Oct. 19, 2004
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - This week's CSTV Sunday Night Spikes: AVCA Match of the Week features Pepperdine University at Santa Clara University in a contest between West Coast Conference schools. The match will air live on Sunday, Oct. 24, at 3 p.m. PT on CSTV.
Pepperdine (5-9 overall, 3-2 WCC) will make its third national television appearance this season on CSTV. The Waves, which went undefeated in league from 2001 to 2003, are battling the injury bug this season as they attempt to win the WCC title for the 19th time. Pepperdine is currently one match behind in the loss column of the WCC standings. Junior outside hitter Katy Daly has been the main offensive threat for the Waves this season as she averages 4.30 kills per game with a team-leading .204 attack percentage and adds 2.60 dig average. Defensively, sophomore middle blocker Sophia Milo has a team-high 1.32 block average to go with 2.94 kills per game. Senior outside hitter Kristen Shultz contributes 3.02 kills and 2.94 digs per game, while junior setter Melissa Melhorn has tacked on 11.92 assists, 1.04 blocks and 2.81 digs per game. Senior libero Christina Hinds ranks 27th in NCAA Division I with 5.23 digs per game patrolling the back row. Sophomore defensive specialist Kekai Crabbe provides 3.15 digs per game for the Waves. Pepperdine's nine losses have been against seven current teams ranked in the USA Today/CSTV Top 25 Coaches Poll, along with two others schools receiving votes.
Santa Clara (12-4 overall, 3-2 WCC), currently ranked 19th in the USA Today/CSTV Top 25 Coaches Poll, has been ranked as high as 12th nationally on Oct. 4 this season. The Broncos have faced five currently ranked teams, including a win over 13th-ranked California. Santa Clara boasts a balanced offensive attack with five players averaging at least 1.93 kills per game. Freshman middle blocker Annalisa Muratore leads the Broncos in both kills and blocks per game at 3.34 and 1.77, respectively. She ranks sixth nationally in block average and 11th in attack percentage at a .401 clip. Sophomore outside hitter Kim McGiven charts 3.21 kills per game, while junior outside hitter Toni Muratore adds 3.13 kills, 0.92 blocks and 0.97 digs per game. Junior outside hitter Cassie Perret averages 2.28 kills, 2.92 digs and 1.16 blocks per game. Freshman middle blocker Anna Cmaylo chips in 2.12 kills and 1.24 blocks per game, while junior right side/opposite hitter Jac Heler puts down 1.93 kills and 3.02 digs per game. Bronco setting is shared by freshman Crystal Matich and junior Kristen Luxton. The pair have led Santa Clara to a .237 team attack percentage. Santa Clara ranks third in Division I in team blocks per game with 3.48.
Pepperdine Head Coach Nina Matthies is in her 22nd year leading the Waves. She holds a 414-241 career record while directing Pepperdine to 14 NCAA Tournament berths and nine West Coast Conference titles. Matthies has earned WCC Coach of the Year a league-record eight times, in addition to being named Tachikara/AVCA Pacific Region Coach of the Year three times.
Santa Clara Head Coach Jon Wallace enters his sixth year at the helm of the Santa Clara program. He has led the Broncos to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last five seasons. Wallace has posted a 123-48 (.719) overall record while guiding SCU to a 60-15 (.800) record in the West Coast Conference with 25 all-conference selections.
College Sports TV currently has agreements with the top three national distributors - Comcast, DirecTV and Time Warner Cable, among others. For information on CSTV availability in particular markets, consumers can log on to www.collegesports.com/getcstv or call their cable or satellite operator. The 2004 CSTV Sunday Night Spikes: AVCA Match of the Week telecasts feature teams from 12 different conferences showcasing some of the top players in pursuit of a national title. This year marks the second year for the national volleyball package on CSTV.
