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Zags Open 2008 Season At Montana Tournament
Aug. 26, 2008
Complete Weekly Release in PDF Format
Upcoming Matches:
TOP STORY: Gonzaga University women’s volleyball opens its 2008 campaign traveling to the first of four in-season tournaments this weekend. The Bulldogs will partake in the University of Montana Tournament for the second-straight season beginning Friday, Aug. 29. The Zags, who finished the 2007 season with a 17-13 overall record and a 5-9 mark in the West Coast Conference, will match-up against Bradley University and host Montana on Friday and then round out play against North Dakota State University and UC Riverside on Saturday.
BRADLEY BRAVES: This will only be the second meeting between Bradley University and Gonzaga University. The Braves, who finished the 2007 season with a 3-28 overall record and a 2-16 mark in the Missouri Valley Conference, were picked ninth in the MVC preseason poll. Bradley returns four starters and nine letterwinners from a season ago, including Katrina Goncher who averaged 2.21 kills and 0.94 blocks per game. Sean Burdette enters his first year at the helm of the Braves, assisted by Genoa Moxley and Savanah Parra. NORTH DAKOTA STATE BISON: This will be only the third meeting between North Dakota State University and Gonzaga University. The Bison won both prior matches against the Bulldogs, including a 3-2 victory in 2006. NDSU is coming off a 20-8 season in 2007, which included a 12-4 finish in The Summitt League. North Dakota State returns five starters, plus a libero from a season ago. The Bison are led by Brooke VandenBergh who averaged 3.27 kills and 1.32 digs per game last season. North Dakota State is coached by Erich Hinterstocker, in his third season at the helm. UC RIVERSIDE HIGHLANDERS: This will be the first meeting between UC Riverside and Gonzaga University. The Highlanders closed out the 2007 campaign with a 6-21 overall record and a 2-14 finish in the Big Sky Conference. UCR returns 12 letterwinners, including five starters, plus a libero. UC Riverside is coached by Sue Gozansky, in her 39th year at UCR. She holds a 672-496-16 overall record.
A LOOK AHEAD: Gonzaga University travels to the west side of the state to partake in the University of Washington Tournament, Sept. 4-5. The Bulldogs will play host Washington, along with Portland State University and Boise State University. University of Washington Tournament
HEAD COACH Kip Yoshimura: Kip Yoshimura enters his seventh year as Gonzaga University’s head coach. Yoshimura has compiled a 48-129 record during his first six years with the Bulldogs. A former assistant coach at Gonzaga during the 1992 season, Yoshimura has complied a 299-201 career record which includes nine seasons at Lewis-Clark State College where he guided the Warriors to nine-straight NAIA tournament appearances. A 1990 graduate of Long Beach State University, Yoshimura entered the coaching ranks as a student-assistant on Long Beach State’s 1989 NCAA National Championship team.
WHO IS BACK FOR THE BULLDOGS: The Gonzaga University women’s volleyball team welcomes back three starters from the 2007 squad that finished 17-13 overall and 5-9 in the West Coast Conference. Senior Elaina Renius, along with junior right side hitter Layne Brosky and junior outside hitter Michelle Boevers. RENIUS, who begins her third season as a starting middle blocker for the Bulldogs. She finished the 2007 campaign with 329 kills, a .297 hitting percentage, 48 digs and 102 total blocks. BROSKY is beginning her third season with Gonzaga, and her second-straight year as a starter. A left handed hitter, Brosky finished her sophomore season with 204 kills, a .185 hitting percentage, 47 digs and 55 total blocks. BOEVERS returned to the Zag lineup a season ago after missing 2006 with a knee injury. Boevers was fully healthy last year and provided Gonzaga with some extra offensive power. She tallied 307 kills, a .241 hitting percentage, 15 service aces, 98 digs and 51 total blocks. WHO WE LOST: Gonzaga University women’s volleyball squad lost four strong seniors starters from the 2007 squad. The Bulldogs graduated All-WCC honorable mention’s Heather Dunn, a setter, Briawna Mueller, a middle blocker, and Becky Jones, a outside hitter. Also finishing her career last season was libero Alecia Douglas. VOLLEYBALL RULE CHANGES: NCAA volleyball ruels changes this year include three important changes. First, the term “set” has replaced the word “game” as it is used internationally. Second, the number of points to win a set has been reduced from 30 to 25. Teams must still win by two points and the fifth set will still be played to 15. And lastly, because sets are now shorter, the number of allowable subs per set has been reduced from 15 to 12. LIVE ON THE INTERNET: All Gonzaga University women’s volleyball home matches are available via Gametracker and live streaming on the internet at www.gozags.com. Check the Gonzaga website for all Gametracker and live streaming links. Gametracker for selected away matches are also available. Check out gozags.com for all Gametracker links. NEW PLAYERS READY TO TAKE FLIGHT: Coach Kip Yoshimura has brought in a strong freshman class for the fifth straight season. Five freshmen will take to the court for the first time at the University of Montana Tournament this weekend. Looking to break into the lineup is Denise Van de Mortel, a setter, Cara Paganini, a defensive specalist, Kelli Tikker, an outside hitter, Kaprina Goodwin, also an outside hitter, and Laura Day, a defensive specalist. BULLDOGS TABBED 7TH IN WCC COACHES POLL: The Gonzaga University women’s volleyball team has been selected to finish seventh in the West Coast Conference for the 2008 season according to a preseason vote of the league’s head coaches. The University of San Diego was selected as the preseason favorite to take home WCC regular season title, narrowly edging out Pepperdine University and Santa Clara University. Women's Volleyball 2008 Preseason Poll
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