This week in Pac-12 volleyball

SAN FRANCISCO - With the appearance of ARIZONA STATE in the AVCA Coaches Poll this week, 11 different teams have earned a top-25 ranking or have received votes. The Sun Devils make their first appearance in the polling since Nov. 2015.

WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEK
• ASU boasts a 4-2 league record going into this week’s schedule, coming off victories over a pair of ranked league foes. Arizona State kicks off this week’s schedule traveling to No. 20 UCLA on Wednesday, Oct. 10 on Pac-12 Networks. The Bruins have won every meeting since 2015 and 12 of the last 14 meetings.
• Second-ranked STANFORD continues to dominate and remains the only undefeated team in Pac-12 play. Stanford puts its home undefeated streak on the line when No. 18 WASHINGTON and No. 21 WASHINGTON STATE visit Maples Pavilion. The Cardinal boast an active home winning streak of 25 in a row, best in the nation. Five teams are currently tied for second place with ASU, including the Huskies and Cougars.
• Also at 4-2 are No. 14 OREGON and No. 15 USC. The Trojans will try to stay ahead of the Sun Devils when they meet this week in Los Angeles, while the Ducks travel to UTAH and COLORADO.
• CALIFORNIA picked up its first Pac-12 win of the year, claiming a five-set upset over UTAH. Four of the Golden Bears’ six league matches have been five-setters with Cal finally being able to break through against the Utes.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE (All Times Local to Site)

* Pac-12 Conference Match

AVCA RANKINGS
• Eight teams are ranked in the AVCA Coaches poll, the most of any conference. Stanford ranks No. 2 for a fifth-straight week and received four first-place votes. No. 14 OREGON, No. 15 USC, No. 18 WASHINGTON and No. 20 UCLA all made the top 20 this week. Rounding out the league’s top-25 teams are No. 21 WASHINGTON STATE, No. 23 ARIZONA and No. 25 ARIZONA STATE, who makes its first appearance in the poll since Nov. 16, 2015. COLORADO and UTAH are receiving votes.
• As many as nine Pac-12 teams were ranked this season, that coming in the Sept. 24 poll, and has had at least seven teams ranked every week this season (including the preseason).
• Arizona and Arizona State are the only ranked teams that had less than a .500 record last season. Both teams have already surpassed their 2017 win total.

WHAT’S TRENDING
• Stanford’s No. 2 national ranking can easily be justified by looking at the team’s statistical numbers. It has found success with a balanced offensive attack and a staunch defense as the Cardinal ranks second in the country in hitting percentage (.310) , assists per set (14.35) and kills per set (15.29) while also ranking second in blocks per set with 3.13.
• The Pac-12 boasts some of the best setters in the nation, with four student-athletes ranked in the top-20 for assists per set. Stanford’s Jenna Gray leads the way at second with 12.78 aps, August Raskie of Oregon ranks fourth at 12.3 aps and Arizona’s Julia Patterson lands at 14th with 11.35. USC’s three-time Pac-12 Freshman of the week is only one of two freshman ranked in the top-20 in this category, standing at 17th in the country with 11.25 aps.
• ARIZONA STATE broke a lengthy losing streak, picking up its first Pac-12 win since 2016 and the first under head coach Sanja Tomasevic on Sept. 23 over then-No. 12 Oregon. The win over the Ducks was the first over a ranked team since 2016 and was also the first sweep of UO since 2005. They notched a second sweep over a top-15 opponent this season with a win over No. 15 Washington, the most wins over a ranked opponent for the Sun Devils since 2015. This was ASU’s first win over Washington since Nov. 21, 2012 and the first sweep of the Huskies since Sept. 22, 2000.
• Washington State’s McKenna Woodford joined the 1,000-kills club this weekend, joining teammate Taylor Mims, becoming the seventh active Pac-12 player with 1,000 career kills. Woodford also passed her head coach Jen Greeny, who also recorded her 1,000th kill in her home state of Arizona in 1998. Colorado’s Alexa Smith reached the plateau earlier this season, just the second Colorado native to accomplish the feat. Stanford’s Kathryn Plummer, Arizona’s Kendra Dahlke, USC’s Khalia Lanier and Oregon’s Lindsey Vander Weide have reached the milestone this season. A total of 179 players in Pac-12 history have reached the 1,000-kill plateau.
• Oregon notched two weekly nods for the second time this season, junior Taylor Borup earning her first-career Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week, while Brooke Nuneviller earns her second Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honor. The duo led UO to a pair of top-20 wins over the Los Angeles schools.
• Stanford’s Morgan Hentz continues to rack up the accolades, earning her second-straight and fourth Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week nod this season to add to her five career weekly honors. She helped the Cardinal improve to 6-0 in league play with wins over Colorado and Utah last week.
• Arizona’s Dave Rubio joined an elite company after claiming his 500th victory while at Tucson on Sept. 14. In his 27th season at the Wildcat helm, he is only the second head coach in Pac-12 history to reach the milestone.
• Washington State’s Claire Martin looks to become just the 25th player in Pac-12 history to record 500 career blocks as she enters the week at 496. Only four other active players in the league have recorded 400 or more career blocks.
• Six current players have recorded a a minimum 1,000 career digs, led by OSU’s Kayla Ellis who is on the verge of breaking into the Pac-12’s top 50 with over 1,300. Oregon’s Lindsey Vander Weide became the first player this season to reach the threshold.
• Pac-12 teams opened the season in dominant fashion, going 25-5 (.833) in the first weekend of play. League teams have posted a 385-91 (.809) record in the opening week of play dating back to 2002.

2018-19 IN A NUTSHELL
• Stanford returns as the defending Pac-12 Champion, also advancing to the NCAA semifinal. The Cardinal were also picked to win the 2018 league crown, followed by USC in second and Oregon in third. For a complete listing of the poll, click on the link below.
• Seven AVCA All-Americans return from last year, including 2017 AVCA National Player of the Year and Pac-12 Player of the Year Kathryn Plummer. Four of the seven are first team honorees and all are juniors, including USC’s Lanier, and Cardinal teammates Morgan Hentz and Jenna Gray. Plummer became the first player to win the national player of the year honor a year after garnering the AVCA National Freshman of the Year award.
• Nine of the 14 players named to the 2017 All-Pac-12 team return for 2018, including Stanford’s Morgan Hentz, the Pac-12 Libero of the Year last year, and Jenna Gray, the 2017 Pac-12 Setter of the Year.
• The Pac-12 welcomes new coaches to the sidelines, including California mentor Jennifer Dorr and USC’s Brent Crouch. Dorr has been with the Golden Bears program since 2009 when she joined the squad as the director of operations before moving to the role of assistant coach in 2011. Crouch was named the 2016 West Coast Conference Coach of the Year while with Portland.
• Pac-12 volleyball continues to attract marquee student-athletes. Five Pac-12 teams landed at least one Volleyball Magazine FAB 50 recruit with Oregon and UCLA pacing the league with four each. Thirteen named to the list will be donning a Pac-12 uniform this season.

PAC-12 VOLLEYBALL BROADCASTS
• In 2018, 91 Pac-12 regular-season volleyball matches will be televised this season, by far the most of any conference in the nation. Of those, 88 appear on the Pac-12 Networks beginning with the Pac-12/Big Ten Challenge Friday, Aug. 31 doubleheader featuring Colorado and Washington taking on Illinois and Iowa.
• ESPN will also televise three Pac-12 matches, including the UCLA-USC rivalry matchup on Wednesday, Sept. 19 on ESPNU. ESPN2 will be the home of two Pac-12 matches: USC at STANFORD on Friday, Sept. 28 and Stanford at OREGON on Sunday, Oct. 21.
• For a full television schedule, visit pac-12.com.

STANDINGS

PAC-12 VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

THIS WEEK:
Offensive: Taylor Borup, ORE
Defensive: Morgan Hentz, STAN
Freshman: Brooke Nuneviller, ORE 

ALSO NOMINATED THIS WEEK:
Offensive: Megan Beedie, ASU; Alexa Smith, COLO; Audriana Fitzmorris, STAN; Mac May, UCLA; McKenna Woodford, WSU.
Defensive: Courtney Leffel, ASU; Alexa Smith, COLO; Lauren Page, ORE; Zana Muno, UCLA; Kennedi Evans, UTAH; Ella Lajos, WSU.
Freshman: Jenna Ewert, COLO; Holly Campbell, STAN; Alexis Light, UCLA; Kennedi Evans, UTAH.

2018 PAC-12 VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

NATIONAL HONORS

AVCA National Player of the Week:
Sep. 11 - Kathryn Plummer, Stanford

ESPNW Player of the Year Watch: 
Kathryn Plummer keeps elevating
Khalia Lanier hitting and knitting her way to Stanford showdown

Senior CLASS Award Nominees: 
Alexa Smith, COLO
Tami Alade, STAN

IN THE PRESEASON

Pac-12 Preseason Coaches Poll & All-Pac-12 Team | AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll