11/09/97- Updated 08:04 PM ET
Stanford wraps up fourth-straight Pac-10 title
TEMPE, Ariz. - Stanford clinched its fourth-consecutive Pac-10 title with a 15-5, 15-6, 15-6 win over No. 12 Arizona Sunday. The championship is the sixth for the Cardinal since the Pac-10 began sponsoring women's volleyball in 1986, the same number won by UCLA. Senior outside hitter Kristin Folkl had match-highs 14 kills and 12 digs for Stanford (24-2), which has not lost a game in 14 road matches this season. Sophomore middle blocker Kerri Walsh added 12 digs and a match-high four blocks. The Cardinal hit .436 as a team and had just 12 errors in 101 attacks. Arizona (17-5) was led by senior outside hitter Carolyn Penfield's 12 kills.
Irish win Big East title, Brown wins No. 300
NOTRE DAME, Ind. - Notre Dame clinched its third-straight Big East title with a 15-2, 15-13, 14-16, 15-5 win over Pittsburgh Sunday. Senior outside hitter Jaimie Lee had a match-high 21 kills, while senior outside hitter Angie Harris had the honors with 20 digs and five aces for the Irish. Notre Dame extended its conference winning streak to 72 matches, 37 of which came as a member of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference and 35 in a row since joining the Big East in 1995. Irish coach Debbie Brown picked up career win No. 300 with Friday's 15-2, 15-5, 15-10 win over West Virginia. Brown, who coached at Arizona State for six seasons, has a record of 301-138, including a 183-55 mark in six-plus seasons at Notre Dame.
Long Beach State sweeps Pacific
STOCKTON, Calif. - Junior middle blocker Benishe Dillard had 15 kills to lead the top-ranked 49ers to a 15-10, 16-14, 15-9 win over No. 18 Pacific. The Beach (23-1) had three other players finish in double-figure kills, but its defense was the key to the match. Junior setter Misty May had a match-high 20 digs, which was the difference in LBSU's 63-43 advantage. Sophomore middle blocker Sara Bronson had 14 kills to lead the Tigers (17-7). With the victory, the 49ers wrapped up a share of the Western Division title and the top seed for the Big West conference tournament.
San Diego gets second win over Pepperdine
SAN DIEGO - No. 21 San Diego moved back into sole possession of first place in the West Coast Conference with a 15-8, 15-10, 5-15, 15-8 win over No. 11 Pepperdine Saturday. Sophomore outside hitter Petia Yanchulova led the Toreros with a match-high 22 kills, while three other players finished with double-figure kills for San Diego. The Toreros hit .296 as a team with just 19 errors. Freshman outside hitter Adrian Frediana had a match-high 16 digs for USD. The Waves were led by senior outside hitter Nicole Sanderson's 21 kills. San Diego has a one-match lead over both Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount, with the Waves and Lions to play on the final night of conference play.
LMU tops San Diego behind Noriega's 47 kills
SAN DIEGO - Senior outside hitter Sarah Noriega set an NCAA record with 47 kills as No. 20 Loyola Marymount beat No. 21 San Diego 7-15, 15-12, 15-13, 15-10 Friday night. Noriega surpassed the record of 46 kills in a four-game match set by Missouri-Kansas City's Catalina Suarez in 1988. LMU had 81 kills as a team, with junior outside hitter Cindy Weglarz and freshman middle blocker Allison Gustorf adding eight apiece. Senior middle blocker Sara Gunsaulus and senior outside hitter LaManda Mounts had 23 and 22 kills for USD, respectively. The Lions trail first-place San Diego by one match in the West Coast Conference standings.
Washington knocks off No. 10 Washington State
SEATTLE - No. 19 Washington State used 17 kills by senior quick hitter Makare Desilets and senior swing hitter Dana Netherby to beat the 10th-ranked Cougars 15-7, 16-14, 15-10. The win kept the Huskies (15-8) in a three-way tie for second in the Pac-10 with Arizona and USC. The Cougars fell one game back with their fifth-straight loss to UW in Seattle. Washington State (21-5) had a chance to even the match in game two when it twice served game point at 14-12, but the Huskies rallied on three kills from Netherby. Junior middle blocker Jennifer Stinson led WSU with 15 kills, 10 digs and five blocks. "We had every opportunity, but we just aren't getting it done," WSU coach Cindy Fredrick said. "I don't think this is the best that Washington's played either. We were just uglier."
Ohio State upsets No. 24 Michigan State
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Senior outside hitter Vanessa Wouters had a match-high 19 kills to lead the Buckeyes to a 15-12, 15-4, 15-13 win over the Spartans Friday night. Ohio State (19-7) has won seven straight and 10 of its last 11 matches to move into third place in the Big 10. Senior outside hitter Andrea Pankova added 13 kills and five blocks for the Buckeyes. Michigan State had 40 kills and 25 errors on 126 attacks and finished the match with a season-low .119 hitting percentage. Junior outside hitter Jenna Wrobel led the Spartans (18-8) with 10 kills, but saw her seven-match streak with 20 or more kills come to an end.
Long Beach moves up to No. 1
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Long Beach State took advantage of Penn State's loss at Wisconsin and an impressive win over Hawaii to take over the No. 1 ranking in the USA TODAY/AVCA coach's poll for the first time since Sept. 28, 1993. The Nittany Lions, who had been No. 1 since the start of the season, dropped one spot to second. Stanford, which has won 17 consecutive matches, including eight vs. teams ranked in the top 25, moved ahead of Florida and is ranked third. The Badgers moved into the top five for the first time in the program's history. Maryland moved up one position to No. 16 and is the only undefeated team remaining in Division I.
Stanford's Folkl named AVCA player of the week
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Kristin Folkl, Stanford's senior outside hitter, was named the AVCA Division I national player of the week after leading the Cardinal to wins over USC and UCLA. For the week, Folkl hit .431 with 55 kills, 21 digs and six blocks. She averaged 7.86 kills, 3.00 digs, and .86 blocks per game in seven games played. In the four-game win over No. 7 USC, she had a career-high 33 kills, 14 digs, four blocks and a .492 hitting percentage. The three-time AVCA All-American ranks fourth in school history with 1,653 career kills, needing 100 more to tie four-time All-American Bev Oden. Folkl's 5.59 kills per game and .378 attack percentage rank second in the conference.
Big West volleyball broadcasts available online
IRVINE, Calif. - The Big West Conference and The Cable Radio Network are teaming up to make Big West volleyball broadcasts available on the internet. 10 regular-season matches, the Big West tournament championship, the NCAA West Regional and the 1997 NCAA Division I final four will be available free of charge. "We are very excited about the exposure this will give to women's volleyball," said Donna Noonan, NCAA Director of Championships. "(It) will certainly enhance our efforts to promote the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball." Olympic sportscaster Jeff Ruffolo will handle the play-by-play, with Mitch Lehman providing the color commentary.