Rice University Athletics
Volleyball: Game Notes #8
10/16/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 17/20&21, 2000
Rice (14-7, 3-4) at Southwest Texas St. (19-3)
The Owls will travel to San Marcos to face the Bobcats in a non-conference matchup on Tuesday, October 17 at 7 p.m.
vs. Nevada (7-10, 4-3)
Rice looks to even this year's series with the Wolf Pack when they return home to Autry Court on Friday, October 20 at 7 p.m.
vs. Hawaii (15-0, 5-0)
Nationally ranked and WAC leader Hawaii visits Houston on Saturday, October 21 at 7 p.m.
Rice's Probable Starting Lineup (2000 per game averages)
RICE OWLS 2000 RECORD (14-7, 3-4)
S 6 Nil Kalagoglu (kah-lah-OW-loo) 5-8, Jr.-2L, Istanbul, Turkey 12.2a, 2.9d
OH 3 Klara Zelinka (zuh-LINK-uh) 6-0, Sr.-3L, Houston 2.6k, 2.9d
DS 5 Michelle Craven 5-7, Jr. 2-L, Fort Worth 2.0d
OH 11 Leigh Leman (le-MAHN) 5-9, Jr.-2L, Magnolia 3.9k, 4.1d
MB 9 Elizabeth Davenport Pollock 6-0, So.-1L, Bethesda, Md. 1.7k, 1.4b
OH 12 Karolina Zelinka (zuh-LINK-uh) 6-0, Sr.-3L, Houston 4.3k, 3.9d
RICE BENCH
OH 1 Remi Aderohunmu (ah-DARE-uh-moo)5-10,Sr.-3L, Irving
OH 2 Rhonda Sigman 5-8, Fr.-HS, Spring, Texas
MB 4 Briana Cook (BRI-an-uh) 6-1, So.-1L, Houston 1.9k, 1.4b
OH 7 Alison Broadfoot 6-0, Jr.-2L, Clear Lake 0.5k, 0.5d
S 8 Mariel Davenport Pollock 6-0, So.-1L, Bethesda, Md. 2.5a, 0.5d
OH 10 Rebekah Neal 5-9, Fr.-HS, Paramount, Calif. 0.7k, 1.1d
OH 13 Allison Donohue 5-9, Fr.-HS, Los Gatos, Calif.
MB 14 Courtney Smith 6-0, Jr.-2L, San Diego, Calif. 1.3d, 0.5b
Rice Coach Julio Morales
Morales (Puerto Rico, 1974; M.Ed., Houston, 1975; Ph.D., Maryland, 1991) is currently in his fifth year as head coach of the Owls... He is 127-90 overall in his 10+ years as a head coach... He has compiled a 71-83 overall record in his years at the helm for the Owls... An internationally recognized coach, Morales has guided both mens and womens squads at the college and international level... As the head coach of the womens team at the University of Puerto Rico, Morales guided his alma mater to a 56-7 record over six seasons (1975-81)... Along with his 88.9 winning percentage, he led his womens teams to four University Athletic League Championships... Morales also served a pair of stints as the head coach for the Gamecocks mens team, 1986-87 and 1992-95... As the mens coach, he tallied a 58-20 mark with a championship and four runner-up finishes... He is assisted by Jose Santiago (Puerto Rico, 1993; M.A., Indiana State, 1998), who is in his fifth year with the Owls, and Tiffany Carrethers (Rice University, 1998), who is in her first year with the Owls after spending the past year and a half with the United States Professional Volleyball League.
Rice Versus The Field
The Owls have faced Southwest Texas State 24 times, and lead the series 16-8. The last meeting between these two squads was in 1999 when Rice opened the season with a 3-1 loss to the Bobcats. After a loss to Nevada in three straight sets earlier this season, the Owls and Wolf Pack series is tied at one game apiece. In the six matches Rice has faced Hawaii, the Owls have never beaten the Wahine.
A Look Back
The Owls finished their home stand last Tuesday night with a 3-0 win over Texas-San Antonio. Leading Rice in the 16-14, 15-10, 15-4 victory was junior outside hitter Leigh Leman who recorded her fifth straight double double against the Roadrunners with 17 kills and 22 digs. Karolina and Klara Zelinka both had outstanding showings for the Owls. Karolina knocked down 16 kills on 62 attempts and nine errors, while Klara hit .188 for the Blue and Grey. The Owls returned to conference play Friday night in Dallas against SMU. Friday the 13th was an unlucky day for Rice as the Owls fell to the Mustangs 6-15, 8-15, 16-18. Karolina Zelinka led the Owls with 17 kills and 12 digs for her 13th double-double of the season. Leman knocked down 15 kills and added nine digs. SMU gained their first conference win of the season against Rice. Saturday night in Fort Worth was much of the same story for the Owls. Against TCU, the Owls found themselves playing to a fifth game for the sixth time this season, losing 12-15, 15-7, 17-19, 15-12, 12-15. Karolina Zelinka led the Owls with a career high 33 kills and added 20 digs, recording her 14th double-double this season. Freshman Rebekah Neal saw significant playing time, and posted her first double-double with a career high 16 kills and 10 digs. Klara Zelinka posted her sixth double-double for the year with 14 kills and a match-high 24 digs. Nil Kalagoglu put up 70 assists and contributed 15 digs.
Record Numbers
Senior Karolina Zelinka has found her way into the top three in digs, ranking third all-time at Rice with 1,050. She needs just 81 to break the all-time record of 1,130 held by Diana Kuhlman (1986-89). Zelinka has also moved into fourth all-time with 1,353 kills, and needs only five to pass current Owls assistant coach Tiffany Carrethers, and crack the top three. Klara Zelinka continues to play her way into the record books, and comes in 8th all-time in digs with 936, three behind Carrethers. Klara has also cracked the top 10 in kills with 869. She remains in 6th with 253 block assists, and stays put at 7th with 272 total blocks. Junior Leigh Leman moves up from last week's #10 spot, to 9th all-time in digs with 893. Sophomore Briana Cook ranks 8th in block assists and total blocks, with 203 and 236 respectively. She also holds the 9th spot with 33 solo blocks. Setter Nil Kalagoglu remains in third with 3,444 assists.
Opponent Outlook
Southwest Texas State is having a great season with a 19-3 overall mark, 11-0 in Southland Conference play. The Bobcats are led by senior middle blocker Shenequa Bedford, who has tallied 265 kills (3.68 kpg) so far this season. Bedford has also hit the court for 175 digs (2.43 dpg). Sophomore outside hitter Tiffany Weidner has also stepped up for SWT, knocking down 224 kills and adding 259 digs. The Bobcats are coming off wins against Nicholls State (15-6, 15-6, 15-6) and Southeastern Louisiana (15-11, 15-7, 15-9). Senior middle blocker Laura Ivy was last week's Southland Conference offensive player of the week after posting a .643 hitting percentage. The 'Cats are coached by Karen Chisum who is in her 21st year at SWT. She owns a career record of 499-318-3.
The Nevada Wolf Pack sit at 7-10 overall, 4-3 in WAC play, good for fourth place. UNR is coming off a defeat of Tulsa, 15-1, 15-12, 16-14 and a loss to nationally ranked Hawaii, 2-15, 15-10, 15-6, 15-5. Nevada is the first WAC squad this season to win a game against the Rainbow Wahine. The Pack is led by junior outside hitter Suzanne Stonebarger, who leads the team in kills with 212 (3.31 kpg) and digs, with 254 (3.97 dpg). Stonebarger is backed up by sophomore middle blocker Michelle More, who has tallied 210 kills this season. Devin Scruggs is in her third year at the helm of the Wolf Pack. She owns a 51-37 career record, all at Nevada.
Nationally ranked Hawaii enters this match at 15-0, 5-0 in WAC play. The Ranibow Wahine recorded their 28th straight regular season win over a WAC opponent when they defeated Nevada last week, 3-1. #2 Hawaii is led by sophomore Lily Kahumoku, who has knocked down 235 kills (4.70 kpg) and added 112 digs (2.24 dpg). Senior Jessica Sudduth has contributed nicely with 164 kills this season. The Wahine and the University of Nebraska are the only two undefeated teams in the nation. Head coach Dave Shoji is in his 26th season at UH and owns a 725-137-1 record.
Crafty Lineup
Rice head coach Julio Morales has been lucky this season. In 1999 he was forced to use 14 different starting lineups after the injury bug took its toll on the Owls. So far this year, his lineup of OH Klara Zelinka, DS Michelle Craven, S Nil Kalagoglu, MB Elizabeth Davenport Pollock, OH Leigh Leman and OH Karolina Zelinka has proved to be a solid combination. Coach Morales has only varied from that lineup once this season when Briana Cook made the start in the middle for the Owls at Sam Houston State.
Road Rules
The Owls haven't fared so well on the road this season. Rice is 2-4 when not at Autry Court, and the Owls haven't been able to muster up a road conference win after falling to Nevada, SMU and TCU on the road. The only road wins for the Owls this season were against non-conference opponents Sam Houston State and McNeese State. Rice's remaining conference road matches are at Tulsa, UTEP,
San Jose State, Fresno and Hawaii. In 1999 Rice was 4-9 on the road, 2-5 when playing conference opponents on their home courts.
Rice in the WAC
Despite their up-and-down start to the 2000 season, the Owls still lead the league in blocks with 256.5 total (3.25 per game) and digs with 1,403 (17.76 dpg). Individual leaders inlcude Karolina Zelinka who has tallied 34 service aces, and makes the top five in kills, placing fourth with 343 (4.34 kpg). Nil Kalagoglu clocks in at third with 30 service aces, and ranks fifth in the league in assists, with 960 (12.15 apg). Junior Leigh Leman leads the conference in digs with 309 (4.07 dpg) while Zelinka ranks third with 274 (3.47 dpg). Briana Cook and Elizabeth Davenport Pollock come in at second and third, respectively, in blocks. Bri has tallied 106 total (1.36 bpg) and Liz has 97 total (1.35 bpg).
Rice in the NCAA
Through October 8, 2000, Rice ranks fourth in the nation in blocks and Briana Cook ranks 15th in total blocks. This is the highest ranking Rice has received all year.
Meet the Owls
Fort Worth native Michelle Craven and Houston's own Briana Cook are this week's 'Meet the Owls' players. Michelle is an economics/managerial studies/Spanish/pre-med major whose favorite color is blue. The 5-7 junior loves her mom's homemade tortillas and says her favorite cartoon is "Pinky and the Brain." If there were one thing Michelle could bring to school from home, it would be her favorite volleyball blanket. There's nothing like having a little piece of home with you wherever you go. The person she admires most is her grandmother because of her strong-will, independence and big heart. She would donate a portion of $1 million dollars to charity and invest the rest for her kids future, if she had the opportunity. Michelle's most memorable sports moment was two years ago when the Owls beat Wyoming and nationally ranked Colorado State in the same week. Her post-Rice plans include medical school.
English and Political Science are the areas of expertise for 6-1 middle blocker Briana Cook. The Houston native enjoys food in general ("everything!") and notes that purple is her favorite color. Bri, as she is known by her teammates, says Winnie the Pooh is her favorite cartoon character. Within the sport of volleyball, the person she admires the most is Lloy Ball, the starting setter for the men's national team. Why? "He's awesome!" If Bri had a million dollars she would leave Texas and buy three houses - one in the mountains, one on the beach and a "normal" house. The one thing she would bring with her from home is her privacy. Her most memorable sports moment came in 1996 with her juniors team, the Lubbock Juniors, came in second in the Lone Star 16's tournament. Briana would like to attend law school after her playing days at Rice are through.
WAC Standings
Hawaii 5-0, 15-0
San Jose State 5-1, 14-5
TCU 4-2, 12-9
Nevada 4-3, 7-10
Fresno State 3-3, 10-10
RICE OWLS 3-4, 14-7
SMU 2-4, 11-7
UTEP 1-5, 9-9
Tulsa 1-6, 15-6
