Fresh from winning the 2014 AVP Women’s Championship in Huntington Beach, California, the duo of Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross appeared on Sports Center and humiliated the hosts in a mock Volleyball match.
Kerry Walsh Jennings and April Ross literally beat the stuffing out of Kenny Mayne and Neil Everett this morning on Sports Center by a score of 11 – 0 . It was, without a doubt, the funniest two minutes I’ve seen on a Volleyball court in a long time. Anyway, it was just phenomenal to see Volleyball of any kind on Sports Center.
Match of the Week
With the UT – Brownsville loss to Biola tonight, the Park versus Missouri Baptist matchup tomorrow night (10/24/2014) has moved to the front of the line in importance. Below I have reprinted a post from the NAIA website (www.NAIA.org) about this match. Many thanks to the hard-working staff of the NAIA. And, in anticipation of the match, the song of the day is “Anticipation” by Carly Simon.
“Anticipation, Anticipation
Is making me late
Is keeping me waiting.”
2014 NAIA Volleyball Match of the Week – No. 9
No. 2 Park (Mo.) travels to No. 7 Missouri Baptist in a key American Midwest Conference (AMC) and NAIA showdown
By Alan Grosbach, NAIA Manager of Communications and Sports Information
No. 2 Park (Mo.) (25-0, 7-0 AMC) at No. 7 Missouri Baptist (27-1, 7-0 AMC) Friday, Oct. 24 | 7 p.m. CDT | Carl and Deloris Petty Sports and Recreation Center | Missouri Baptist University, St. Louis, Mo.
• A pair of powerhouse programs out of the American Midwest Conference (AMC) do battle Friday when No. 7 Missouri Baptist hosts No. 2 Park (Mo.) at 7 p.m.
• The two sides enter the match tied atop of the AMC standings with 7-0 records in the league. No. 13 Columbia (Mo.) is one-game back at 7-2.
• Friday marks the 13th all-time meeting between the two clubs. Missouri Baptist holds an 8-4 advantage in the series, however Park has won three-straight. Three of the last six meetings between the two programs have gone to five sets.
• The most recent meeting came in the semifinals of the 2013 AMC Volleyball Tournament Championship on Nov. 14, 2013. Park claimed a 3-1 victory, punching its ticket to a second-straight AMC championship match. The Pirates would go on to lose to Columbia, 3-0.
• Park is the NAIA’s only remaining unbeaten team at 25-0. The Pirates have won an NAIA-best 26-straight matches, dating back to last season. The streak began with a 3-2 win over Trinity Christian (Ill.) on Dec. 5, 2013 in pool play action at the 2013 NAIA Volleyball National Championships.
• Park owns a 112-42 (.727) record over the past four seasons, including a 35-7 campaign in 2013.
• The Pirates are 5-0 against ranked opponents this season with wins coming against then-No. 4 Viterbo (Wis.) (3-0), then-No. 5 Northwestern (Iowa) (3-0), then-No. 17 Grand View (Iowa) (3-0), then-No. 20 Evangel (Mo.) (3-0) and then-No. 13 Columbia (Mo.) (3-0).
• Park is 75-1 in sets during the 2014 season, dropping only one frame to Northwestern on Sept. 13.
• The Pirates have been a dominant attacking team this season, ranking among the top five in the NAIA in hitting percentage (.316), service aces per set (2.54), kills per set (14.17) and assists per set (12.96).
• Junior outside hitter Wendy Romero is arguably the most dynamic player for the Pirates. The native of Venezuela leads the team and ranks among the top 10 nationally in total service aces (56), hitting percentage (.381) and kills per set (4.47). Romero, who has twice been named the NAIA National Player of the Week, owns double-digit kills in 24-of-25 matches this season, including a season-high of 19 against Clarke (Iowa) on Sept. 12 and Viterbo on Sept. 13.
• Another key individual for the Pirates this season has been setter Juliana Barros. Barros, who ranks sixth in the NAIA in assists per set (10.96), has tallied 30-or-more assists 18 times this season. She also owns five double-doubles on the season with her most recent coming against Columbia on Oct. 8 (23 assists and 10 digs).
• Missouri Baptist, which is 27-1 on the season, has won 16-straight since falling to NCAA Division II Quincy (Ill.), 3-2, on Sept. 17. The Spartans host William Woods (Mo.) on Wednesday before facing off in the NAIA Volleyball Match of the Week.
• The No. 7 ranking for Missouri Baptist gives the Spartans their first top-10 mention since ranking No. 10 in the 2006 final regular-season poll on Nov. 15, 2006.
• Similarly to Park, the Spartans are unbeaten (3-0) against ranked teams this season with wins against then-No. 7 Columbia (3-1), then-No. 15 Evangel (Mo.) (3-1) and then-No. 18 Grand View (Iowa) (3-1).
• Missouri Baptist has won 19 of its last 20 home matches. Its only loss during the stretch came against NCAA Division II McKendree (Ill.) on Oct. 22, 2013.
• Junior setter Ally Krus keys the offense for the Spartans. The St. Louis, Mo., native ranks second in the NAIA in assists per set (11.64) and fifth in total assists (1,176). Krus was named NAIA National Player of the Week this week after guiding Missouri Baptist to a 5-0 stretch last week that included the two previously mentioned wins against Evangel and Grand View. She owns 3,922 assists in almost three seasons with the Spartans.
• Outside hitter Mallory Dillon is the team’s top attacker with 305 kills this season. She has registered double figure kills in eight-straight matches.
• As a team, Missouri Baptist ranks among the top 10 nationally in service aces (222), service aces per set (2.2), assists per set (12.88), kills per set (14.03), total kills (1,417) and total assists (1,301).
It will be a great match! Let’s grow the game together.
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