jayhawks continued to roll-out the most stout defense in the Big 12, holding Texas Tech to a .064 hitting percentage. KU now has a league-best .134 opponent hitting percentage on the season.

“We played very well defensively and that set the tone for the match,” Kansas head coach Ray Bechard said. “We took some of (Texas Tech’s) energy just by how hard we were playing defensively – we wouldn’t let them get a ball on the floor. That can get frustrating for an opponent.”

Senior libero Cassie Wait was the ring leader for KU’s defense with a match-high 23 digs. It is the third time during Big 12 play that the Senior CLASS Award candidate has reached 20 digs in a three-set match. Middle blockers Kayla Cheadle and Tayler Soucie recorded eight blocks each, contributing to KU’s nine team blocks.

Junior All-American setter Ainise Havili helped guide KU’s offense to a .343 hitting percentage – the highest during Big 12 play and second-highest overall for KU this season.

Texas Tech (10-14, 0-9) remains winless in Big 12 play after starting the regular-season with a 10-2 record. Lauren Douglass paced the Red Raiders with 10 kills on the night.

Both teams brought solid back-court defense early in the first set to a 6-6 tie. A block involving Rigdon and Cheadle, followed by back-to-back kills by Payne gave Kansas a three-point separation, 9-6. Despite four service error hiccups by the Jayhawks, Kansas allowed just one Red Raider kill during a 14-5 run which brought KU’s lead to 20-11.

The last time Kansas faced Texas Tech, Rigdon registered six aces in the first set. She channeled some of that energy with a first-set ace on Wednesday night to give Kansas a 23-14 lead. Payne clinched the 25-15 first-set win with a kill. The Jayhawks registered 18 kills on a .415 hitting percentage in the first set, while holding Tech to a .057 clip.

Kansas denied Texas Tech of any sustained momentum in the second set with a 16-for-17 side-out rate (94 percent), which began as Payne terminated a Texas Tech overpass for a kill on the first point of the set. The Jayhawks went on to win the second set, 25-16.

Texas Tech started the third set with a 4-1 lead and maintained its lead until Kansas took control with a 5-0 run, which included three-straight Red Raider attacking errors and a solo block by Soucie. Rigdon scored her third ace of the match to give Kansas a 22-15 advantage in the tail end of the set. Redshirt freshman Ashley Smith subbed in during the waning moments of the set and recorded her lone kill of the night on match point to clinch the victory for the Jayhawks.

Wait finished her stellar defensive night with 10 of her 23 digs in the third set alone.

WINNING STREAK
Kansas extends its overall winning streak to seven matches, which also includes five-straight sweeps.

SERIES
Kansas leads the all-time series against Texas Tech, 27-16. The Jayhawks have won the last 13 meetings against the Red Raiders, including six-straight in Lubbock. This marks the sixth-straight season Kansas has swept the regular-season series over Texas Tech; KU has swept nine of the last 10 regular-season series with Tech.

KANSAS IS …
7-0 during the month of October … 17-0 when winning the first set … One win away from its 20th victory of the season; it would be KU’s fifth-straight 20-win season … 122-29 since the 2012 season … 49-5 since the 2015 season … 10-2 in Big 12 road matches since 2015.

UP NEXT
The fourth-straight top-10 matchup between Big 12 leaders Kansas and Texas will take place in front of a sold-out Horejsi Family Athletics Center crowd on Saturday night in Lawrence. The second-ranked Longhorns and sixth-ranked Jayhawks will play for the upper hand in the Big 12 title race, as KU enters the weekend with an 8-1 league record and Texas with a 9-0 record atop the Big 12 standings.

“We are trying to go 2-0 this week,” Bechard said. “Saturday is a big match because it’s a team that in front of us in the Big 12 standings, but we will approach it the same way we have approached each match this season.”

Texas Tech:

LUBBOCK, Texas – No. 6 Kansas outhit the Red Raiders .343 to .064 as Texas Tech volleyball wrapped up a two-game home stand against a pair of top 10 teams with an 0-3 loss to the Jayhawks Wednesday night at United Supermarkets Arena.

While the Red Raiders (10-14, 0-9) played Kansas close through the early stages of each set, the Jayhawk attack proved too much in the end as Kansas (19-2, 8-1) took a 25-15, 25-16, 25-20 victory.

“Kansas is an elite team, and they played like it,” head coach Tony Graystonesaid. “I was more than happy with what we did tonight. We looked so much better than the first time we played them. Knowing what we did the last time we played them and the things we are trying to work on, I thought tonight was a win for us. We were extending points, we were fighting hard, rallies were good and we were making them earn their points.”

Jayhawks Madison Rigdon and Kelsie Payne led all attackers with 17 and 16, respectively. Texas Tech’s defense, however, steadily improved throughout the night holding Kansas to a clip of .415 in the first set, .344 in the second and .257 in the third.

Texas Tech stayed even in the first set at 6-6 before Kansas put together a 14-5 run to pull ahead 20-11. The Jayhawks connected on 18 kills in the frame to just one error, while limiting Tech to eight kills.

Tech’s offense showed life in the second, starting off with a .300 clip as the team trailed just 12-10. The Red Raiders were unable to capture the momentum as Kansas posted a 94% sideout percentage (16-17) and held Tech to .059 hitting in the frame en route to the set.

In the third set, Texas Tech outdug the Jayhwaks, 17-16 behind 12 digs from sophomore libero Reyn Akiu. Kansas hit just .257 in the frame, its lowest output against Texas Tech this season, but put up a strong defensive effort itself with five blocks in the set to pull out the win.

Senior Lauren Douglass and sophomore Sarah Redding led the Tech attack with 10 and nine kills, respectively. Douglass’s 10 kills mark her 14th double-digit performance of the season, while Redding posted her nine slams on just 16 attacks with three errors for a season-high .375 clip.

Akiu led all defenders with 25 digs, while senior setter Marguerite Grubb tallied 27 assists.

UP NEXT
After a two-game home stand, Texas Tech hits the road to take on West Virginia Saturday, Oct. 29, in Morgantown at 2:30 p.m.

Match Stats

  • Georgia Tech defeats Clemson 3-0 (25-11, 25-15, 27-25)
  • Georgia Tech improves to 18-5
  • Clemson drops to 6-17

Press Releases

Georgia Tech:

THE FLATS – Winners of eight-straight matches, the Georgia Tech volleyball team (18-5, 9-2 ACC) swept Clemson (6-17, 1-10) on Wednesday night in the Yellow Jackets’ annual Jackets for the Cure match. Senior Annika Van Gunst tallied her 1,000th career dig against the Tigers.

How It Happened
The Jackets wasted little time and jumped out to an 8-0 lead in game one. Sydney Wilson had seven kills on .875 hitting in the set to fuel Georgia Tech to a 25-11 win.

Tied 6-6 in game two, the Jackets took the lead for good on a kill by Teegan Van Gunst followed by an ace by Gabby Benda. The Jackets stayed in rhythm and captured the set 25-15.

Clemson came out of the break with a renewed spirit and battled the Jackets to the end in game three. The Tigers had set point-25-24, but a block by Lauren Pitz and Rebecca Martin knotted the score 25-25. The Jackets put the set away, 27-25, on a Clemson attacking error and a kill by Teegan Van Gunst.

Quote
“We want to be able to see what our team is made of and execute in those pressure situations,” head coach Michelle Collier said. “We learned a lot from tonight’s match. We controlled the match when we needed to control it. We stayed composed and found a way to win in the end. That’s what this team has done all year.”

Quick Hits
-Sydney Wilson led all players with 13 kills and hit .550 in the match to go along with eight block assists.
-Annika Van Gunst tallied seven kills and nine digs; including her 1,000th career dig.
-Teegan Van Gunst recorded 10 kills and 12 digs for her 14th double-double on the season and fifth in a row.
-Ashley Askin added five kills on .417 hitting.
-The Jackets out-blocked Clemson 11 to six, and held the Tigers to a .010 hitting percentage.

Pink Jerseys
The Yellow Jackets are auctioning off their game-worn pink jerseys with net proceeds benefiting the Susan G. Komen Fund. The auction ends Nov. 2 at 12 p.m. with bidding starting at $50 and increasing by $10 increments. To bid visit, http://buzz.gt/VB16_PinkAuction

Up Next
The Jackets are back in action Friday at 7 p.m. against Virginia on the ACC Network Extra. Dress in costume for the costume parade between sets two and three.

Clemson:

ATLANTA, Ga. – Clemson (6-17, 1-10 ACC) fell to Georgia Tech (18-5, 9-2 ACC) in three sets (11-25, 15-25, 25-27) in its final match of a three-game stretch on the road. Leah Perriand Tori Woogk provided the offense while Emily Curtis logged her seventh straight match with 10 digs or more at libero.

“First of all, you have to give a lot of credit to Georgia Tech,” said head coach Hugh Hernesman. “That’s a veteran group that’s playing at a very high, NCAA Tournament level right now. That being said, we need to figure out how we can play like we did in the third set. This group is fully capable of competing with the top half of the league and we do some very good things in spurts. It’s now our job to figure out how we get to that level more consistently- with fewer and shorter gaps in between.”

“This isn’t a game of perfection and you can do everything right and lose points. It’s why we play to 25. As I tell the team, to win a set 25-23, you only need to be right 52% of the time. So one of the bigger things for us is to not let the outcome of rallies have too much of a psychological effect on us. We’re a young team, so these are some of the things that young teams go through before they can take the next step.”

Perri was Clemson’s kill leader with nine on the night, complemented by seven digs and a block. Woogk continues to thrive in her freshman season as she followed up her first career 10-kill match with eight more against the Yellow Jackets. She also finished with three digs and two blocks, one of which being a solo block.

Curtis dug 10 of Georgia Tech’s attempts while also acing the Yellow Jackets twice without a service error. Taylor Daniel finished with a pair of aces as well to go along with her four digs and nine assists. Keely Hayes led the Tigers with 11 assists to go along with her three kills, six digs and a block.

Clemson now comes back to Jervey Gym Saturday, October 29 for a 6:00 p.m., contest with Virginia. The Cavaliers won the first meeting between the two teams in three sets.

Match Stats

  • Iowa State defeats Kansas State 3-1 (23-25, 25-23, 26-24, 25-15)
  • Iowa State improves to 12-9
  • Kansas State falls to 16-6

Press Releases

Iowa State:

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State battled back from a missed first set to defeat Kansas State in four sets, 3-1 (23-25, 25-23, 26-24, 25-15) Wednesday night at Hilton Coliseum. The win, the fourth in five matches for ISU, moves the Cyclones to 12-9 on the year and 4-5 in conference play. Kansas State falls to 16-6 on the year, and 5-4 in conference competition.

Iowa State was paced by 13 kills each fromMorgan Kuhrt and Samara West with West earning her lucky number at a .600 hitting percentage. Hali Hillegas led the back row with 27 digs, while Jess Schaben had a double-double of 12 kills and 16 digs.

Iowa State Loses Lead Late to Give KSU the First
Iowa State was the first side to get some early separation, winning a couple of scrappy rallies and taking advantage of some K-State errors to build up a 13-10 lead. The edge was quickly pulled back by the Wildcats who ran off three in a row out of a timeout to knot it back up at 13-13. However, the Cyclones were quickly back up as another 3-0 run make it 16-13. ISU held strong until right at the end, when K-State went on a 4-0 run to bring up set point at 24-23. The Wildcats converted on first asking, as Brooke Sassin found the back corner for a kill at 25-23 KSU.

ISU Hangs On to Even Match
ISU held the early edge again, with Grace Lazard‘s block of Macy Flowers giving the home team a 6-3 lead. K-State continued to feed Sassin to tie it back up at 7-7, but ISU eventually worked up the three-point edge again when Alexis Conaway got a kill to make it 13-10. The Cyclones held strong again, not allowing K-State to tie things back up and continuing to build back up to a three-point advantage. ISU finally got it to four points at 21-17 when Samara West fired one off the block. Iowa State was able to bring this one home, as Bryna Vogel pushed a shot wide to give ISU set two at 25-23.

Cyclones Rally to Take 2-1 Lead
Another tight struggle ensued in the third as ISU got out to the early lead again, with Grace Lazard burying a kill to make it 6-3 Cyclones. However, K-State quickly tightened things back up and took a 9-8 lead on a Morgan Kuhrt attack error. It was back-and-forth the rest of the way, with both teams getting the lead and struggling to hold onto it, with 16 ties and six lead changes taking place throughout the set. K-State reached set point first at 24-22, but ISU was able to bring it to 24-24 via a Morgan Kuhrt kill off the block. Kuhrt was able to convert for the Cyclones on their first set point at 26-24 with a nice tip kill to make it 2-1 Iowa State.

Offense Dominates to Take Set Four and Match
The Cyclones got ahead in the fourth via its block, with Lazard and Ciara Capezio in particular getting big to get ISU ahead 8-5. The Cyclones played with determination, and continued to feed the productive West, who killed ISU to a 13-7 advantage. Iowa State ran away with it from there, opening up a lead of as big as eight points at 20-12. ISU hit .400 in the final set, which was capped off by Kuhrt’s 13th kill of the night at 25-15.

Cyclone Notes
*Iowa State has now defeated Kansas State nine-straight times at Hilton Coliseum.
*Morgan Kuhrt paced Iowa State with 13 kills, her fourth match of the season in double figures and 29th of her career.
*Ciara Capezio finished with five kills to move up to 925 in her career, passing Rachel Hockaday for 13th in ISU history for career kills.
*Capezio posted 11 digs, her seventh match of the season in double figures and 39th of her career.
*Samara West posted 13 kills, her season-high, her second match of the season in double figures and 13th of her career.
*Grace Lazard got 11 kills, her fourth match of the year in double figures.
*Jess Schaben posted a double-double of 12 kills and 16 digs, her fifth double-double of the season.
*Hali Hillegas recorded 27 digs, her fourth match of the season with at least 20 digs.

Up Next
Iowa State has its Big 12 bye over the weekend, and will return to action next Wednesday, Nov. 2, against West Virginia. First serve between the Cyclones and the Mountaineers will be at 6:30 p.m. with the match being shown on Cyclones.TV Powered by Mediacom.

Kansas State:

AMES, Iowa – Brooke Sassin’s match-high 19 kills and Katie Brand’s 13th double-double of the season were not enough as the Kansas State volleyball team dropped a four-set decision (25-23, 23-25, 24-26, 15-25) at Iowa State Wednesday night.

Sassin has reached double-figure kills in six of the last seven matches, including each of the last three while Brand has three straight assist-dig double-doubles and leads the Big 12 with 13 on the season.

Junior right-side hitter Bryna Vogel also registered her second consecutive double-double with 10 kills and 10 digs.

K-State (16-6, 5-4 Big 12) battled to take the opening set, 25-23, after not gaining its first lead until 24-23. Iowa State (12-9, 4-5) equaled its largest lead of the set at 23-20 before the Wildcats rattled off the final five points, including a pair of kills from Sassin. The senior outside hitter tallied seven kills on 15 swings with just one error (.400) in the set.

The Cats fought off three set points in the second set as they trailed 24-20 before Iowa State finally clinched the set, 25-23. Both teams posted an identical hitting percentage of .238 in the set while Brand had five of her nine kills in the frame. The redshirt senior setter matched her career high in kills and was just one shy of her second career triple-double, finishing the night with 48 assists and 19 digs.

The third set saw the Cyclones fend off a pair of set points on their way to taking the set, 26-24. ISU scored the final four points to take a 2-1 lead, hitting .357 in the set compared to K-State’s .217.

Behind four players in double-figure kills, Iowa State pulled away in the fourth set, 25-15, to complete the victory. ISU hit a match-best .400 (14k-2e-30ta) while K-State hit a match-low .108 (12k-8e-37ta) in the final set. The Cyclones finished the match outhitting the Cats, .308-.211.

The match marked K-State’s first loss this season when winning the first set (12-1) and extended the Wildcats’ losing streak to nine matches in Ames, Iowa, dating back to 2007.

Freshman middle blocker Elle Sandbothe set new career highs in kills (6) and blocks (7).

Senior libero Kersten Kober tallied 18 digs on the night, her 19th double-digit match this season.

Kansas State will look to rebound at home Saturday as it welcomes Baylor to Ahearn Field House. The Bears swept K-State in the season’s first meeting in Waco on Sept. 21. First serve is slated for 7 p.m., and will be broadcast world-wide on K-StateHD.TV. Fans can also listen to Rob Voelker call the match on local radio on 1350 KMAN and at k-statesports.com.

NOTES

·         K-State is now 41-49 all-time vs. Iowa State and 14-25 in Ames, Iowa.

·         The Wildcats are winless in their last nine trips to Iowa State – last winning in 2007.

·         K-State suffered its first loss when winning the opening set this season (12-1).

·         It was just the second four-set loss the Cats have suffered this season (9-2) and first in Big 12 play.

·         The Wildcats have lost the fourth set in back-to-back conference matches after winning the first four such opportunities.

·         Brand was one kill away from her second-career triple-double, matching her career high with nine kills.

Match Stats

  • Arkansas defeats Mississippi State 3-1 (24-26, 25-22, 25-23, 27-25)
  • Arkansas improves to 4-18
  • Mississippi State falls to 12-12

Press Releases

Arkansas:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Facing a six-point deficit in the fourth set, the University of Arkansas volleyball team won 12 of the last 16 points to secure a four-set win over Mississippi State Wednesday night at Barnhill Arena. Senior co-captains Danielle Harbin and Breana Jones led the attack with 23 and 13 kills, respectively. Behind 48 assists from freshman Rachel Rippee, the Razorbacks posted a .326 hitting percentage in the win.

Arkansas closes out its home stand Sunday afternoon with a conference matchup with Georgia at Barnhill Arena. First serve of the weekend finale is scheduled for 1 p.m. (CT) on the SEC Network. For more information about tickets, fans can call 800-982-HOGS (4647) or buy tickets online.

FINAL
Arkansas 3, Mississippi State 1 (24-26, 25-22, 25-23, 27-25) | Box Score
Attendance: 932 | Time: 2:12
Barnhill Arena (Fayetteville, Ark.)

#RazorStats
Leaders vs. Mississippi State
o Kills: Danielle Harbin – 23 (fifth match with 20+ kills this season)
o Digs: Danielle Harbin – 18 (career high)
o Blocks: Breana Jones – 7.0 (0-7)
Double-Doubles
o Danielle Harbin – 23 kills, 18 digs

With her 15th kill of the match, Harbin became the 25th player in program history to reach 600 career kills. She coupled her offensive production with a career-high 18 digs to complete her second double-double of the season. Jones tied her season high with 13 kills, and finished the match hitting at a .619 clip with no errors on 21 swings. She added a match-high seven blocks and two services aces to her stat line.

Holding a 2-1 match lead, Arkansas (4-18, 2-8 SEC) found itself trailing 21-15 after an attack error by Harbin. However, the home team rattled off six in a row to pull even at 21-all. During the run, Jones put down two kills and teamed with freshman Reagan Robinson for a block. The set would be tied four more times—knotted at 22, 23, 24 and 25—before it ended.

After back-and-forth play, Jones saved a set point for Mississippi State (12-12, 4-6 SEC) with a kill and Harbin put down her final kill of the match to give Arkansas its second match point of the night. On the next play, seniors Barbara Dapic and Ana Sofia Jusino teamed up for a tandem block to complete the fourth-set rally and clinch the win. The Razorbacks finished the match with 12.0 total team blocks.

Mississippi State:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – In a midweek clash on the SEC Network, the Mississippi State Bulldogs (12-12, 4-6 SEC) dropped a 3-1 decision to the Arkansas Razorbacks (4-18, 2-8 SEC) at Barnhill Arena on Wednesday.

State opened play with a 26-24 first-set victory, but could not fend off the Razorbacks over the next three frames. Arkansas used a number of runs throughout the final three sets to keep the Bulldogs at bay and secure the victory.

“That was a tough one tonight,” MSU coachDavid McFatrich said. “We struggled in a number of areas and weren’t able to capitalize in crunch time. Now we have to turn around and get ready for one of the top teams in the nation in Missouri.”

MSU looked to be in control of the fourth set and poised to force a fifth set, up 21-15. A 6-0 run from the Razorbacks leveled play, but MSU was able to regain control and grab set point, up 24-23. A 4-1 run by the Hogs would seal the match, giving the home team a 3-1 victory.

Jelena Vujcin led the Bulldogs with a career-high 19 kills, while hitting .438 on the night. Singleton followed close behind with 17 kills, her best showing in an SEC match this season. Emily Hill was the third Bulldog with double-digit kills, tallying 12 on the night.

Blossom Sato led all Dogs with 38 assists, moving up to 8th on MSU’s career assist Top 10. Payton Harris earned 17 digs on the night, moving into sole possession of third place on MSU’s career digs list.

Jazmyne Johnson, MSU’s most dominant blocker of the season so far, earned a team-high 4 against Arkansas.

The Bulldogs will now turn their attention to a Sunday battle at Missouri (18-4, 9-1 SEC). MSU and the Tigers will square off at 1:30 p.m. CT, with the match broadcast on the SEC Network +.

Week Schedule…
Wednesday, Oct. 26
Arkansas def. Mississippi State, 3-1 (24-26, 25-22, 25-23, 27-25)

Leading The Bulldogs…

Kills: Jelena Vujcin, 19
Assists: Blossom Sato, 38
Aces: Riley Duzenack, 2
Digs: Payton Harris, 17
Blocks: Jazmyne Johnson, 4
Points: Jelena Vujcin, 19.5

Career Night For Vujcin…
Junior Jelena Vujcin turned in a career night against Arkansas, tallying a career-high 19 kills (.438). Vujcin had a monster fourth set, nearly willing the Dogs to victory with 8 kills and a .636 attacking clip.

Sato Working Her Way Up The Record Books…
With 38 assists on the night, Sato moved up two spots to eighth place on the MSU career assists list with 1,557. She passed Tonia Strube (1987-88) and Andrea Mead (2002-05) and stands three away from tying Patty Hepler (1985-86) for seventh.

Harris Still Climbing Up MSU Career Digs List…
After earning 17 digs on the night, junior Payton Harris took over sole possession of third place on the MSU career digs list. She currently stands at 1,440 digs and is now 124 away from tying Megan Lukasek (2004-07) for second place. Melissa Kariker (1993-96) holds the school record with 1,707.

Hill Making Moves Up The MSU Freshman Record Book…
Emily Hill tallied 12 kills on 33 attacks against Arkansas, moving up the MSU freshman record book in both categories. With 279 kills, she now stands in sixth place, passing Melissa Kariker (1993). Her 738 attacks stand seventh, passing Aimee York (1989).

Up Next…
MSU closes out the week at Missouri (18-4, 9-1 SEC) on Sunday. The Dogs and Tigers square off at 1:30 p.m., on the SEC Network +.

Match Stats

  • North Carolina defeats Syracuse 3-0 (25-21, 25-12, 25-21)
  • North Carolina improves to 18-2
  • Syracuse falls to 5-15

Press Releases

UNC:

CHAPEL HILL – No. 8 North Carolina captured its 10th straight victory on Sunday afternoon, rolling to a sweep of Syracuse on national television to open ACC play a perfect 10-0 for the first time in program history. The first-place Tar Heels took down the Orange, 25-21, 25-12, 25-21, to claim their third consecutive sweep and sixth in ACC play. The win lifts UNC to 18-2 (10-0 ACC), while Syracuse takes its first winless weekend of the conference slate, falling to 5-15 (4-6 ACC).

“I am happy to come out with another 3-0 win, most importantly,” said head coach Joe Sagula. “Syracuse presented very unique challenges. They are physical on the net. They throw the ball around really well. They caught us off guard and we have to learn how to be more disciplined. I thought the second set went great, how we put pressure on them. The first set was back and forth and they made it more competitive in the third set.”

Carolina led a balanced attack against the Orange, with five hitters totaling between six and 11 kills.Taylor Treacy and Taylor Leath led the match with 11 kills apiece, while Hayley McCorkle tallied eight, Taylor Borup struck seven and Taylor Fricano slammed six.

“I am happy with how Taylor Borup is progressing,” said Sagula. “She is really important going forward into games this weekend. I think she is getting better. I really like how she passed.”

Mariah Evans and Abigail Curry did a good job distributing the ball to all five attackers, as Evans put up 18 assists and five digs while Curry totaled 16 assists, eight digs and one of UNC’s three aces.

Libero Sheila Doyle led Carolina’s back line with 10 digs in the three-setter, and fellow seniorTatiana Durr was a key contributor in the serve and pass game and totaled five digs.

“(Tatiana) is an incredible server,” said Fricano. “She is very scrappy on defense. She knows the game well. She reads well. Every time she goes out there she amazes me at her talent. Her positivity on the court is really great too. To see that coming into this weekend, I just got goosebumps. She is really close to my heart. She is a big reason why we did so well this weekend when we were at points where we were low.”

The Tar Heels dominated at the net, tallying 10 blocks over just three sets, led by Fricano who posted her second straight seven-block performance—both matching her career high.

A strong run served out by Evans gave Carolina a quick 10-4 lead to start the match. The Orange took advantage of Tar Heel errors to pull back within one, 13-12, but a block by Treacy and Fricano kept UNC on top. A great serving stretch by Durr helped Carolina extend the lead to 20-15, and a kill by Treacy finished off the first set, 25-21.

Carolina once again opened with a hot streak in the second set, racing ahead 10-3 off two blocks from Fricano and McCorkle and back-to-back Borup kills. The Tar Heels kept the pressure on, running away with the frame, 25-12, closed out by a McCorkle kill. UNC hit .382 in the set, with four kills each by Borup, Treacy and Leath.

“Our team is really working on controlling the controllables,” said Leath. “The first set we had serving errors, hitting errors, every kind of error you could have. The second set we really played clean volleyball. We served really well. Mariah had a great run. Everyone was playing more together. Eliminating the errors is really key for us.”

A kill by Borup gave UNC an early 8-5 lead in the third, but Syracuse surged back on three straight kills by Anastasiya Gorelina to tie the score at eight. Gorelina then served up a run for the Orange to give SU its first real lead of the match, 13-10, and a Tar Heel attack error furthered Carolina’s deficit, 19-15.

“We spoke about it before the match that one of the things this team knows how to do is come back,” said Sagula. “I like that they have that confidence, but I don’t want to be put in that situation too often. They never panic in those situations. They think we will find a way.”

And after calling timeout, UNC did just that, as Leath exploded for two straight kills to shift the momentum, and a pair of blocks gave the Heels back the lead, 20-19. Syracuse ended a long rally with a block by Gorelina and Leah Levert to tie the score, but Curry served up a four-point run, including an ace, to reach match point, and a Syracuse service error ended the match, as UNC completed the sweep, 25-21.

The Tar Heels return to the road for the final away trip of the season, kicking off the four-match road swing at Virginia Tech on Friday, Oct. 28, at 7 p.m.

Syracuse:

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Syracuse volleyball team fell on the road in three sets (21-25, 12-25, 21-25) to #8 North Carolina on Sunday afternoon, closing out a four-game road stand for the Orange. Syracuse is now 4-6 in ACC play and 5-15 overall on the season.

The Orange were out-blocked by the top-ranked ACC squad, 10.0-5.0. Junior Leah Levert led the ‘Cuse effort at the net, as the middle blocker tallied four assisted stops.
Leading in kills for the Orange was sophomore Anastasiya Gorelina, who registered 10.

Sophomore Santita Ebangwese tallied seven kills of her own, hitting .778 percent on the night (7K – 0E – 9A). Ebangwese had the only Syracuse solo block of the game as well.
Leading in assists for the Orange was sophomore Annie Bozzo who had 12.

The first and third sets proved to be the most competitive of the three-game match at Carmichael Arena, as the Orange trailed by just four points at the conclusion of each set.
The Orange fell behind five points early on in the first set, leading to a timeout (9-4 UNC).

A 6-4 Syracuse run brought the game within three points, forcing North Carolina to call its first timeout of the match.

Out of the break, the pair fought back-and-forth, but the Orange were never able to take the lead, as North Carolina finished up the first game on top, 25-21.

Syracuse lost momentum in the second set, as the Tar Heels halted the ‘Cuse offense and held the Orange to just 12 points in the set. UNC finished out set two on top, 25-12.

Looking to extend the game beyond three sets, the Orange took their first lead of the game after tying at nine.

UNC sided out and tied the game back at 10, but a 5-3 Orange run put Syracuse back on top, 15-13.

Syracuse took a four-point lead in the middle of the third set to force a North Carolina timeout (19-15 SU).

North Carolina tallied a 5-1 run to tie the game at 20, and then maintained momentum over the Orange to win the third set, 25-21, and complete the sweep.

The Orange continue ACC play at home next weekend, as they host Wake Forest and Duke on Friday night and Sunday afternoon, respectively.

For all of the latest information on Syracuse volleyball, follow us on Facebook (Syracuse Orange & Syracuse Volleyball), Twitter (@Cuse & @CuseVB), and Instagram (@cusepics& @cusevb).

Match Stats

  • Stanford defeats USC 3-0 (25-22, 25-19, 25-21)
  • Stanford improves to 12-6
  • USC falls to 14-7

Merete Lutz earned 12 kills on an unstoppable .702 hitting percentage to lead Stanford past Pac-12 rivals USC in straight sets.

Stanford also got Inky Ajanaku back from an injury, and she added 10 kills and 8 blocks for a Stanford program that hits a dozen wins on the season.

USC was stifled offensively, hitting just .128 for the match, though freshman Khalia Lanier did have a solid 11-kill day.

Press Releases

Stanford:

LOS ANGELES – With redshirt senior middle blocker Inky Ajanaku back in the lineup, the No. 14 Stanford women’s volleyball team swept No. 25 USC, 25-22, 25-19, 25-21, Sunday at the Galen Center.

Ajanaku, who missed Friday’s match at UCLA with an injury, totaled 10 kills and eight blocks for the Cardinal, which improved to 12-6 overall and 6-4 in the Pac-12.

Stanford hit .299 as a team while holding USC (14-7, 6-4 Pac-12) to a .128 clip. The Cardinal also out blocked the Trojans 14.0 to 6.0.

Redshirt junior Merete Lutz hit a match high .706 with 12 kills on 17 errorless swings. The Houston, Texas native also collected five blocks in the win. Freshman outside hitterKathryn Plummer added 11 kills on .429 hitting, six digs and three blocks, while freshman middle blocker Audriana Fitzmorris had five kills and five blocks.

Freshman setter Jenna Gray controlled the offense with 33 assists. She also registered five digs, two blocks and the team’s only ace of the match. Freshman libero Morgan Hentz finished with a match-high 14 digs, while senior Kelsey Humphreyshad eight. Redshirt junior Ivana Vanjak chipped in with five kills and three blocks.

For the match, there were 28 tie scores and 12 lead changes between the two squads. USC was led by freshman outside hitter Khalia Lanier’s 11 kills and five digs. Sophomore Elyse Ford hit .350 with nine kills and nine digs, while Niki Withers had eight kills and four digs.

Stanford returns to The Farm next week to host No. 7 Washington on Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. and No. 18 Washington State on Friday, Oct. 28 at 6 p.m. Both matches will air on Pac-12 Networks.

USC:

LOS ANGELES — The No. 25-ranked USC women’s volleyball team (14-7, 6-4 Pac-12) fell in straight sets (25-22, 25-19, 25-21) to No. 14 Stanford (12-6, 6-4 Pac-12) on Sunday, Oct. 23, at Galen Center. The Women of Troy had a three-match winning streak snapped by the Cardinal and were held to a .128 hitting percentage (39K, 25e, 109att).

Freshman outside hitter Khalia Lanier led the Trojans with 11 kills and added five digs and a pair of blocks to her final line. Sophomore outside hitter Alyse Ford added nine kills (2e, 20att, .350) to go with nine digs and a block. Junior opposite hitter Brittany Abercrombie had seven kills (2e, 19att, .263) and junior opposite hitter Niki Withers added eight kills. Senior libero Taylor Whittingham picked up 10 digs and served one of three USC aces. Junior setter Reni Meyer-Whalley had 17 assists and 11 digs for her fourth-career double-double and senior setter Alice Pizzasegolahad 11 assists and two digs.

Three players had double-digit kills for the Cardinal led by Merete Lutz who hit .706 (0e, 17att) with 12 kills. Inky Ajanaku had 10 kills but hit .143 (6e, 28att). Ajanaku led Stanford with eight blocks. Morgan Hentz led all players with 14 digs and Jenna Gray had 33 assists.

Despite a back-and-forth start to the match, Stanford pulled away to take six-point leads on several occasions including at 17-11 on a kill by Ivana Vanjak, but Withers bounced a shot off the floor to spark an 8-1 run that tied the score at 18-all. Back-to-back kills by Abercrombie gave the Trojans their first lead of the set at 19-18, but the Cardinal fought back to take the 25-22 win to open the match.

The second set was tied 11 times before the Cardinal went ahead by a pair at 15-13. USC caught Stanford at 15-all on back-to-back kills from Withers and Lanier, but the Cardinal ripped open the set with a 5-0 run for a 20-15 lead. The Trojans couldn’t cut it any closer as Stanford rolled away with a 25-19 win for a 2-0 lead in the match.

Three straight kills by Lutz helped Stanford turn a 17-16 deficit into the final lead it would need. The three points were only the beginning of a 5-0 run that put the Cardinal ahead, 21-17. The Trojans closed to within two points at 22-20 on a kill by Lanier and then had a two-point gap at 23-21 when Ford got the kill, but Stanford closed out a 25-21 win by scoring the final two points.

The Women of Troy remain home to host Utah (Friday, Oct. 28) and Colorado (Saturday, Oct. 29) at Galen Center next weekend. The Trojans defeated both teams on the road in the first round of Pac-12 matches. The USC-Utah match will be shown live on Pac-12 Los Angeles and Pac-12 Mountain. The Trojans and the Buffaloes will be streamed live at Pac-12.com/live/USC-2.

For more information on the USC women’s volleyball team and a complete schedule and results, please visit USCTrojans.com. To purchase season and single-match tickets, please visit USCTrojans.com/tickets today. Fans of the Women of Troy can follow @USCWomensVolley on Periscope, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram.

MATCH NOTES

  • USC falls to 26-60-1 in all-time meetings with Stanford.
  • The Women of Troy had their three-match winning streak snapped and were swept on their home floor for the fourth time this season (UC Irvine, Washington, Arizona, Stanford).
  • The Trojans were held to a season-low .128 hitting percentage (39k, 25e, 109att).
  • Junior setter Reni Meyer-Whalley had 17 assists and 11 digs to post her fourth-career double-double.
  • Senior libero Taylor Whittingham had 10 digs to log her 17th match in double-digit digs this season.

Match Stats

  • Oregon defeats Colorado 3-1 (25-14, 21-25, 25-22, 25-21)
  • Oregon improves to 14-5
  • Colorado falls to 12-8

Press Releases

Oregon:

BOULDER, Colo. – The 23rd-ranked Oregon volleyball team defeated Colorado in four sets, 25-14, 21-25, 25-22, 25-21, behind big individual performances from Lauren Page andLindsey Vander Weide on Saturday night at the Coors Event Center.

How It Happened: Searching for its second road conference win in as many nights and trying to keep pace in a loaded Pac-12, Oregon (14-5, 7-3 Pac-12) jumped on Colorado (12-8, 4-6 Pac-12) in the first set before the Buffaloes rallied to win the second and send it to the intermission tied at 1-1. The Ducks outlasted the Buffaloes in the third set before scoring seven of the final eight points in the fourth to take the match and remain perfect on the road this season.

It was a career-night for Page, who recorded her first double-double while setting career-highs in both kills (12) and blocks (12), while tying her career-high with a .667 hitting percentage. Vander Weide also had an impressive night, recording her team-best ninth double-double with 12 kills and 15 digs while setting a career-high with eight blocks. The Ducks finished with a season-high 17 blocks to the Buffaloes’ five.August Raskie also contributed a double-double, her fourth, with 21 assists and 14 digs, and Amanda Benson led all players with 22 digs. Jolie Rasmussen had 10 kills andRonika Stone added five kills, two blocks and two aces. The Ducks outhit the Buffaloes, .247 to .153.

Set 1: Looking to carry over the momentum from their dramatic five-set win at No. 20 Utah on Friday night, the Ducks jumped on the Buffaloes with a 5-1 run to open the match. Colorado would get as close as four points at 11-7 before Oregon began to ran away with the opening set. The Buffaloes scored consecutive points just once the remainder of the set as the Ducks rolled to a 25-14 win, outhitting Colorado .483 to .118. Rasmussen led the way for the Ducks with five kills on eight swings without an error (.625), Vander Weide dug five balls and Page added two kills and two blocks as the Ducks outhit the Buffaloes, .483 to .118. Oregon recorded an 86-percent (13-15) sideout mark during the set.

Set 2: The second set was more evenly matched from the start, as the two teams played to an 11-11 tie before the Buffaloes ripped off four straight points to go up 15-11 and force Oregon into a timeout. Colorado went on another run out of the break, scoring four of seven to take a 19-14 lead and prompt Oregon into it’s second timeout after an 8-3 stretch.  The Ducks would get as close as 22-20 with a 6-2 run before the Buffaloes closed it out, 25-21, to tie the match at intermission. Vander Weide led the Ducks with four kills and five digs, Benson dug six balls and Page had three blocks.

Set 3: The Ducks started strong out of the intermission, earning leads of 11-5 and 17-8 and looking as though they would run away with the set. A 6-2 Colorado run forced Oregon into a timeout with its lead trimmed to 19-14, and the Buffaloes scored four of the next six out of the break to get within three, 21-18.  The Ducks took their second timeout after Colorado cut the lead to two, 22-20, but scored three of the next five points to take the set and a 2-1 lead in the match. The third set was the big one for Page, who put down five kills on six swings and recorded five blocks while also adding three digs. The Ducks finished the set with eight total blocks, and Benson finished the set with an impressive 10 digs.

Set 4: Colorado started well in the fourth, getting out to a 12-8 lead on the Ducks. Oregon was able to play its way to an 18-18 tie and noticeably was gathering momentum for the final stretch. After two Colorado points put the Buffaloes up 20-18, the Ducks ripped off a 7-1 run to put the set and the match away. Kacey Nadyprovided a spark in the fourth set to lead the Ducks with five kills on seven swings, Page put down three kills with two blocks and Brooke Van Sickle added an ace off the bench. The Ducks hit .314 and had a sideout percentage of 76 (16-21) in the final game.

Page’s Huge Night: The career-night for Page also moved things around in the Oregon record book. Her 12 block assists are tied for the third-most in UO single-match history, and her 12 total blocks are tied for 10th-most. The last time a Duck finished with double-digit blocks was Dec. 4, 2014, when Serena Warner had 13 andMartenne Bettendorf finished with 10 against Santa Clara.

What It Means: Trying to keep pace in a crowded Pac-12 race, the Ducks improved to 7-3 in conference play and are just a half game back of the first-place Washington Huskies, who play Arizona tomorrow morning. After an emotional win over Utah on Friday, the Ducks improved to a perfect 5-0 on the road with consecutive conference road victories. The Ducks entered the week at No. 25 in the NCAA RPI rankings, and should get a boost both there and in the AVCA poll after two road Pac-12 wins in as many nights.

One noticeable improvement for the Ducks on Saturday night was in the serving game, where they had three aces and only three errors after committing at least seven service errors in each of the last seven matches.

Up Next: Oregon will now return home for two matches at Matthew Knight Arena, where it has played 14 of its 19 matches this season. The Ducks will host Arizona on Friday, Oct. 28, at  7 p.m. and Arizona State on Sunday, Oct. 30, at 11 a.m. Friday’s match against the Wildcats will be streamed live on Twitter through Pac-12 Plus.

Colorado:

BOULDER — Sophomore Alexa Smith recorded 14 kills and 14 digs for her tenth double-double this season but it wasn’t enough as Colorado fell 3-1 to No. 23 Oregon (25-14, 21-25, 25-22, 25-21) on Saturday night at Coors Event Center. With the loss the Buffs finished the first half of the Pac-12 schedule with a 4-6 record, 12-8 overall, while the Ducks are 7-3 in league play, 14-5 overall.

WHAT HAPPENED:  Smith hit .382 to lead the Buffs with only one error on 32 attacks.  She recorded a team best 16.0 points with an additional ace and two block assists.

Another Buff who had a good night was junior Gabby Simpson, who tallied her fifth triple-double of the season. Simpson had 11 kills, 20 assists and 13 dig in the effort.  In total, this was her sixth career triple-double which ranks second in CU history behind Elizabeth Gower (10).

SET 1:  Oregon took the lead early in the first set, taking a five-point advantage (7-2), which forced the Buffs into their first timeout. Though the Buffs tried to get back into the set, UO powered through, finishing 25-14.

SET 2:  The Buffs and Ducks exchanged points early in the second set.  CU’s first time leading in the match came at the midway mark when they pulled two points clear from UO (10-8). From there the Buffs looked like a different team than the first set. This time the Buffs were fighting for the victory, holding off any rallying attempts from Oregon. CU took the second set 25-21 to even the match.

SET 3: Oregon jumped to an 11-5 lead early in the third set. The Buffs were able to rally within two points of the Ducks late in the set at 24-22, however UO won the next point to win the set (25-22).

SET 4: The Buffs took an early 6-2 lead in the fourth set before the Ducks responded. CU kept its momentum going while UO rallied to cut the Buffs’ lead. After tying the score at 21 points each, Oregon pulled ahead and recorded four straight points to defeat the Buffs 25-21.

TEAM STATISTICS: The Buffs hit .153 with 50 kills and 24 errors on 170 attacks, while Oregon hit .247 with 62 kills and 22 errors on 162 attacks. CU recorded 47 assists to UO’s 59. The Ducks out-dug the Buffs 81-63. CU had 5.0 blocks while UO posted 17.0. Both teams had three aces each.

NOTEABLE: The Buffs are now 12-8, 4-6 in the Pac-12… CU is 8-3 at home this season…Oregon is now 14-5, 6-3 in the Pac-12…Oregon leads the all-time series against CU 11-3…Gabby Simpson‘s five triple-doubles this season is second on CU’s single season chart…Elizabeth Gower owns the single season record with six triple-doubles.

NEXT UP: Colorado will travel to Los Angeles to take on UCLA on October 28 and USC on October 29.

QUOTABLE:
Jesse Mahoney, head coach
On What Happened In The Match Against Oregon
“Well they were very good. They put a lot of pressure on offensively with the speed and the tempo of what they do. They run a lot of crossing patterns and make you defend the full 30 feet of the net. They were siding out very well. We ran into some lulls offensively. We hit the ball into the block. They had 17 blocks, which is concerning that we couldn’t score from the middle or right side very well. Lex had a very nice match offensively, but outside of that we didn’t have anyone who could generate points. I always felt that we were playing from behind.”

On How The Team Is Going To Go Into The Next Few Matches Against Ranked Opponents
“Well, that’s the world we live in. We’re going to play great teams every night. We’re aware of that. We came out very slow tonight, which was unfortunate that we didn’t give ourselves the opportunity to compete in that first set. It was a fairly even match after that. We have to work on being ready to play and following our game plan, committing to it, and being able to adjust out of that. This week we’ll work on some of our system stuff because we were exceptionally poor in that tonight and we’ll be out of systems a lot against good teams because they create those situations.

Alexa Smith, Outside Hitter
On How Oregon Having 17 Blocks Affected The Team
“Obviously they’re a good team. They’re a good blocking team. They were more ahead of the play than we were and they saw what was coming. It was hard to work around that once we got into lulls.”

On What The Team Can Take From Tonight To Help With A Strong Schedule Coming Up
“We started off slow and that kind of set the mood for the game. Obviously we turned it around and put our foot on the pedal but it was a little bit too late. I think going down the line that’s something we need to learn from and start out stronger in these matches.”

On Having Seven Kills In The Second Set
“The people who were in the front row of me were drawing the blocks away from me so that helped me a lot. The centers were getting on tempo so that was really helpful too.”

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