Bay Area set critical to postseason hopes

If there were ever a time to start a push toward the postseason, it's now for the USC women's volleyball team.

The Women of Troy, on a six-match winning streak, go to California 7 p.m. Friday and Stanford 7 p.m. Saturday.

The Bears are currently 10-11 overall and 5-7 in the Pacific 10 Conference. It is the first time since 1995 they have won that many conference matches in one year.

Cal is led by senior outside hitter Brook Coulter. Her 243 kills and 266 digs are both tops on the team and rank among the top 10 in the Pac-10. Junior outside hitter Alicia Perry also provides a strong attacking presence for Cal, notching 241 kills, good for second on the team.

The Bears boast a strong front line that causes trouble for its opponents. Six-foot-1 senior middle blocker Kellie Alva has 68 blocks and 6-foot freshman outside hitter Courtney Guerra, last year's Southern California High School Player of the Year, has a team-high 73.

Against Stanford on Saturday, USC will face arguably the best team in the nation. The Cardinal are currently ranked No. 2 in the AVCA/USA Today Coaches Poll and are 19-2 overall, 11-1 in the Pac-10. The Cardinal can't afford another loss if they hope to catch UCLA for first place in the conference.

Stanford boasts two of the best players in the nation in Kerri Walsh and Logan Tom.

The 6-foot-2 senior Walsh has 217 kills and is hitting .358, good for fourth in the conference. She is currently playing her best volleyball of the season, hitting an amazing .792 last week.

Six-foot-1 freshman powerhouse Tom is second in the conference behind UCLA's Kristee Porter with 276 kills and seventh in the Pac-10 with a .340 attack percentage. She provides the Cardinal with a strong all-around player who also has 160 digs and 48 blocks.

The Cardinal also possess some impressive team statistics. They are outhitting their opponents, .303 to .149, and outblocking them, 229 to 130, and are first in the conference in hitting percentage, second in blocks and fourth in kills and assists.

The Women of Troy, who are one spot behind the Cardinal in the conference, are third in hitting percentage, assists and kills and second in digs. Individual leaders include Janae Henry who is second in digs, Antoinette Polk, who is fourth in digs, and Jennifer Pahl and Julie Mariani, who are tied for eighth in service aces.

- Nick McAuley

Waves, Bears come to town

The No. 3 USC men's water polo team will host two games this weekend at McDonald's Swim Stadium against No. 7 Pepperdine at noon Saturday in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match and No. 4 California at noon Sunday in a non-conference game.
The defending champion Trojans (16-3, 4-1 in the MPSF) need a win Saturday to stay in contention with UCLA and Stanford for the MPSF title. First place in the MPSF would mean an automatic bid to the NCAA championship.
The Trojans are 1-0 against Pepperdine (8-10, 2-4) this season and have won six straight against the Bears (8-9, 2-4), including a 7-5 victory last Saturday. In that game, seven players scored for the Trojans in an impressive all-around effort.
- Kevin Lew-Hailer

Two-week golf break finished

After two weeks of quality practice time, the No. 3 women's golf team will tee off against one of the strongest fields of the year in the Golf World Invitational at Hilton Head Island, S.C., on Nov. 5 to 7. It will be USC's final fall tournament.
Head Coach Andrea Gaston said she would love to finish off the first half of the year on a positive note.
"It's the big culmination of the fall season," she said. "Certainly, they'll have the finest ranked teams there. I'd like to finish the fall season strong and make a good showing. I've been pleased with our fall so far."
During their two off weeks, the Women of Troy have worked diligently on the practice range, in the weight room and in school. Gaston is trying to condition her players, allowing them to feel strong at the end of their round.
This was something that the team failed to do last year, when Arizona beat USC in a playoff after the Women of Troy had the lead going into the final round.
"If we're in another playoff, we will be ready to finish it," Gaston said. "We want to be ready for every circumstance."
The team will face a course that requires mental toughness and quality play. The Arthur Hills Golf Club's long track and usual harsh weather conditions makes it a difficult test.
Junior Nicole Dalkas remembers all too well the cold weather last year.
"Last year it was freezing cold, turtlenecks and being sick," she said. "I'm hoping when I get there, I'll remember the good things."
With three golfers breaking 70 this year and a scoring average of 74.5, the Women of Troy look to continue their low scores and knock off the two teams that stand in their quest to be No. 1: Duke and Arizona.
"I'm looking for some individual top 10 finishes and some low scores," Gaston said. "It will take a positive mental attitude to win."
- Justin Unell

Copyright 1999 by the Daily Trojan. All rights reserved.
This article was published in Vol. 138, No. 47 (Friday, November 5, 1999), beginning on page 7 and ending on page 10.