Volleyball Makes First-Ever Appearance in NCAA Tournament

December 1, 1998

Utah Probable Starters:
Overall Record: 20-9 WAC Record: 9-5

No. Name             Yr. Pos. Stats
14  Brooke Barton    So. OH   1.58 kpg, 2.38 dpg, 0.43 sapg
16  Sara Shakula     Sr. OH   2.92 kpg, 2.23 dpg, 0.35 sapg
 3  McKelle Stilson  Fr. MB   2.70 kpg, 1.29 bpg
12  Kalani Tonga     So. OH   4.17 kpg, 3.00 dpg, 0.61 bpg
 2  Graciela Torres  Jr. S    10.28 apg, 2.52 dpg, 0.83 bpg
 5  Erin Petersen    Sr. MB   1.55 kpg, 1.03 bpg or
 8  Lucie Turkov     So. DS   2.51 dpg

IT'S TOURNAMENT TIME:
Utah (20-9, 9-5 WAC) makes its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Utes play Illinois State (22-9) in the first round on Friday at 5:00 p.m. (CST) at the Nebraska Coliseum in Lincoln, Neb. Nebraska, the No. 1 seed in the Pacific Region is the host for the four-team sub-regional. Nebraska (28-1) will play Morgan State (18-14) in the other first round match on Friday at 7:30 p.m. (CST). The two winners play on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. (CST).

A QUICK LOOK AT UTAH:
The Utes are 20-9 overall and finished third in the Western Athletic Conference Pacific Division with a 9-5 record.

Last week at the WAC Tournament in Las Vegas, Nev., Utah defeated TCU 15-11, 15-9, 15-5 in the first round on Tuesday and lost to UNLV 16-14, 15-12, 15-9 in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Utah won its last five matches to end the regular season and has won nine of its last 12 overall. This is the third consecutive season in which Utah has won 20 matches and the fourth time it has won 20 matches in the Beth Launiere era, dating back to 1990. Utah's third-place finish in the WAC Pacific Division is its best ever. Utah tied for third place in the WAC Mountain Division in 1996.

Senior outside hitter Kalani Tonga leads the team in kills (4.17) and digs (3.00). Junior middle blocker Stacie Greenwalt is first in hitting efficiency (.286), second in blocks (1.20) and second in kills (2.98). Freshman middle blocker McKelle Stilson is first in blocking (1.29) and second in hitting efficiency (.264). Junior setter Graciela Torres is averaging 12.81 assists and has the third-most aces (0.29). Senior outside hitter Sara Shakula is third on the team in kills (2.92) and second in aces (0.35) Sophomore outside hitter Brooke Barton leads the team in aces (0.43).

UTES ON RADIO:
Utah's NCAA Tournament match with Illinois State on Friday will carried live by AM-700 KWLW in Salt lake City. Coverage begins at 3:45 p.m. (MST) with the pre-game show. First serve is at 4:00 p.m.

Utah Assistant SID Mike Lageschulte, who is in his third year of broadcasting Ute sports, will handle the play-by-play. U. Director of Student-Athlete Services Mary Bowman, a former volleyball coach at East High School in Salt Lake City, will provide color commentary.

TEAM TRAVEL:
Utah will depart Salt Lake City on Wednesday at 7:49 a.m. (United #2802), connect through Denver (United #294) and arrive in Lincoln, Neb., at 12:52 p.m. (CST). The team is scheduled to return on Sunday, departing Lincoln at 7:00 a.m. (United #1575), connecting through Denver (United #1575) and arriving in Salt Lake City at 10:49 a.m. (MST).

TEAM HEADQUARTERS:
The Utah traveling party will stay at the Hampton Inn (Airport), 1301 W. Bond Circle, Lincoln, Neb., 68521. Phone: (402) 474-2080. Fax: (402) 474-3401. Utah Assistant SID Mike Lageschulte will be accompanying the team.

PRACTICE SCHEDULE:
The Utes will have a closed practice on Wednesday from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Thursday's practice from 1:30-3:30 p.m. in the Nebraska Coliseum will be open to the media. Utah players and head coach Beth Launiere will be available for interviews before and after practice on Thursday only. Friday's practice time is still to be determined.

POST-MATCH INTERVIEWS:
The Utah lockerroom will be open for 15 minutes after the cooling-off period (five minutes for the winning team and 15 minutes for the losing team) has concluded. Ute head coach Beth Launiere and a least two Utah players will be available in the interview room. The winning team will go first, followed by the losing team.

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS:
Nebraska Volleyball SID Aaron Babcock: (402) 472-7779
Nebraska SID Fax: (402) 472-2005
Nebraska Coliseum Press Row: (402) 472-5300

NCAA Tournament PREVIEW

TOURNAMENT FORMAT:
The NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship has expanded to 64 teams for the first time this year. Thirty-two first-round matches and 16 second-round matches will be played Dec. 3-6. The 16 seeded teams in the tournament will host four-team sub-regionals. Winners will advance to four regional tournaments (Dec. 10-13), also to be played on campus sites of the highest seeded teams remaining. The four regional winners meet for the championship Dec. 17 and 19 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis. The University of Wisconsin is the host institution.

NCAA PACIFIC REGIONAL FIRST & SECOND ROUNDS AT LINCOLN, NEB.
Friday (December 4)
Match #1 - Utah (20-9) vs. Illinois State (22-9) 5:00 p.m. (CST)
Match #2 - Nebraska (28-1) vs. Morgan State (18-14) 7:30 p.m. (CST)

Saturday (December 5)
Match #3 - Match #1 Winner vs. Match #2 Winner 7:30 p.m. (CST)

UTAH TOURNAMENT TID-BITS:
Utah is one of 10 teams making its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament ... The Utes are one of the 34 at-large selections. Thirty teams were granted automatic qualification by virtue of winning their conference championship ... Utah is one of six Western Athletic Conference teams to receive an NCAA Tournament bid. Also advancing from the WAC are conference champion Hawai'i, Brigham Young, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Jose State ... The WAC, Big Ten and Big 12 each had six teams receive NCAA bids.

SCOUTING ILLINOIS STATE:
The Redbirds are in the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year and for the 11th time in 17 years, owning a 2-10 record in the tournament. Earning one of the 34 at-large bids, Illinois State (22-9) lost in the championship match of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament to Northern Iowa in three games on Nov. 21, and posted a 16-2 record during regular-season play in the MVC. Last Friday and Saturday, ISU played three games at Long Beach State's Thanksgiving Tournament, losing to UC Santa Barbara and Long Beach State in three games and defeating Oregon in three games.

Julie Morgan has a 354-174 record in her 16th season as a head coach and a 294-127 in her 13th season at ISU. Illinois State is led by a pair of first-team all-MVC players making their third straight NCAA appearance. Senior setter Marisa Brickley is the Missouri Valley Conference's career assists leader and senior outside hitter Michelle Kutcher is among the league's top 10 in career kills and hitting percentage. Brickley, the 1997 MVC Player of the Year, is averaging 12.92 assists per game and is second on the team in digs (2.36) this season. Kutcher leads ISU in both kills (4.11) and digs (2.51). Kendra Haselhorst paces the team in blocks (1.26) and is second in kills (3.44). Depth is a key for the Redbirds as Morgan often uses as many as 11 or 12 players in a single match.

The Redbirds were 2-9 against the NCAA Tournament field this year, having beaten Notre Dame and Pepperdine while losing to Northern Iowa (three times), Colorado State, Sacramento State, Northern Illinois, Illinois, Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara.

UTAH/ILLINOIS STATE TIES:
Redbirds head coach Julie Morgan directed the Utah program from 1984-86, posting a 60-47 record before leaving for Illinois State. Ann Bricker was the head coach for three years before current Ute head coach Beth Launiere arrived in 1990, leaving the Ute program in disarray. The Utes were 1-32 the season before Launiere took over. Morgan and Launiere became acquaintances after Morgan took over at Illinois State and Launiere was an assistant coach at Illinois (1988-89). Both have worked together on the AVCA's All-America Committee.

Illinois State senior middle blocker Jen Olson (formerly known as Jen Hoffman) is a native of Nibley, Utah, and graduated from Mountain Crest High School in Hyrum, Utah. Olson transfered to Illinois State from Concordia (Calif.) College.

THE SERIES WITH ILLINOIS STATE: Utah leads the all-time series with Illinois State 3-1. Beth Launiere is 0-1 against Illinois State. Julie Morgan has been the winning coach three times in the series-twice at Utah and once at Illinois State.

Sept. 28, 1990 at Illinois State Invitational - Illinois State wins 15-5, 15-12, 15-1
Sept. 6, 1986 at Redbird Classic - Utah wins 15-12, 15-12, 15-9
Sept. 18, 1985 at Salt Lake City - Utah wins 15-12, 15-6, 15-10
Sept. 23, 1982 at BYU Invitational - Utah wins 10-15, 15-7, 15-10

SCOUTING NEBRASKA:
The Cornhuskers are ranked No. 3 in the USA Today/AVCA Poll released on Nov. 30 with a 27-1 record. Nebraska received the Big 12 Conference's automatic berth and is one of the four No. 1 seeds in the tournament. Nebraska is making its 17th appearance, missing the field just once since the tournament's inception in 1991, and has a 35-15 record in NCAA Tournament play.

Nebraska won the Big 12 title with a 19-1 record. It's only loss all season came at 18th-ranked Texas A&M in five games on Nov. 20. Since then, NU has posted three-game wins at No. 12 Texas (Nov. 21) and against No. 17 Colorado (Nov. 25) and No. 21 Kansas State (Nov. 28) at home.

The Cornhuskers are led by All-America candidates Megan Korver, Nancy Meendering and Jaime Krondak. Korver, a 6-1 senior middle blocker, has been ranked among the national leaders in blocks (1.78) and hitting percentage (.379) all season. She is also averaging 3.37 kills per game. Meendering, a 6-1 sophomore outside hitter, leads NU in kills (4.59) and has a .301 hitting percentage. Krondak, a 6-1 sophomore outside hitter, is averaging 2.60 kills, 2.87 digs and 0.37 service aces per game. Head coach Terry Pettit has a 711-148 career record and a 662-137 record at Nebraska.

THE SERIES WITH NEBRASKA:
Utah lost its only previous meeting with Nebraska, falling in three games on Oct. 3, 1986 in Salt Lake City.

SCOUTING MORGAN STATE:
The Lady Bears earned their second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament with a five-game win over North Carolina A&T in the finals of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament. It was Morgan State's second consecutive league title. The Lady Bears, who own an 0-1 all-time record in the NCAA Tournament, went 18-14 overall this season and 10-0 in the MEAC.

Morgan State seniors Tiffany Pickens and Monica Scott were named to the MEAC all-tournament team. Pickens, a 5-9 middle blocker who was second on the team in kills (2.60) and first in blocks (0.70), also earned second-team all-conference honors. Scott, a 5-8 setter, averaged 7.94 assists per game this season. Sophomore Dorothy Buford led the Lady Bears in kills (2.70). Head coach Ramona Riley-Bozier won her fourth-consecutive MEAC Coach of the Year award this season. She has a 184-143 career record in her 11th season at Morgan State.

THE SERIES WITH MORGAN STATE:
Utah and Morgan State have never met.

UTAH AGAINST THE NCAA TOURNAMENT FIELD:
Utah posted a 6-7 record against this year against teams in the NCAA Tournament field. Here is a breakdown...

Sept. 4   Washington State (A)     L (2-3) 12-15, 13-15, 15-8, 15-10, 9-15
Sept. 5   Louisville (N)           W (3-1) 15-13, 4-15, 15-7, 15-13
Sept. 18  Michigan State (A)       L (3-0) 12-15, 9-15, 14-16
Sept. 19  Notre Dame (N)           W (3-0) 15-10, 15-4, 15-10
Sept. 19  New Hampshire (N)        W (3-0) 15-4, 17-15, 15-10
Oct. 2    Brigham Young (H)        L (0-3) 3-15, 10-15, 1-15
Oct. 9    Hawai'i (H)              L (1-3) 10-15, 11-15, 15-7, 4-15
Oct. 16   Fresno State (A)         L (2-3) 10-15, 12-15, 15-11, 16-14, 12-15
Oct. 17   San Jose State (A)       W (3-0) 15-10, 15-10, 15-4
Oct. 30   Brigham Young (A)        L (0-3) 6-15, 4-15, 9-15
Nov. 6    Hawai'i (A)              L (1-3) 8-15, 15-8, 3-15, 9-15
Nov. 13   San Jose State (H)       W (3-0) 15-9, 15-1, 16-14
Nov. 14   Fresno State (H)         W (3-0) 15-12, 15-6, 4-15, 15-12

UTAH IN THE POST-SEASON:
The Utes are competing in the NCAA Tournament for the first time. Utah's overall post-season record is 7-4.

Utah advanced to post-season play for the first time in 1993, placing third in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship Dec. 3-5 in Kansas City, Mo. The Utes defeated Moorhead State 3-0, Hofstra 3-1, Stephen F. Austin 3-1, and Oklahoma 3-2 before losing to Louisiana State 3-1.

Utah has played in all three WAC Tournaments, advancing to the quarterfinals each time and posting a 3-3 record. In 1996, the Utes defeated UNLV in the first round 3-0 and lost to New Mexico in the quarterfinals 3-1. In 1997, the Utes upended SMU in the first round 3-0 and fell to nationally-ranked Hawai'i in the quarterfinals 3-2. This year, Utah defeated TCU in the first round 3-0 and lost to UNLV in the quarterfinals 3-0.

UTAH TEAM NOTES

THREE UTES EARN ALL-WAC VOLLEYBALL HONORS:
The Ute volleyball team was well represented as the Western Athletic Conference coaches selected their 1998 postseason award winners on Nov. 17. Three Utah players earned all-conference recognition in the Pacific Division.

Sophomore outside hitter Kalani Tonga was named first-team all-WAC. Tonga, who was named the WAC Mountain Division Freshman of the Year in 1997, put up fantastic numbers once again this year despite switching positions from middle blocker. The Allen, Texas, native ranks fourth in the WAC in kills (4.17 kpg) and seventh in digs (3.00 dpg) this season. Tonga also has 63 blocks, 28 service aces and hit a team-best .272 percentage during the conference season to rank 17th in the WAC.

Ute sophomore Lucie Turkov was named first-team all-WAC defensive specialist. Turkov, a native of Brno, Czech Republic, and a graduate of Taylorsville (Utah) High School, has the third-most digs on the team (2.51 dpg) and 19 aces in '98

Senior outside hitter Sara Shakula was named second-team all-WAC for the third consecutive season. Shakula, raised in Draper, Utah, and a graduate of Skyline High School, has put up respectable numbers despite playing with two herniated disks in her back all season. Shakula ranks 17th in the conference in aces (0.35 sapg) and is third on the team in kills (2.92 kpg). She ranked 20th in the WAC in hitting efficiency (.255) during the league season.

WAC TOURNAMENT RECAP:
For the third year in a row, Utah bowed out in the quarterfinals of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament, losing to UNLV last Wednesday afternoon 16-14, 15-12, 15-9 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.

Sara Shakula led the Utes with 11 kills, a .250 hitting percentage and two aces. Stacie Greenwalt had nine kills with a .238 hitting percentage and six blocks. Brooke Barton had a match-high 11 digs and six kills. Kalani Tonga, who had played so brilliantly against TCU on Tuesday, was shut down by the Rebels. Tonga hit for .152 with just six kills and 11 errors in 33 attempts. UNLV outblocked the Utes 15 to eight and outhit them .192 to .140.

Utah opened the WAC Tournament on Tuesday, disposing of TCU in impressive fashion 15-11, 15-9, 15-5. The match took only an hour and 11 minutes. Tonga demonstrated to everyone why she was selected first-team all-WAC. The sophomore outside hitter had a match-high 15 kills with a .419 hitting percentage, nine digs and two blocks. Shakula had nine kills, three service aces and equalled Tonga's match-high nine digs. Graciela Torres also had nine digs and 35 assists. McKelle Stilson led the Utes at the net with six blocks. Stilson also added seven kills and a .417 hitting percentage. Barton contributed six kills and eight digs. Utah outhit the Volleyfrogs .302 to .127 and had a decisive 10 to four edge in blocking. The Utes also served up eight aces.

HEAD COACH BETH LAUNIERE:
In her ninth season, Beth Launiere is the winningest coach in Utah volleyball history. Launiere has a 157-127 (.553) overall record and a 55-67 (.451) mark in Western Athletic Conference play.

Launiere was named the Utes' head coach in 1990, and has since overseen a significant transformation in the Ute volleyball program. The season prior to Launiere's appointment, the Utes compiled a meager 1-32 record. Four years later, Launiere guided Utah to a 25-win season, its most successful campaign ever.

The Grand Rapids, Mich., native has led the Utes to four 20-win seasons and five upper-division finishes in the Western Athletic Conference during the last six years, including four in a row. Last year, Launiere's Utes posted its all-time best overall winning percentage in school history (.710) by going 22-9, as well as the best winning percentage in WAC play (.643) with a 9-5 mark to place fourth in the WAC Mountain Division. This year, Utah equalled its '97 WAC record and posted its third consecutive 20-win season.

QUOTING LAUNIERE:
On making the NCAA Tournament - "I'm really excited. It's just a great feeling. It's something you work so hard for the whole year. We had a lot of question marks at the beginning of the season. And we really responded and had a great season."

"I'm pleased for the program and the players who came before this group. I've been thinking about them a lot the past few days. There has been a lot of people who worked a lot of hard hours to get us to this point."

If this is her best team ever - "I think it is. It's hard to compare, but I do think we have more tools than we've had in the pastmore people we can go to. It's the best defensive team we've had for sure."

On playing Illinois State - "I anticipate that they're going to be well trained, and that they'll have a lot of size. I like the matchup, though I think the strength of schedule we had will really help us."

SHAKULA MOVING UP THE CAREER CHARTS:
Sara Shakula, a 6-0 senior outside hitter from Draper, Utah, has played in 122 matches to rank fourth on the Utah career charts and in 428 games to rank fourth. Shakula has an excellent chance to finish high in several career statistical categories. She ranks second in career kills (1,282), moving past Sharman Grant (1,252) with 15 kills against New Mexico on Nov. 21. The top mark is owned by Brenda Barton-Whicker (1,565). Shakula also ranks third in service aces (131) at the U., needing just 17 more aces to take over second place, currently held by Grant's 147. She is also tied third in career attempts (3,148), fourth in block assists (274), sixth in total blocks (293) and eighth in digs (807).

Shakula is also moving up the Western Athletic Conference statistical career charts. She currently ranks eighth in service aces and needs one more to take over seventh place from Brenda Gregersen (132), who played at Fresno State from 1992-95.

TORRES CLOSING IN ON CAREER ASSISTS MARK:
Setter Graciela Torres is now in second place in career assists at Utah with 3,616. Torres moved ahead of Katie Tagge's career total of 3,355 with 40 assists against San Diego State on Nov. 8. She needs just 15 more to eclipse Denise Rathburn's all-time record of 3,630 assists, recorded from 1989-92.

Torres has 1,319 assists in 1998, the fourth-most in a single season in Utah history. She needs 58 more assist to take over fourth place (1,376). In just her first season at the U., Torres recorded 1,206 assists to place her sixth on both the single-season and career charts. She recorded 1,091 assists in 1997, the seventh-most in a single-season at Utah.

Torres ranks fifth in the Western Athletic Conference in career assists (3,616). With 74 assists in the WAC Tournament, she passed Wyoming's Jil Robins, who had 3,592 career assists from 1991-94. Robins was also an assistant coach at Utah for three years (1995-97). Torres needs 1,301 more assists to take over fourth place from Andrea Clark (4,916), who played at San Diego State from 1994-97.

NATIONAL POWER RANKINGS:
This season, the American Volleyball Coaches Association has teamed up with sports rating guru Jeff Sagarin to produce a Women's Division I Volleyball Power Rating. As of Nov. 25, the WAC had six teams that were ranked among the top 50 in the nation in the RPI ratings, which is the third-most by any conference. The Big Ten had nine teams rank among the top 50 while the Big 12 had seven teams. Brigham Young currently ranks fourth while Hawai'i is 12th, followed by Utah (31st) Colorado State (39th), Fresno State (47th) and Wyoming (48th). As a conference, the WAC ranks fifth out of 32, behind the Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10 and Big West.

WAC STATISTICAL RANKINGS:
Team

Hitting Efficiency      8th  (.210)
Kills                   7th (16.15)
Assists                 8th (14.22)
Blocking                4th  (2.84)
Aces                    3rd  (1.76)
Digs                    4th (15.77)

Individuals (All Matches)

Hitting Efficiency
   Stacie Greenwalt    17th  (.286)
Kills
   Kalani Tonga         4th  (4.17)
Assists
   Graciela Torres      5th (12.81)
Blocking
   McKelle Stilson      8th  (1.29)
   Stacie Greenwalt    10th  (1.20)
Aces
   Brooke Barton        5th  (0.43)
   Sara Shakula         9th  (0.35)
Digs
   Kalani Tonga         9th  (3.00)

Individuals (WAC Matches)

Hitting Efficiency
   Kalani Tonga        17th  (.272)
   Sara Shakula        20th  (.255)
Kills
   Kalani Tonga         2nd  (4.45)
Assists
   Graciela Torres      4th (12.55)
Blocking
   McKelle Stilson      5th  (1.44)
   Stacie Greenwalt    17th  (1.09)
Aces
   Sara Shakula        12th  (0.35)
   Brooke Barton       15th  (0.32)
Digs
   Kalani Tonga         9th  (3.10)

UTAH AGAINST TOP 25 TEAMS:
Utah is 1-6 against ranked teams this season. The Utes lost to No. 22 Washington State in five games on Sept. 4 in WSU's Les Schwab Cougar Challenge. The U. lost to No. 18 Michigan State in three games on Sept. 18 in the Spartan's MSU Invitational, then came back the next day in the tournament to defeat No. 23 Notre Dame in three games. Utah lost Brigham Young, then ranked No. 5, on Oct. 2 in three games. The Utes also lost to the Cougars in three games on Oct. 30, when they were ranked No. 4. The Utes fell to No. 10 Hawai'i in four games on Oct. 9 at Crimson Court. Hawai'i was ranked No. 9 when it defeated Utah in four games in Honolulu on Nov. 6

Louisville, which was not ranked when it lost to the Utes in four games on Sept. 5, has since moved into the USA Today/AVCA Poll Top 25.

UTES LIVE UP TO EXPECTATIONS BY PLACING THIRD IN THE WAC:
In a survey of the Western Athletic Conference coaches before the season, Utah was picked to place third in the Pacific Division. Utah, competing in the WAC's Pacific Division for the first time in its final season as a league member, garnered 88 points. Brigham Young was picked first, tallying 118 points and 13 first-place votes. Hawai'i claimed the remaining three first-place votes and 105 points to finish second. The Utes were followed by Fresno State in fourth place with 73 points, San Diego State (72), New Mexico (49), San Jose State (37) and UTEP (26).

In the Mountain Division, Colorado State earned 13 first-place votes and totaled 117 points to lead the way. Brigham Young was picked to win the WAC championship over Hawai'i, 13 votes to three.

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