Fresno State Athletics
Volleyball Begins Postseason Run
11/12/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 12, 2001
FRESNO, Calif. -
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Rice Up First for the Bulldogs
Postseason action is set for this week in San Jose, Calif., with the 2001 Western Athletic Conference Volleyball Championship Tournament. Fresno State, which finished fourth in the Western Division with a 7-6 mark, enters the tournament as the No. 5 seed. Receiving a first-round bye, the Bulldogs open tourney action with No. 4 seed and Eastern Division champion Rice on Friday, Nov. 16, 3:00 p.m. The winner of Rice vs. Fresno State will meet No. 1 seed Hawai'i in the semifinals on Saturday, Nov. 17, 5:00 p.m. Fresno State, which has advanced to the quarterfinal round in 1996 and 1997 and lost in the first round in the 1998 WAC championship, will look to avenge a loss to Rice suffered on the road on Oct. 7. With the Owls sweeping past the Bulldogs, Fresno State had its nine-match win streak snapped and suffered its first WAC loss on the year after jumping out to a 4-0 start. Since the loss, the 'Dogs have gone 4-6 since tangling with the Owls in Houston. Still further, of the last 10 matches played, Fresno State played six of the 10 contests on the road with five coming against the top two teams in both the Western and Eastern Divisions. Fresno State's match against Rice can be followed on the school's official athletic web site via Live Updates on www.gobulldogs.com. Should the 'Dogs advance through the quarterfinals, the semifinal match against Hawai'i can be heard live courtesy of Hawai'i at www.gobulldogs.com or http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu.
WAC Volleyball Championship Tournament
After a two-year hiatus, the league is hosting the 2001 WAC Volleyball Championship Tournament , Nov. 15-18, at San Jose State. The ten-team four-day tournament field will be showcased at The Event Center. The winner of the WAC championship will earn the league's NCAA automatic bid. Having sponsored a tournament in 1996, 1997 and 1998 and set in Las Vegas, Hawai'i finished as the runner-up to BYU the first two years while claiming the 1998 championship crown after defeating the Cougars. All the results from this year's tournament will be available on the WAC's web site at www.wacsports.com.
WAC Tickets Available
Ticket prices are $30 for adults and $15 for children and students for an all-session pass (nine matches). Tickets can be purchased at the San Jose State Ticket Office or by calling (408) 924-SJTX. Fans can obtain a room rate at the San Jose Hilton & Towers by calling 1-408-287-2100 and request "WAC Volleyball Tournament" group rate.
Head Coach Lindy Vivas
In her 11th season as head coach of the Bulldog volleyball program, Lindy Vivas (UCLA, 1980) captured her 200th win at Fresno State on Oct. 8 with a sweep over SMU. Picking up her 250th career win in the season opener against Siena on Sept. 1 last season, Vivas has directed the 'Dogs to five postseason appearances in the last 10 years and has led the Bulldogs to six 20-win campaigns. The two-time WAC Coach of the Year honoree has led the Bulldogs to two NCAA Tournament showings (1991, 1998) and three NIVC appearances (1995-94-92) since her arrival in 1991. Averaging 19 wins a year with a 94-47 (.660) home court record, Vivas has coached three all-region and 19 all-WAC picks (22 all-league overall). Vivas, who led the Bulldogs to three straight WAC Volleyball Tournaments (1996-98), owns a 15-year career record of 275-199 (.580) and an 11-year school record of 203-139 (.594).
Fresno State vs. Opponents in the WAC Tournament
Out of this season's 10-team league that have participated in the WAC tournament, Fresno State is one of three that will have played in all four conference championships. The Bulldogs, who join Hawai'i and San Jose State as four-time participants, are 2-3 (.400) in the tournament. In 1996 as the No. 6 seed, Fresno State reached the quarterfinal round after defeating San Jose State in three (15-11, 15-13, 15-9) before being swept by San Diego State (15-12, 16-14, 15-10). In 1997 as the No. 3 seed in the Pacific Division, the Bulldogs reached the quarterfinal round once again. The 'Dogs opened with a four-game win over UTEP (17-15, 6-15, 15-13, 15-10) before dropping a four-game decision to Colorado State (15-8, 13-15, 6-15, 8-15). In 1998 as the No. 5 seed in the Pacific Division, the year the Bulldogs advanced to the NCAA's, Fresno State lost in three to Wyoming (15-11, 15-12, 15-10). Rice, SMU and UTEP are making its third appearance, respectively. Rice, Fresno State's first round opponent, is 2-2 in tournament play. As the No. 9 seed, the Owls reached the quarterfinal round in 1996 after opening the tournament with a five-game win over UTEP before bowing out to Hawai'i in three. Missing 1997, Rice came into the 1998 tournament as the No. 3 seed in the Mountain Division. The Owls notched a four-game victory over New Mexico and again lost to Hawai'i but in four games in the quarterfinals. Hawai'i, which advanced to the championship match all three years, is 7-2 (.778) in the WAC tournament.
No. 4 seed Rice (16-7)
Winners of the Eastern Division with a 10-3 league mark, Rice comes into the WAC Tournament with a nine-match win streak. Winning 10 of their last 11, the Owls are hitting .211 as a team and owns a WAC-best 3.03 blocks per game. Spearheading the Rice offense is a pair of 300-kill leaders in Rebeca Pazo (354, 4.32 kpg) and Leigh Leman (311, 3.70 kpg). Leman, who is the only Owl to play in all 84 games, also leads the team in digs (306, 3.64 dpg) while Pazo is next (246, 3.00 dpg). With three players averaging at least 1.10 blocks per game, Briana Cook leads the way with a 1.36 block per game average while Elizabeth Davenport Pollock (1.18 bpg) and Courtney Smith (1.10) follow. In the all-time series, Fresno State holds a 4-3 lead. Rice, however, has won the last three after the Bulldogs opened the series with four consecutive wins. In the last meeting, Rice picked up a 30-27, 30-18, 30-23 win at home on Oct. 7.
Three Bulldogs Named All-WAC
Fresno State had three Bulldogs named to the 2001 All-Western Athletic Conference Team. First team honors went to senior middle blocker Shauna McQuaid (San Diego, Calif.) while second team accolades went to junior outside hitter Christy Burnett (Fallbrook, Calif.) and freshman setter Whitney Arena (West Linn, Ore). Selected by the WAC's head coaches, the conference postseason honors are a first for these three Bulldogs. The three picks marks the third time under Vivas that three Bulldogs have been earmarked for all-WAC accolades (2001, 1999, 1992). In addition, Arena is the second freshman to receive all-WAC recognition but the first to actually be named to a team. Setter Brenda Gregersen was named the 1992 Freshman of the Year but was not selected to the first or second team. Overall, Arena is the third Bulldog setter to be honored. McQuaid is the fourth middle blocker to be named all-WAC while Burnett is the 10th outside hitter selected. Under Vivas, 19 Bulldogs have been named to all-WAC teams, including preseason honors, and 22 Bulldogs overall have collected all-conference accolades under her tutelage.
Hot 'Dog
Junior outside hitter Christy Burnett (Fallbrook, Calif.) has been the most consistent Bulldog over the last nine matches. Burnett, who has 13 aces in her last five matches (0.72 sapg, 18 games), is hitting .296 (119-38-274). Averaging 3.72 kills per game and 3.75 digs per game (120 digs), Burnett also leads the team with 15 aces (0.47) and has totaled 12 total blocks (0.38 bpg) in her last 32 games in this nine-match stretch. Having ranked among the WAC's top five in digs in overall matches and in league matches only, Burnett also appears in the WAC' top 10 in hitting and service aces. Posting 20 or more kills in two of her last four matches, Burnett has had 10 or more kills in six of her last nine and is averaging 13.22 kills a match in this stretch. In addition, Burnett has 10 or more digs in six of her last nine matches and is averaging 13.33 digs a match. Finally, Burnett has tallied five double-doubles in her last nine outings.
Impact Made
A preseason all-WAC pick, senior middle blocker Shauna McQuaid (San Diego), who has led the WAC in hitting in six of the last 10 weeks and in blocking throughout the season, continues to appear in the NCAA statistics for the eighth straight week. Currently ranked No. 28 in blocks per game (1.44) in the latest NCAA statistics (Nov. 7), McQuaid has been ranked in the Top 30 in blocking for seven consecutive weeks while making one appearance in hitting (No. 37, .385). McQuaid leads the Bulldogs in seven categories: kills (288), kills per game (3.89), hitting (.294), block solos (20), block assists (87), total blocks (107) and blocks per game (1.45). With 958 career kills, she is 42 shy of being the ninth Bulldog to post 1,000 career kills. McQuaid would be the second middle to accomplish that feat (Suzie Regul, 1989-92, 1,257). Having played in 83 matches and 286 games, McQuaid ranks in six all-time Top 10 school records.
Arena Shines
Not too many freshmen get the starting nod at setter, but rookie Whitney Arena (West Linn, Ore.) has quarterbacked the Bulldogs in 22 straight and is averaging nearly 12 assists per game (11.83). Ranked among the WAC's top 10 this season, Arena has dished out 899 assists out of the team's 1,130. Arena has been consistent in conference play as well with a 12.71 assist per game average in 13 WAC matches. She has dished out 534 assists out of the team's 648 in league play. In her last nine outings, Arena is averaging 12.97 assists per game (389 in 30 games). Named MVP of the Fresno State Invitational in which the Bulldogs went 4-0, the Oregonian had a career-high 69 assists against San Jose State on Oct. 27 after collecting 59 versus the Spartans the week before. With double-figure digs in three matches and having notched a block in every match but five (17 of 22), Arena has recorded 40 or more assists 11 times, 50 or more assists six times and 60 or more assists thrice.
