Colorado State University Athletics
Next In Rams? Volleyball ? vs. Purdue (NCAA Tournament)
11/30/2004 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Thurs., Dec. 2 #2 Hawai?i (28-0) vs Colorado (14-13) 5:00 p.m.
Moby Arena (7,845) ? Fort Collins, CO ? Webcast: hawaiiathletics.com. Scott Robbs -
Play-by-Play. TV: TBA.
#9 Colorado State (25-3) vs Purdue (16-14) 7:00 p.m.
Moby Arena (7,845) ? Fort Collins, CO ? Webcast: csurams.com -- Click on Yahoo! icon
on volleyball page. Radio: KCSU 90.5 FM. Chris Dittmer - Play-by-Play. Travis
Huntington - Color Commentator.
Fri., Dec. 3 Winners of First Two Matches 7:00 p.m.
Series History: Purdue
This will be just the second meeting between Colorado State and Purdue with the Rams winning the first meeting in five-games back in 1987.
Series History: Colorado
The Rams and Buffs have played 29 times, with CSU holding the 18-11 advantage, including an 11-4 mark in Fort Collins. Earlier this season, the Rams swept CU in Boulder.
Series History: Hawai?I
Colorado State has never defeated Hawai?i, posting a 0-6 record. Two of the three meetings in Fort Collins have gone five games and the last match between the two was in the 1997 WAC Tournament in Las Vegas.
Getting To Host: For the fourth time in six seasons, the Colorado State volleyball team will host the First and Second Rounds of the NCAA Tournament in Moby Arena. The Rams will face Purdue (16-14) in the First Round, while Colorado (14-13) and Hawai?i (28-0) will square off in the other First Round match on Thursday evening.
NCAA History: This is the 10th straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament for Colorado State and the 16th overall. The Rams are 15-15 in NCAA Tournament play, and have advanced to the Regional Semifinals four of the last five seasons. This will be the first time the Rams and Purdue have met in the postseason and only the second time the Rams have faced a team from the Big Ten (Penn State, Regional Semifinals 2000).
Senior Night: In the last regular season match of the year for Colorado State, the Rams celebrated their five seniors prior to the match and then defeated Idaho in three-games, 30-20, 30-19, 30-19 to improve to 26-3 on the year. Junior outside hitter Tess Rogers led the Rams with 17 kills, while senior middle blocker Katie Jo Shirley-Cahoon blistered 14 and senior outside hitter Becky Sarauer added 10. Cahoon also hit .684 for the match and led the team with five blocks. She and senior defensive specialist Kimi Foytich each had an ace and sophomore libero Kristen Karlik led the match with 11 digs. Colorado State hit .393 on the evening, while holding Idaho to .082.
Tournament Recap: The Rams won their second straight Mountain West Conference Tournament after defeating Utah in three-games (30-18, 30-16, 30-18) in the championship match. The Rams defeated seventh-seeded New Mexico (30-21, 30-16, 30-20) in the first round before defeating BYU in four games in the semifinals (19-30, 30-22, 30-17, 30-25). Tess Rogers led the Rams with 35 kills (3.89 per game) during the championship, while senior setter Melissa Courtney hit a team best .654 (17-0-26) and averaged 13.30 assists. Katie Jo Shirley-Cahoon led the Rams with five aces (0.50) and 13 blocks (1.30), while junior right-side hitter Dre Downs was right behind her with 12 stops (1.20). Kristen Karlik led the Rams with 37 digs (3.70) as the Rams hit .309 over the three matches, with 17.10 kills, 1.60 aces, 15.50 digs and 2.90 blocks per game.
Build Another Shelf: Melissa Courtney has won so many award in the last few weeks, she?s going to have to add another shelf in her trophy room. She was named the Sports Import/AVCA Division I National Player of the Week for November 22, the MVP and Setter of the Mountain West Conference Tournament and the MVP and Setter of the Year in the Mountain West.
Facing The Field: Colorado State is 6-3 this season against teams in the NCAA Tournament. The Rams have faced top-seeded Nebraska (0-1), fourth-seeded Minnesota (0-1), Colorado (1-0), Georgia Tech (1-0), Idaho (1-0), Ohio (1-0) and Utah (2-1) during the regular season.
Another Record Falls: Colorado State became the first team in the Mountain West Conference to win the tournament when hosting. No other team had ever been the host institution and won the tournament title before the Rams.
Trifecta: Melissa Courtney needs just three more aces to break the school record. She currently has 136 aces, which is second on the career charts. The record of 138 is held by Angela Knopf (1998-2001).
One of Only Four: Melissa Courtney earned just the fourth National Player of the Week in school history after leading the Rams to their second straight MWC Tournament title. Courtney notched 17 kills (1.70 per game) on 26 attempts with zero errors for a .654 hitting percentage. She averaged 13.30 assists, 0.30 aces, 2.20 digs and 0.30 blocks for the three matches and the team hit .309 over the weekend. She?s the first Ram to be honored since Allison Peckham in 2001.
All-Tournament: Katie Jo Shirley-Cahoon, Dre Downs, Bri Frech and Melissa Courtney were all named to the Mountain West All-Tournament team. Courtney was named the Setter and MVP of the tournament, while Frech earned her second-straight all-tournament award. Cahoon and Downs were both named to the All-Tournament team for the first time in their career.
1000 Cubed: For just the second time in school history and the first time since 1997, three players have eclipsed the 1,000 kill barrier in the same season. Tess Rogers broke the barrier against Air Force on Oct. 23 and now has 1,163. Katie Jo Shirley-Cahoon notched her 1,000th kill against BYU on Nov. 12 and has 1,058, while Becky Sarauer tallied her 1,000th kill against Utah on Nov. 13 and stands at 1,049.
All-Conference Honors: Melissa Courtney was named the Mountain West Player of the Year for the second straight season and was named the Setter of the Year for the third time. Dre Downs, Bri Frech, Tess Rogers and Katie Jo Shirley-Cahoon were also named to the All-Conference team. This is the third honor for Rogers and Cahoon, while Downs and Frech earn their first awards.
Ticket Information: All-Session reserved tickets for the First and Second Round of the NCAA Tournament in Moby Arena are $14, while general admission adult tickets are $12 and youth/student tickets are $6 for all-sessions. Single-day tickets are $10 for reserved, $8 for adult general admission and $5 for youth/student, but will not be available until the day of the match(es). For more information, please contact the CSU ticket office at 970-491-RAMS.
On The Hit List: Colorado State has now been ranked in the top 10 the last 11 weeks as the Rams held steady in the USA Today/CSTV Coaches? Top 25 poll at number nine. The Rams have been ranked ninth for 10 weeks since 1982 and have been ranked 173 weeks out of 315 possible weeks.
The Winning Ways: Since the beginning of 2000, the Colorado State program has won 139 matches, which is tied for the fifth most among Division I programs. Hawai?i has won 158 matches, while Florida (154), Nebraska (151) and Northern Iowa (144) rank ahead of the Rams. CSU is tied with USC with 139 wins in the last four-plus seasons.
Home Sweet Home: For the eighth straight season, Colorado State won at least 10 matches at home, posting a 16-2 record in matches in Moby Arena. Since Hilbert arrived at Colorado State in 1997, the Rams have tallied a 114-13 (.898) record at home and the Rams are 232-64 all-time since 1986 in the arena.
Conference vs Conference: Purdue is in the Big Ten Conference. This year, the Rams are 0-1 against the Big Ten, falling in the opening match of the season to Minnesota. The Mountain West Conference teams are 0-3 against the Big Ten this season and are 6-10 since the inception of the MWC in 1999 and the two leagues are 1-1 against each other in the NCAA Tournament.
A Tell-Tale Sign: Colorado State is a perfect 15-0 this season when hitting at least .300 in the match. The Rams have hit .300 or better in three of the last four matches and have topped .400 in four matches this season. Since Tom Hilbert became head coach at Colorado State, the Rams are 116-1 when hitting at least .300, with the lone loss coming against Penn State in the NCAA Regional Semifinal in 2000. (2004 - 15-0; 2003 - 12-0; 2002 - 8-0; 2001 - 21-0; 2000 - 21-1; 1999 - 19-0; 1998 - 9-0; 1997 - 19-0).
Made To Be Broken: Melissa Courtney tallied 642 assists during Mountain West Conference play this season for an average of 13.66 per game, which breaks the conference single-season record. She breaks her own record of 13.59 per game from the 2002 season. Her 642 assists also ranks fourth in MWC history for league matches, behind her record of 693 from 2002 and the 2002 and 2004 totals by Wyoming senior setter Amy Doman. Bri Frech also tallied 28 aces in Mountain West play this season, which ties the senior record held by Angela Knopf from 2001, and ties for fifth all-time in league history.
All-Around: Melissa Courtney will be remembered as one of the best setters in school history, as she currently ranks fourth in assists and is the two-time Mountain West Player of the Year, but Courtney does much more than set the ball. She ranks second in kills all-time at Colorado State among setters (Analisa Saylor), is third in digs and ranks fourth in blocks. She also is the top serving setter in school history and is just three away from owning the school record.
Opposing The Ranks: Colorado State is now 5-3 this season against teams ranked in the top 25. The Rams have beaten Utah twice, Georgia Tech, Ohio and Pepperdine, and have lost to Utah, Minnesota and Nebraska. Colorado State is 58-129 all-time against ranked teams, while the Rams are 29-28 since the arrival of Hilbert.
Effective: Only two players in school history have hit above .350 for their careers (minimum 500 kills) and Katie Jo Shirley-Cahoon is one of them. The senior is hitting at a .389 clip for her career (1058-263-2044), which is second behind Angela Knopf. Cahoon?s .389 efficiency also ranks her 12th in NCAA Division I history.
Offensively Minded: In all but two matches this year (Minnesota, Nebraska) the Rams have totaled more kills than the opponent. The Rams are averaging 17.26 kills per game, compared to 12.65 for opponents.
Ms. Rogers Neighborhood: Jill Johnson (1987-90) holds the school record for most kills after three seasons with the Rams with 1,259, while Angie Knox (1984-87) is second with 1,229. Tess Rogers currently ranks third on that list with 1,163 kills, which ranks 12th all-time.
Well Rounded: Colorado State boasts better per game numbers in every category than its opponents this season -- kills, assists, aces, digs and blocks. The Rams are also hitting .132 points better than the opposition.
Two-Year Sensation: Bri Frech will be remembered as one of the best blocking players in school history. The senior has 271 blocks in her time with the Rams, which ranks second among Colorado State two-year players. The only other two-year player with more blocks is Angie Miller (1988-89) with 377 blocks, which ranks ninth all-time in the record books.
Magical #20: 2004 marks the 10th straight season the Colorado State volleyball team has won at least 20 matches in a year. This is also the 16th time in the school?s 27-year history the Rams have won 20 or more matches. The CSU record for wins in a season is 32 by the 2000 team and three times in school history (1999, 2000, 2003) the Rams have eclipsed the 30-win plateau.
Rams On The Air: Every match this season will be broadcast on the internet on Yahoo! sports. The play-by-play duties are being handled by Chris Dittmer, while Travis Huntington does the color commentary. Tyler Krause also helps out. All matches in the NCAA Tournament can also be heard on KCSU, 90.5 FM.
News & Numbers: Colorado State has hit .300 or better in its last nine games, dating back to game two against BYU in the semifinals of the Mountain West Tournament. The Rams have also held their last two opponents below .100 in hitting percentage.
Service With A Smile: After recording more service errors than aces in the first 19 matches of the year, the Rams have had either an equal amount or more aces than errors in six of the last 10 matches, including five of those matches having twice as many aces as errors. For just the third time this season and the second match in a row, an opponent recorded no aces on the Rams, as Utah and Idaho had zero aces.
Dominance: During Mountain West Conference play, the Rams averaged 5.40 more kills per game than their opponents. CSU led the league with 17.38 kills per game, while its opponents averaged just 11.98 kills per game. CSU also hit over .140 points better than its conference opposition. The Rams hit .286 and limited opponents to .145 -- a difference of .141.
A Lot Of Action: Three players on the roster have seen action in all 98 games this season. Bri Frech, Melissa Courtney and Kristen Karlik have been on the floor during every game, but none of the three have played every point of every game. That trio, along with Katie Jo Shirley-Cahoon have played in all 29 matches for the Rams, while Dre Downs, Katherine Whitney and Tess Rogers have played in 28 of the 29.
Best In The Mountain West: The Rams lead the Mountain West in hitting percentage (.282), assists per game (15.93) and kills per game (17.26). Individually, Melissa Courtney leads in assists at 13.68, Katie Jo Shirley-Cahoon leads in hitting percentage (.397) and Tess Rogers leads in kills per game (3.95), while Bri Frech ranks second in aces (0.41).
Tough Defense: Colorado State has held 10 opponents this season, including three of the last four, to a hitting percentage of .100 or below. Since Tom Hilbert joined Colorado State in 1997, the Rams have held 83 opponents (of 264 -- 31.4%) to .100 or lower, including 18 to .000 or below. No opponent has hit .300 against the Rams this season and only one, Minnesota, has hit above .250.
Early Starts: Colorado State has won its last 63 matches when winning the first two games of a match. The Rams are 139-1 since the beginning of the 1999 season, losing only in the Mountain West Championship to Utah in 2001. In 2004, the Rams are 22-0 when winning the first two games, while in 2003 they were 23-0, 17-0 in 2002, 25-1 in 2001, 28-0 in 2000 and 24-0 in 1999.
Among The Best: In the most recent NCAA Statistics (through 11/21), Melissa Courtney ranks 13th in assists per game, averaging 13.60 and Katie Jo Shirley-Cahoon ranks 22nd in hitting percentage at .387. The Rams rank eighth in assists per game (15.82), 11th in kills per game (17.15) and winning percentage (.893), 18th in hitting percentage (.278) and 19th in blocks per game (3.04).
Wearing Their Hearts On Their Sleeves: This season, the Colorado State volleyball team is wearing an emblem on all of their game attire and practice gear. Assistant coach Andy Klussmann was injured in a car accident in June that took the life of his wife, Janna. The emblem on the jerseys this year is a memorial for Janna as well as support for Andy?s full recovery. The team is dedicating this season to the Klussmanns and the heart is just one way the team is showing their feelings and well wishes for their coach.
Scouting The Opposition: Purdue
The Boilermakers received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament after tying for sixth in the Big Ten with a record of 16-14 overall and 9-11 in conference play.
Both Purdue and Colorado State have played Georgia Tech and Minnesota this season. The Rams are 1-1, while Purdue is 1-2 in those matches.
Purdue is led by Kim McConaha with 4.05 kills and 1.17 blocks per game, while Elizabeth Jacques is hitting a team-best .310, with McConaha right behind her at .309. Setter Renata Dargan leads the team with 13.38 assists per game, while libero Daren Poe is at 3.95 digs per contest. Brittany Dildine leads the team with 0.33 aces per game as a defensive specialist for the Boilermakers.
Purdue is hitting .256 on the year, with 16.85 kills, 15.57 assists, 1.20 aces, 16.41 digs and 2.28 blocks per game. Opponents are hitting .243 with 16.05 kills, 14.76 assists, 0.96 aces, 16.29 digs and 2.35 blocks per game.
Dave Shondell is in his second season with Purdue and sports a career record of 30-31 after spending 13 years as the head coach at Muncie Central HS.
On The Other Side: Colorado vs Hawai?i
Colorado and Hawai?i will play in the other side of the bracket. The Buffs are 14-13 and finished tied for sixth in the Big XII, while Hawai?i is 28-0 and ranked second in the AVCA Coaches Poll this week.
CU is led by Allie Griffin with 4.27 kills per game, while Austin Zimmerman is hitting a team-best .297. Nicole Carr leads with 2.58 digs, Lara Bossow leads with 1.04 blocks per game and Griffin leads with 0.19 aces per game.
Hawai?i is led by Alicia Arnott with 4.14 kills per game, while Victoria Prince is hitting .421 with 1.62 blocks and 0.34 aces to lead the team. Libero Ashley Watanabe leads with 4.22 digs per game.
Colorado is coached by Pi?i Aiu in his eighth season with a record of 148-89, while Hawai?i head coach Dave Shoji is in his 29th season with an overall record of 868-149.
