Sept. 15, 1997
Cal Hosts #3 Stanford, Travels to Notre Dame Tournament
THIS WEEK
Tue. Sept. 16 STANFORD, RSF Fieldhouse (1,000), Berkeley 7:30 p.m.
Fri.-Sat. Sept. 19-20 at Notre Dame Tournament of Champions, Joyce Center, South Bend, IN
Fri. Sat. 19 Cal vs. Texas A&M 5:30 p.m. CST
New Mexico vs. Notre Dame 8:00 p.m. CST
Sat. Sept. 20 Consolation Match/Championship Match 5:00/7:00 p.m. CST
SPIKERS ENTER BUSY WEEK: The Cal women's volleyball team (5-2) hosts defending NCAA Champion Stanford on Tuesday, Sept. 16, before heading to the Notre Dame Tournament of Champions Sept. 19-20. Stanford, currently ranked #3 nationally, and Cal square off in the first Pac-10 match of the 1997 season, with the Bears trying to avenge a heartbreaking five-game loss at Stanford last season that would've snapped a 28-match losing streak to the Cardinal. The Bears then travel to Notre Dame for their final non-conference matches of the season, competing in the Tournament of Champions Sept. 19-20, with #16 Texas A&M, New Mexico and #20 Notre Dame.
TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS: The first annual Tournament of Champions, to be played at Notre Dame this season, reunites four head coaches who were teammates on the 1980 U.S. Olympic volleyball team - California's Sue Woodstra, Notre Dame's Debbie Landreth Brown, Texas A&M's Laurie Flachmeier Corbelli and New Mexico's Laurel Brassey Iversen. The team did not participate in the 1980 Olympics due to the U.S. boycott. Woodstra and Corbelli returned to the 1984 U.S. Olympic team and captured a silver medal. There are nine former U.S. Olympians currently serving as collegiate head coaches, six at the Division I level, with four of them represented at this weekend's Tournament of Champions. The four coaches have combined for an 848-495 (.631) in 41 years as Div. I head coaches, led their teams to 25 NCAA tournament appearances, and captured 14 conference Coach of the Year honors. The Tournament of Champions will be played every other year at alternating sites, featuring these four teams.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: Stanford owns a 7-2 record in non-conference play, after victories last week at Duke and North Carolina. Stanford's only losses are to #1 Penn State at two different tournaments. The Cardinal has won three consecutive Pac-10 titles and posted a 52-2 conference record in that span. Texas A&M, currently ranked #16 nationally, is 5-2 on the season, with losses to Stanford and BYU. New Mexico, currently ranked #20 nationally, is 5-5 this season after going 3-1 at the Iowa State Invitational last weekend. Notre Dame is 5-4 overall after a win over Georgia and a loss to #22 Colorado last weekend.
CAL vs. THE OPPONENTS: Stanford holds a 40-4 series advantage over Cal, although the Bears nearly upset the Cardinal in five games at Stanford last season. Cal was serving match point at 15-14 in game five, but an official's call out of an apparent Cal kill turned the tide and Stanford went on to win the game, 18-16, and match. Cal's last win over Stanford was Oct. 1, 1982 at Cal's Dolfin Invitational. Cal and Texas A&M are tied 3-3 in the all-time series, with the Bears winning the most recent meeting in 1992 in five games at College Station. Cal and New Mexico are tied 2-2 in the all-time series, with all four matches coming on neutral courts in tournament action. New Mexico won the last meeting in 1984 at the San Diego State Invitational. Notre Dame leads the series with Cal, 2-0, with victories in Berkeley in 1985 and 1991 at the post-season NIVC.
LAST WEEK: Cal was upset in its home opener by Sacramento State, 18-16, 9-15, 8-15, 15-6, 15-12. The Bears had three players record double-doubles: Jessica Dinaberg (16 kills, 13 digs), Alicia Perry (15 kills, 15 digs) and Elena Berman (14 kills, 15 digs).
BEAR BITS: Senior hitter Jessica Dinaberg leads the Bears in hitting percentage (.319) and kill average (3.19) and is second in dig average (2.50)...freshman hitter Alicia Perry leads the team in dig average (2.90) and ranks second in kill average (2.55)...sophomore middle blocker Amanda Selby leads the team in blocking average (1.22) and is second in hitting percentage (.290)...sophomore hitter Brook Coulter leads the Bears with 11 service aces, including a career-high 6 service aces against Tulsa...senior Michelle Wickman set the last two matches, with a career-high 64 assists against Illinois State and 46 assists vs. Sacramento State...Cal is 4-0 on neutral courts this season...Cal is 0-1 vs. Top 25 opponents, with a loss to #24 Colorado State.
HEAD COACH SUE WOODSTRA: Sue Woodstra is in her third year at the helm of the Golden Bears, with a record of 26-27 at Cal. A two-time Olympic team member and one of nine Olympians to currently head a women's collegiate volleyball team, Woodstra has posted a 136-76 record in six seasons as a collegiate head coach, including four years at Pittsburgh.
