Sept. 6, 2011

Tweet

Complete Release in PDF Format

LOOKING AHEAD -- Oregon State (5-2) faces its first ranked foe when it heads to the Long Beach State Baden Classic on Friday and Saturday. The Beavers take on the SMU Mustangs (3-3) on Friday at 11:00 a.m. before the Utah State Aggies (3-3) at 5:00 p.m. Then the team wraps up play in the tournament against the 22nd-ranked Long Beach State 49ers (3-3) on Saturday at 7:00 p.m.

TRACKING THE BEAVS -- Full results from this weekend's tournament can be found through osubeavers.com. Gametracker will be available for all four matches and can be found by clicking on the `Gametracker' link located on the Oregon State volleyball schedule page. All home matches will also be streamed live through osubeavers.com for free.

Live video is available for the Beavers' match at Long Beach State for free at longbeachstate.com.

MATCH EIGHT: SMU -- Friday, Sept. 9 (11:00 a.m.): Oregon State and SMU will meet for the first time on Friday.

The Mustangs finished last weekend 2-1 with wins over Lamar in three and Alabama in five, but falling to TCU in four in the tournament opener. Senior Dana Powell leads SMU, averaging 3.62 kills per set, adding 4.10 digs per set. Defensively, sophomore Caroline Daly leads all blockers, averaging 1.24 blocks per set, with senior Sidney Stewart pacing the backcourt defense with a 6.67 dps average, adding a team-high six service aces. Lisa Seifert is in her 16th season at the helm of Mustang volleyball 240-225 record.

MATCH NINE: UTAH STATE -- Friday, Sept. 9 (5:00 p.m.): Oregon State is 0-1 all-time against Utah State. The Aggies won the September 6, 1991 meeting 3-1.

Utah State finished 2-1 last weekend at the Utah State Invitational, defeating Syracuse, 3-1, and Texas State, 3-2, but falling to Idaho State, 3-2. Senior Liz McArthur leads the Aggies' offense with 3.04 kills per set. And at the net defensively, freshman Kaitlyn VanHoff boasts 1.61 blocks per set, while junior Laurel Bodily averages 4.52 digs per set. The Aggies run a 6-2 offense with redshirt freshman Paige Neves and junior Kassi Hargrove splitting time directing the offense. Utah State is led by head coach Grayson DuBose, who is in his sixth season.

MATCH 10: NO. 22 LONG BEACH STATE -- Saturday, Sept. 10 (7:00 p.m.): Oregon State is 0-1 all-time against Long Beach State. The then 16th-ranked 49ers won the sole meeting on November 24, 2000, 3-1.

Long Beach State finished last weekend 1-2 at the Wahine Classic, hosted by the University of Hawai'i. The 49ers fell to No. 12 UCLA in four in the team's tournament opener, then losing to No. 10 Hawai'i in five before rebounding with a four-set win over No. 23 Ohio State. Senior outside hitter Caitlin Ledoux leads the Long Beach State offense, averaging 3.74 kills per set, while freshman Erin Juley has taken over the setting duties, averaging 10.06 assists per set. Defensively, junior Janisa Johnson averages 3.61 digs per set, and sophomore Haleigh Hampton averages 1.48 blocks per set. Head coach Brian Gimmillaro is in his 27th season with a career record of 706-174, 414-86 at Long Beach State.

REWIND TO LAST WEEKEND -- The Beavers took the Active Ankle Challenge title, sweeping Seattle and CSU Bakersfield and defeating Loyola Marymount in four. Senior Dre Shaw was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, while junior Camille Saxton was also named to the All-Tournament team.

DEFOE JOINS DIG CLUB -- Sophomore Becky Defoe joined the AVCA 30-Dig Club with 30 at Wyoming on August 26. The digs also tie the seventh most in school history in a single match. She becomes the first player since 2007 to earn a spot in the top 10. Overall, Defoe is ranked third in the Pac-12 for digs, averaging 4.17 per set.

ODDS & ENDS -- The Beavers boast one of the youngest teams in the Pac-12 with the average age being 19.

The team also has its tallest roster to date under Liskevych, with the average height of the 18-player roster being 6-0.

Junior Ashley Eneliko was the lone Oregon State player to be named to the All-Tournament Team at the UniWyo Wyoming Invite.

Oregon State has won two of the three Active Ankle Challenge tournaments that it has hosted.

VERSATILE ENELIKO -- Junior Ashley Eneliko can play any position at the net, starting at middle so far this season, where she's played the past two seasons. She was named to the 2009 Pac-10 All-Freshman Honorable Mention squad, while last season she averaged 1.36 kills per set and 0.98 blocks per set.

MCBRIDE MAKES OPPONENTS GUESS -- Junior Megan McBride is a unique setter in that she's a southpaw that isn't afraid to attack the second ball. Last season, McBride averaged 1.49 kills per set, while still ranking in the top 10 in the Pac-10 for assists with a 8.84 average. Defensively, she posted a 1.64 dig per set average, while posting 83 total blocks (0.68 bps).

KRESSL KILLS AND RESETS RECORDS-- Sophomore Mona Kressl was the lone rookie honored last season on the Pac-10 All-Freshman squad after posting the team's top hitting percentage (.297) and averaging 1.89 kills per set. Her 1.16 blocks per set with 22 solo and 116 assists ranked her in a number of single season school record categories.

FAMILIAR FACES -- Oregon State returns five starters from last season plus its libero. Juniors Megan McBride, Alyssa O'Neil, Camille Saxton, Ashley Eneliko and sophomores Becky Defoe and Mona Kressl are the top players coming back for the Beavers. The one starter lost was outside hitter Jill Sawatzky.

FIVE NEWCOMERS -- Oregon State welcomes five newcomers in sophomore transfer Niki Small and freshmen Haley Clarke, Corinna Mommert, Arica Nassar and Lexi Wilhelm. Small transferred from Northern Arizona before the last spring season. The group boasts three middle blockers, while Nassar is an outside hitter and Wilhelm is a setter.

CHASING RECORDS -- Three juniors have broken into career top 30 lists, led by Megan McBride's ninth-ranked assists number (1,309). Alyssa O'Neil is now 27th for digs with 561, while Ashley Eneliko has broken into a pair of blocks lists. Eneliko is 19th for most block assists (180) and 22nd for total blocks (199).

LISKEVYCH LIKES THE FIRST ONE -- The Beavers are now 6-1 in season openers under head coach Taras Liskevych. Oregon State swept Portland it its season opener in Liskevych's first season, won in four over Oral Roberts in 2006, took a five-set thriller from Colorado State in year three, swept Wyoming at home in 2008 and defeated Cal Poly in four in 2009. This season, Oregon State swept DePaul to open the slate.

SPIKE OUT CANCER -- The Beavers will host their annual Spike Out Cancer match, sponsored by Corvallis Clinic's Project H.E.R., against Utah on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 7:00 p.m. in legendary Gill Coliseum. Part of the proceeds of ticket sales and pink items will be donated. Last year, Spike Out Cancer, women's basketball's Pink Zone and gymnastics' Pink Out raised over $12,000 for breast cancer organizations.

ATTENDANCE AVERAGE -- The 2010 season brought about the 43rd best attendance in the nation, averaging 933 per match in legendary Gill Coliseum. And the Civil War attendance (3,287) ranks 89th best for a single-match and is the third best attendance in school history.

GET YOUR TICKETS -- Season tickets are on sale now for the 2011 Oregon State volleyball season. The adult price is $75 and the youth/senior price is $50 for all 14 home matches, including all of the tough Pac-12 schedule. Tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-GOBEAVS or by visiting osubeavers.com.

BEAVS ON TV -- Oregon State will be televised once this season. The Beavers' match at Arizona on Nov. 4 will be televised via tape delay on FSN.

All home matches will be webcast for free through Beaver Nation Online (BNO), the audio/visual service of osubeavers.com.

OREGON STATE VS. THE RANKED -- Oregon State will face six AVCA Preseason Top 25 opponents this season in USC, California, Stanford, Washington, UCLA and Long Beach State. Pac-12 opponents Arizona and Oregon also received votes.

PAC-12 PRESEASON POLL -- The Beavers were voted to finish ninth in the Pac-12 Preseason Volleyball Poll with 41 total points just behind Arizona State and Arizona. USC was voted to finish first with 121 total points.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE BEAVERS -- Oregon State opens up Pac-12 Conference play at home, hosting the Arizona schools. The Beavers will take on Arizona State first on Friday before Arizona on Saturday. Both matches are slated to begin at 7:00 p.m.

Support Oregon State University Athletics by making your tax deductible donation to the Beaver Athletic Student Fund. For more information follow this link or call 541-737-2370. Former student-athletes are invited to join the Varsity O Facebook Page for upcoming Alumni events.

Follow Oregon State Athletics On YouTube.