2008 Woodie Awards
Volleyball's first tournament captures four wins, record
By: Mike Wagner
Issue date: 9/3/08 Section: Sports
In the volleyball team's opening weekend, co-captain Erica Brick assisted in four straight wins in the Seawolf Spike Tournament at Sonoma State.
The senior was named MVP of the tournament as she averaged 32.55 assists per game, sending her into the record books as Chico State's all-time assist leader.
After Brick put up 30 assists in a 3-0 win against Montana State University Billings on Friday, she remained 18 assists shy of Christy McCune's 3,321 record. Brick then followed up the game with a 39-assist effort in a 3-1 win against Notre Dame de Namur University, breaking the record.
"I knew I had 48 to go going in. My coaches told me last year that I was close," Brick said. "In practice and in the games I just make sure that I have good plays set up for my hitters so that I don't set them up for a huge block."
The Wildcats remained undefeated Saturday after achieving back-to-back 3-0 wins against Northwest Nazarene University and Seattle Pacific University. Brick earned all-tournament honors with her incredible performance for the Wildcats, who are ranked 25th nationally.
Megan Cape joined Brick on the all-tournament team as she posted an average of 10 kills and 10 blocks per match.
This season, Cape switched from an outside hitter to an inside hitter, a position she had never played before, head coach Cody Hein said. The coaching staff knew Cape would be great, but not all-tournament great.
As one of six seniors, Cape will try to help the 'Cats exceed expectations as they are projected to finish fourth in the conference, according to a preseason poll.
"Our conference is absolutely brutal," Hein said. "It's murderous and it's the best conference in the country."
The squad was predicted to finish behind Cal State San Bernardino, UC San Diego and Cal State L.A.
"Our biggest competitor is probably San Bernardino," co-captain Kelly Smiland said. "But personally, I always love to play San Diego because they're a bigger school, which makes it better when we beat them."
The team bonded to prepare for the new season, building a core group that connects well on and off the court, Smiland said. The team traveled to Hein's cabin in Tahoe after the preseason, bonding through parasailing and hanging out as a unit.
There are six seniors, one junior, three sophomores and three freshmen on the team, all of whom are looked at as equals in the eyes of their captains.
"We have six of us that have been together for four years now and the only junior on the team is like one of our group," Brick said. "The sophomores have always bonded with us very well, and the freshmen coming in are looking good. And it's looking like we're gonna work really well together."
Brick now lingers with more than 3,400 assists and the Wildcats' 4-0 start gives hopes that they will reach the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year.
The 'Cats face the University of Hawaii at Hilo and Florida Southern College in the 13th annual Premier Challenge in Denver on Friday.
Mike Wagner can be reached at
mwagner@theorion.com
Related links
Women's volleyball Web page
CCAA Women's volleyball Web page
The senior was named MVP of the tournament as she averaged 32.55 assists per game, sending her into the record books as Chico State's all-time assist leader.
After Brick put up 30 assists in a 3-0 win against Montana State University Billings on Friday, she remained 18 assists shy of Christy McCune's 3,321 record. Brick then followed up the game with a 39-assist effort in a 3-1 win against Notre Dame de Namur University, breaking the record.
"I knew I had 48 to go going in. My coaches told me last year that I was close," Brick said. "In practice and in the games I just make sure that I have good plays set up for my hitters so that I don't set them up for a huge block."
The Wildcats remained undefeated Saturday after achieving back-to-back 3-0 wins against Northwest Nazarene University and Seattle Pacific University. Brick earned all-tournament honors with her incredible performance for the Wildcats, who are ranked 25th nationally.
Megan Cape joined Brick on the all-tournament team as she posted an average of 10 kills and 10 blocks per match.
This season, Cape switched from an outside hitter to an inside hitter, a position she had never played before, head coach Cody Hein said. The coaching staff knew Cape would be great, but not all-tournament great.
As one of six seniors, Cape will try to help the 'Cats exceed expectations as they are projected to finish fourth in the conference, according to a preseason poll.
"Our conference is absolutely brutal," Hein said. "It's murderous and it's the best conference in the country."
The squad was predicted to finish behind Cal State San Bernardino, UC San Diego and Cal State L.A.
"Our biggest competitor is probably San Bernardino," co-captain Kelly Smiland said. "But personally, I always love to play San Diego because they're a bigger school, which makes it better when we beat them."
The team bonded to prepare for the new season, building a core group that connects well on and off the court, Smiland said. The team traveled to Hein's cabin in Tahoe after the preseason, bonding through parasailing and hanging out as a unit.
There are six seniors, one junior, three sophomores and three freshmen on the team, all of whom are looked at as equals in the eyes of their captains.
"We have six of us that have been together for four years now and the only junior on the team is like one of our group," Brick said. "The sophomores have always bonded with us very well, and the freshmen coming in are looking good. And it's looking like we're gonna work really well together."
Brick now lingers with more than 3,400 assists and the Wildcats' 4-0 start gives hopes that they will reach the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year.
The 'Cats face the University of Hawaii at Hilo and Florida Southern College in the 13th annual Premier Challenge in Denver on Friday.
Mike Wagner can be reached at
mwagner@theorion.com
Related links
Women's volleyball Web page
CCAA Women's volleyball Web page
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