A Look Ahead – Sept. 19th-23rd

by Jen Armson-Dyer

This is the week for Wednesday showdowns. With much of the non-conference done, most teams start their real tests with league matches, including some intriguing and very important ones right off the bat.

Tabi Love

#1 UCLA (8-1) vs. #2 USC (12-0)

You could say that many of the Pac-12 match-ups this week could be featured, and you’d be right. Cal-Stanford, USC-Oregon and Oregon-Oregon State are also on tap, but the contest between the top two teams in the country can’t be ignored. The Bruins travel to the Women of Troy on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. PT in a contest that will be televised on ESPNU. UCLA and USC will meet as the #1 and #2 teams in the nation for just the second time in the storied rivalry. The only previous match-up was on Oct. 19, 1984 at USC when #2 UCLA beat #1 USC in five. The Bruins lead the overall series 57-52, as the teams won on each others home court last season. The Bruins, coming off a five-set win at Colorado State last weekend, are led by Tabi Love with 3.97 kills per set (135 kills), Bojana Todorovic with 3.83 digs per set (115 digs) and Zoe Nightingale with 1.26 blocks per set (43 total blocks). For the defending Pac-12 champs Women of Troy, Katie Fuller (4.03 kps/141 kills) and Samantha Bricio (3.69 kps/144 kills) lead the offense while Natalie Hagglund (4.05 dps/162 digs) tops the defense and Natasa Slijovic (1.04 bps/25 total blocks) heads the blocking list. Click here for links to audio and Gametracker. 

#3 Nebraska (8-1) vs. #4 Penn State (10-1)

The Huskers travel to Happy Valley for a Wednesday night showdown with the Nittany Lions that will be televised live on the Big Ten Network at 8:00 p.m. ET. Nebraska leads the all-time series between the two schools, 12-7, with each team winning on its home court last season. The Huskers are coming off their first loss of the season at Iowa State last weekend, and are led by Gina Mancuso with 3.61 kills per set (112 kills), Hannah Werth with 3.39 digs per set (105 digs) and Meghan Haggerty with 1.24 blocks per set (31 total blocks). For Penn State, Ariel Scott leads the offense with 3.73 kills per set (138 kills), Dominique Gonzalez tops the defense with 3.11 digs per set (115 digs) and Katie Slay heads the blocking list with 1.44 blocks per set (49 total blocks). Click here for links to audio andGametracker. 

Kaitlynn Pelger

#9 Texas (8-3), #11 Kansas State (12-0) vs. Oklahoma (11-3)

Oklahoma takes on two tough conference foes this week, hosting Kansas State on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. CT before traveling to Texas on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. CT.  The Sooners are led by Sallie McLaurin with 2.68 kills per set (134 kills) and 1.68 blocks per set (84 total blocks) and Maria Fernanda with 5.06 digs per set (253 total digs). The Wildcats look to continue their winning streak as they head into Norman, where last season the Sooners upset then-No. 8 Texas in five. Kansas State is led by AVCA National Player of the Week Kaitlynn Pelger with 3.53 kills per set (141 kills), Kuulei Kabalis with 2.95 digs per set (118 digs) and Alex Muff with 1.54 blocks per set (57 total blocks). The Longhorns, who fell last weekend to Illinois in five, look to regroup as they start the conference season. Texas is led by Haley Eckerman with 4.49 kills per set (166 kills), Sarah Palmer with 3.39 digs per set (122 digs) and Nicole Dalton with 0.86 blocks per set (32 total blocks). Audio is available for the Oklahoma-KansasState match by clicking here and for the Texas-Oklahoma match by clicking here.  That match will also be televised on the Longhorn Network.

#14 Pepperdine (9-3) vs. #16 BYU (12-0)

After sweeping Florida State, Ohio State and Houston last weekend to win the Flo Hyman College Cup, the Waves open up league play at undefeated BYU on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. MT. Pepperdine is led by conference player of the week Jazmine Orozco with 3.67 kills per set (147 kills), Michaela Christiaansen with 3.72 digs per set (149 digs) and Victoria Adelhelm with 1.20 blocks per set (48 total blocks). BYU, in its best start since 2005, is led by Jennifer Hamson with 4.10 kills per set (164 kills), Ciara Parker with 5.00 digs per set (200 digs) and Nicole Warner with 1.50 blocks per set (60 total blocks). The match will be aired on BYU TV and links to livestats and video can be found here: http://byucougars.com/w-volleyball/event/2012/pepperdine 

Duke (9-3) vs. North Carolina (9-2)

The Blue Devils travel to take on the Tar Heels on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. ET, and North Carolina has the advantage in the storied rivalry 50-45. Duke is led by Emily Sklar with 3.43 kills per set (144 kills), Ali McCurdy with 5.52 digs per set (232 digs) and Chelsea Cook with 1.21 blocks per set (51 total blocks). North Carolina is led by Emily McGee with 2.76 kills per set (113 kills), Ece Taner with 4.02 digs per set (165 digs) and Chaniel Nelson with 1.17 blocks per set (48 total blocks). Links to multi-media can be foundhere.

What matches will you be following this week?