First half of Pac-12 volleyball league play wraps up this week

SAN FRANCISCO - Pac-12 teams will try to gain ground on No. 2 STANFORD, which stands atop the league standings with an 8-0 record, as the first half of league play comes to a close. No. 14 USC is behind the Cardinal in second place just one match ahead of No. 16 OREGON, No. 20 UCLA and No. 19 WASHINGTON. Each of them will try to catch up to each other with key matchups scheduled this week. Seven league teams in total are ranked this week in the AVCA Coaches poll.

WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEK
• USC and Washington go head-to-head to kick off the week’s action in Seattle on Wednesday on Pac-12 Networks. The Trojans and the Huskies have accounted for 10 Pac-12 titles (five each) since 2000, and this week, USC is ahead of UW by a match in second and third place, respectively. The Huskies then host UCLA on Friday, which go into the week tied with UW.
• Also looking to get out of the tangle in third place is Oregon, which hosts the Cardinal on Sunday on ESPN2. While Stanford boasts a 14-match winning streak heading into Friday’s match against OREGON STATE, the Ducks are a dangerous team, posting a signature win earlier this year over then-No. 1 Minnesota.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE (All Times Local to Site)

* Pac-12 Conference Match

IN THE RANKINGS
• Stanford remains at No. 2, occupying one of the top-two spots in the AVCA Coaches Poll every week but one this season. The Cardinal headline seven teams ranked in the polling this week, including No. 14 USC, No. 16 Oreg, No. 19 Washington, No. 20 UCLA, No. 23 WASHINGTON STATE and No. 25 ARIZONA. ARIZONA STATE and COLORADO are receiving votes.
• 11 different teams have earned a top-25 ranking or have received votes this season with nine teams appearing in the ranking on Sept. 24. At least seven Pac-12 teams have been ranked every week, including the preseason.
• Nine Pac-12 team have RPI in the top 50, Stanford boasting the No. 1 RPI in the country. The Pac-12 has two teams in the top five RPI, with USC coming in at No. 4. All but one league team has a RPI in the top 90.

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 leading the nation in blocks per set (3.18) while ranking second in assists per set (14.39), hitting percentage (.316) and kills per set (15.33).
• The Pac-12 boasts some of the best setters in the nation, with four student-athletes ranked in the top-20 in assists per set. Stanford’s Jenna Gray leads the country with 12.79 aps and Oregon’s August Raskie ranks fourth at 12.12 aps. USC’s Raquel Lazaro is one of just two freshmen ranked in the top 20 in the category, standing at 18th with 11.32 aps. Arizona’s Julia Patterson ranks 21st with an assists average of 11.25.
• CALIFORNIA defeated its second ranked opponent in three tries, taking down then-No. 24 Utah on Oct. 7 and then-No. 21 Washington State on Oct. 14, marking the first time Cal has taken down two ranked conference opponents in the same season since 2016.
• 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. It was ASU’s first win over Washington since Nov. 21, 2012 and the first sweep of the Huskies since Sept. 22, 2000.
• Stanford’s Kathryn Plummer was voted the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week for the third time this season. Teammate Morgan Hentz was honored as the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week for the third-consecutive week and fifth time this season. USC’s Raquel Lázaro is the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week for the fourth time.
• Seven current Pac-12 student-athletes have collected over 1,000-career kills. USC Khalia Lanier leads all active players in the Conference with 1,313, ranking 21st among active NCAA volleyball players. It also puts her in the top 85 in league history. Stanford’s Kathryn Plummer and Arizona’s Kendra Dahlke are also ranked in the top 30 among active players in the NCAA, both tallying over 1,200 career kills.
• COLORADO’s Naghede Abu and WASHINGTON STATE’s Claire Martin became the 26th players in Pac-12 history to record 500-career blocks. The duo rank ninth and 10th, respectively, among active NCAA leaders in the category.
• Six current players have recorded a a minimum 1,000 career digs, led by OSU’s Kayla Ellis who broke into the Pac-12’s top 50 with over 1,300, ranking 42nd all-time. Oregon’s Lindsey Vander Weide became the first player this season to reach the threshold.
• Arizona’s Dave Rubio joined 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.
• 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: Kathryn Plummer, STAN
Defensive: Morgan Hentz, STAN
Freshman: Raquel Lázaro, USC

ALSO NOMINATED THIS WEEK:
Offensive: Naghede Abu, COLO; August Raskie, ORE; Haylie Bennett, OSU; Mac May, UCLA; Brooke Botkin, USC; Dani Drews, UTAH. 
Defensive: Lauren Forte, CAL; Naghede Abu, COLO; Camryn Tastad, ORE; Grace Massey, OSU; Zana Muno, UCLA; Victoria Garrick, USC; Brianna Doehrmann, UTAH.
Freshman: Jenna Ewert, COLO; Camryn Tastad, ORE; 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
Oct. 9 - Taylor Borup, Oregon

ESPNW Player of the Year Watch: 
Kathryn Plummer keeps elevating
Khalia Lanier hitting and knitting her way to Stanford showdown
After rocky introduction, Ronika Stone is crushing it at Oregon

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