Matches 8-9-10
Hoosier Classic - Hosted By Indiana
Bloomington, Ind. - University Gym
Gametracker available for all matches; live audio available for match against Indiana
Friday, Sept. 9
Gonzaga vs. Indiana, 4 p.m. PT
Saturday, Sept. 10
Gonzaga vs. Eastern Illinois, 7 a.m. PT
Gonzaga vs. Niagara, 2:30 p.m. PT
THIS WEEKEND: The Gonzaga University women's volleyball team travels to Bloomington, Ind., this weekend to participate in its final in-season tournament. The Bulldogs will partake in the Hoosier Classic, hosted by Indiana University. Gonzaga will begin the tournament against host Indiana Friday at 4 p.m. PT., and will then play both Eastern Illinois University and Niagara University Saturday, at 7 a.m. PT and 2:30 p.m. PT, respectively.
ABOUT INDIANA : Indiana University women's volleyball is coming off a 2010 season that saw it earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and fell in the Sweet Sixteen to the University of Southern California. The Hoosiers have opened the 2011 campaign with a 4-2 record, having only lost to Virginia Tech and Cleveland State on the second day of opening weekend. Indiana has won three-straight, all by 3-0 scores and all at home in University Gym. The Hoosiers are led by Kelci Marschall who is averaging a team-best 3.23 kills per set, along with 1.86 digs per set. Sherry Dunbar is in her fifth season as head coach of the Hoosiers.
ABOUT EASTERN ILLINOIS: Eastern Illinois University women's volleyball currently holds a 2-5 overall mark and is on a three-game losing skid after placing fourth at the Louisville Classic last weekend. The Panthers are averaging 9.44 kills per set as a team; the lowest of the four squads participating in the Hoosier Classic. Eastern Illinois is led by both Reynae Hutchinson and Katie Kirby with 2.45 and 2.32 kills per set, respectively. The two are also averaging a combined 3.43 digs per set. The Panthers are coached by Katie Price, who is in her second year and who, as a player at Penn State, won a national championship in 2007.
ABOUT NIAGARA: Niagara University women's volleyball enters into the Hoosier Classic with a 4-4 overall mark. The Purple Eagles four victories are all sweeps, including perfect victories over both Delaware State and Cornell this past Saturday at the Cornell Tournament. Sam Morgan was named Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Defensive Player of the Week on Monday, earning the award for the seventh time in the last three seasons. Morgan set the program all-time digs mark as Niagara went 3-2 in five matches last week. Morgan set the career record against UTEP with 25 digs in the first match of the Cornell Tournament, breaking Micole Daluisio's ('05) total of 1,793; she currently has a 1,856 digs. Niagara is coached by Susan Clements in her fifth year at the helm. She is hoping to lead the Purple Eagles to their third consecutive MAAC Championship.
LAURA DAY ON A ROLL: Senior Laura Day, who at the end of last season switched from a defensive specialist to outside hitter, is on a roll, currently registering double-doubles the past four contests. Day leads the team in kills per set at 3.00 and is third on the team in digs at 2.93. She also is tied for second in total service aces with five. Over the past four matches she is averaging 14.8 kills and 15.5 digs per match. She also has tallied career highs in both kills and digs. She finished with a career-high 19 digs, one more than her previous high, in a 3-0 setback to the University of Washington and had a career-high 19 kills, three more than her previous high, in a 3-2 victory over Portland State University.
TIED TOTAL WINS MARK OF 2010: Gonzaga University women's volleyball currently holds a 4-3 overall mark. The four wins ties the total amount of victories the Bulldogs finished with in 2010.
ALL-TOURNAMENT: Seniors Laura Day and Denise Van de Mortel, of the Gonzaga University women's volleyball squad, each were named to the UniWyo Wyoming Invite All-Tournament this last weekend.
SEVEN LETTERWINNERS RETURN IN 2011: The Gonzaga University women's volleyball team returns seven letterwinners who averaged 87 sets each a season ago, 77 percent of total play. The Zags also add three returning redshirts and one newcomer to the squad. Leading the charge to make 2011 the most successful campaign to date is the trio of senior leaders in setter Denise Van de Mortel, and outside hitters Laura Day and Kaprina Goodwin.
VAN DE MORTEL GETS GREAT EXPERIENCE THIS SUMMER: Gonzaga University women's volleyball senior setter Denise Van de Mortel, the starting setter for three-years, has come into her own in the past year. After leading the Bulldogs in 2010 with 8.98 assists, 2.14 digs per set, along with a team-leading 19 service aces and 70 blocks, third highest on the team, she participated in the open tryouts for the U.S. Women's National A2 Program, being named an alternate, and spent time playing in China this past June.
GOODWIN RETURNS TO THE MIX AFTER SEASON ENDING INJURY IN 2010: Gonzaga University women's volleyball senior outside hitter Kaprina Goodwin returned to the action after an elbow injury cut her junior season short. She was averaging 2.07 kills per set last season before the injury occurred in the opening match of West Coast Conference play.
YAMAMOTO LONE NEWCOMER: Freshman defensive specialist Maggie Yamamoto is the sole freshman on the competitive roster this fall.
HEAD COACH DAVE GANTT ENTERS THIRD SEASON: Gonzaga University women's volleyball head coach enters his third season at the helm of the Zags. Gantt previously coached at Montana State University and Oregon State University. To check out Gantt's full bio please head to GoZags.com.
DISHIN' WITH DENI: Gonzaga University women's volleyball senior setter Denise Van de Mortel will be keeping fans up-to-date on everything women's volleyball throughout the 2011 season. Head to GoZags.com every Tuesday to check out her new blog to get the inside look into the Zags volleyball program!
BULLDOGS PICKED NINTH IN WCC COACHES PRESEASON POLL: The Gonzaga University women's volleyball team has been selected to finish ninth in the 2011 West Coast Conference season according to a preseason vote of the league's head coaches. The Bulldogs received eight votes in this year's poll after losing five players, including four starters off a team that went 4-27 and 1-13 in the conference a season ago.
Women's Volleyball 2011 Preseason Poll
1. Pepperdine - 62 (7)
2. Saint Mary's - 55 (1)
3. San Diego - 52 (1)
4. Santa Clara - 43
5. Loyola Marymount - 35
6. BYU - 31
T7. Portland - 19
T7. San Francisco - 19
9. Gonzaga - 8
(First place votes)
TWITTER: Yes, the Gonzaga University Bulldogs are on twitter! You can find us at www.twitter.com/GonzagaBulldogs. We provide inside scoop on all Bulldog athletics as well as in-game updates for all home and selective road matches. CHECK US OUT!
FACEBOOK: The Gonzaga University women's volleyball team is on Facebook. Search for Gonzaga University women's volleyball when signed into facebook and LIKE the page. Get inside scoop on the team, see photos from the season, read recaps of matches and watch video. ENJOY!
