Viking_Yearbook_91

1: 111 I ~L rll s c 0 R E( 0 A R D Fourth in the nation Scores Young squad, new strategy doesn't stop ! ~------ volleyball team from successful season Date Oppoaett 8/31 9/7 9/7 9/8 9/8 9/14 9/14 9/15 9/15 9/20 9/21 9/25 9/28 9/28 9/29 9/29 10/5 10/5 10/6 10/6 10/9 10/11 10/14 10/15 10/19 10/23 10/24 10/26 10/27 10/30 10/31 11/4 11/6 11/9 11/9 11/10 11/10 11/14 11/24 11/30 12/1 12/2 Alumni Missouri Southern Northwest Missouri Sou1heost Missouri Missouri-St. Louis East Texas Slate Regis Nebraska-Omaha Chico Slate (OtKordio PugetSound Lewis & Clark Regis Col Slate-Bakersfield Central Missouri Soc:ramento Slate Chominade Alosko-AIKhorage Col State-Bakersfield Soaamento Slate Oregon Slate Western Woshinton CentralWashington Portland Oregon Western Oregon Willamette PugetSound Seattle Pocific Oregon State Lewis & Clark Gonzaga Seattle Pocific Chominode UC-Rimide Son Frondsco State Col Slate-Bakersfield Portland Alosko-Andlorage Central Missouri West Texas Slate Col State-Bakersfield 3-2 3.0 3.0 3-2 3.0 3.0 1-3 3-1 3-2 3.0 3.0 3.0 3-2 1-3 0-3 0-3 3-1 3-1 3-1 0-3 1-3 3.0 1-3 3-1 0-3 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 2-3 3.0 3-2 3-0 3.0 2-3 3-2 3-0 3-1 0-3 2-3 Sports/Volleyball A young PSU volleyball squad fi n– ished the season fourth in the nation at the CAA Division II Elite Eight National Champi– onship in Bakersfield , Calif. "Anytime you finish in the top ten in the coun· try you have got to be pretty excited. We had a re· al successful season," said head coach Jeff Moz– zochi. PSU went into the Bakersfield tournament ranked eighth in the NCAA II and beat Central Missouri the first night, a team that had beaten them 0-3 earlier in the season. ln the next game PSU was defeated by No. 1-ranked West Texas State, and finished the tournament in a third– fourth place playoff loss to Bakersfield. The Vikings had a young squad this year. With six new players and a new game strategy, a shot at the national championship was not guaranteed. "We were young as a playing unit, and the team had little experience playing with each other," said Mozzochi. "Under those circumstances we were re– al excited about [the fourth-place finish] ." The Vikings changed their strategy to rely a lot more on their serve rece ive and a balanced attack. "We had to spread the ball out a lot with a group this ~nexperienced, rather then have the of– fense key on two or three players," said Mozzochi. The balance of play was indicative in the final Division II statistics. The Vikings led the nation in assists and were second in the nation in kills per game without having one single individual in the top ten in either of those categories. "We have some very gifted athletes, but all in all it was the balance that got us as far as we went," he added. "The balance shifted during the season," added assistant coach Marty Mozzochi. "At the beginning of the season we had certain players that came on strong and that would carry us for a couple of games or matches. When they had a dip another player would come up and take the responsibility. Every player on our team had a game or a match where she was the leader." Freshman Leanne Peters was selected as a sec· ond team All-American and to All Northwest Re– gion and Elite Eight All-Toumament teams. She also set a school record in digs with 490. Juniors Kim Keith and Kristi Scott also both made the All-Northwest Region team. Keith lead the team with 498 kills and Scott set new school records blocking. Freshmen Lori Weaver and sophomore Suzy Hall shared the setting position. Weaver was the fi rst recipient of the Swanson scholarship, given to incoming freshmen volleyball players for excel– lence in academics and leadership ability. Next year the team will lose only senior Narci Norgaard to graduation. "Next year. What a wonderful thought for Viking volleyball fans," wrote one sports writer. This year's starting lineup will remain com– pletely intact, since it consisted of three freshmen and three juniors. "We are looking forward to next year but we aren't going to sneak up on anybody. Everyone knows that we are going to be good. We are going to back in the familiar position that we are used to being in," said Mozzochi. • • • Debo rah H allick