Dec. 4, 2001

Salt Lake City -

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COMING UP: The University of Utah volleyball team will be making its first-ever trip to the NCAA "Sweet 16" (Regional) Tournament on Dec. 7-8 at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif. Wisconsin (27-3 overall), the No. 6 seed nationally, will match-up with Texas A&M (25-5 overall, No. 11 seed nationally) on Fri., Dec. 7 at 5:00 p.m. The Utes (25-6 overall), seeded No. 14 nationally, will face the No 3 seeded Stanford Cardinal (29-2 overall) in the late match at 7:00 p.m. on Fri., Dec. 7.

A QUICK LOOK AT UTAH: The Utes are currently 25-6 overall, and finished with an 11-3 Mountain West Conference record. The Utes made school history on Sat., Nov. 30 with a 3-1 (30-21, 30-18, 26-30, 30-22) win in the NCAA second round over Utah State to advance to their first-ever NCAA Regional Tournament. On Fri., Nov. 29, the Utes defeated Texas Tech, 3-0 (30-24, 31-29, 30-23) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Salt Lake City. Utah finished the regular-season in second-place in the MWC. The second-place finish is the highest finish ever in the Launiere era. Utah recorded its sixth-consecutive and 12th overall 20-win season. The Utes' 25-6 overall record marks the best win-loss percentage (.807) in school history. Head coach Beth Launiere hit the 225 career win mark in the MWC tournament championship, with a 3-2 win over then-No. 8-ranked Colorado State.

The 13th-ranked Utes made their fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance after earning the MWC automatic bid by winning the conference tournament on Nov. 17. Utah, 5-3 overall in NCAA Tournaments, will meet Stanford University on Fri., Dec. 7, for the first time this season. Utah is familiar with its NCAA Regional match-up after defeating Stanford once during the 2000 season. Last season the Utes made a dramatic come-from-behind 3-2 (13-15, 12-15, 15-6, 15-10, 15-9) win over the Cardinal on Sept. 5 in Salt Lake City.

Possible starters for the Utes in the NCAA Regional Tournament are: McKelle Stilson (Sr., MB), Kelsie Kartchner (Fr., S) or Jackie Morrill (So., S/DS), Lenka Urbanová (Sr., OH), Sylva Strzinková (Jr., OH), Katrena Ellett (Jr., OH/MB), Alisa Geddes (Sr., OH), Kim Turner (So., MB) and Adrianne Bradley-Drake (Sr., MB/OH).

The Utes return four starters, 10 letterwinners and add three true freshmen, along with two transfers to this year's roster. Utah held its place at the No. 13 spot in the Nov. 26 USA Today/AVCA Top-25 poll. The Utes have been ranked for 17 consecutive weeks. The No. 13 ranking in the Nov. 19th poll is the highest-ever ranking for the Utah volleyball program.

UTES ON THE RADIO: Utah's matches in the NCAA Regional can be heard by tuning into KALL-910 AM. The Utes' match with Stanford University on Fri., Dec. 7 at 7:00 p.m. will be a live broadcast. If Utah advances to Saturday's "Elite Eight" match-up, listeners can tune into a tape-delayed broadcast on KALL-910 AM. Kent Rupe will do the play-by-play and Jami Hutchins will provide the color commentary for all Utah matches.

NCAA TOURNAMENT BRACKET: The NCAA announced the 64-team field for the 2001 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship on Mon., Nov. 26. Thirty-one conferences were awarded automatic qualification, and the remaining 33 slots were filled with at-large selections to complete the bracket.

The top 16 teams were seeded nationally and placed within four regions. Team pairings were determined by geographical proximity, with the exception that teams from the same conference were not paired during the first round. First- and second-round matches were played at 16 campus sites. Regional Matches (Round of 16), December 7-8 at Stanford, Calif., Dec. 7 (Third Round Matches), Match #1: Wisconsin (27-3) vs. Texas A&M (25-5), 5:00 p.m. (PST) Maples Pavilion, Match #2: Stanford (29-2) vs. UTAH (25-6), 7:00 p.m. (PST) Maples Pavilion, Dec. 8 (Fourth Round Match), Winner of match #1 vs. Winner of match #2, 7:30 p.m. (PST) Maples Pavilion.

NCAA TOURNAMENT TELECASTS: NCAA Productions will also produce two of the four regional finals on the weekend of December 7 - December 9, which will air live on CNN/SI. The broadcasts on CNN/SI will mark the first ever NCAA championship broadcast on CNN/SI.

The match on Sat., Dec. 8 will be televised by CNN/SI at 7:30 p.m. (PST). Brian Webber will handle the play-by-play and Angie Kamer will provide the color commentary.

The 21st NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship concludes in San Diego, California, on December 13 and December 15. ESPN2 will air the first semifinal tape delay on December 14 at 11 a.m. Eastern time. ESPN will air the second semifinal tape delay on December 14 at 3 p.m. Eastern time. ESPN2 will carry the national championship game live on December 15 at 3 p.m. Eastern time. ESPN2 currently reaches over 81 million households while ESPN reaches over 84 million households. Veteran college volleyball announcers Chris Marlowe and Heather Cox will call the action for ESPN.

QUOTING LAUNIERE: On making it to the NCAA Regional Tournament: "We had the weekend to enjoy this and it is a feeling of accomplishment and enjoyment. It is a tribute to this year's team. They improved a lot over the course of the season and it is because of their hard work and determination. It is a great step for our program and solidifies Utah as a nationally competitive program." On facing Stanford in the tournament: "Stanford is a great program, they have great players and are a great team. They also have a new coach and he has pulled all of their talent together, making them such a great team. I feel like we can match-up with just about any team. Our size and ability to hold teams to low offensive numbers allows us to match up decently with just about any team we face. We've played Stanford the past two years without Logan Tom in the line up. A lot of our players know her and have played against her in high school and on club teams, and we are excited for this match-up."

SERIES SHORTS: The series is tied between Utah and Stanford, 1-1. In their last meeting on Sept. 5, 2000, Utah recorded a come-from behind win in five games, 13-15, 12-15, 15-6, 15-10, 15-9 in Salt Lake City. The Utes are 1-0 at home, 0-1 away and 0-0 at a neutral site vs. Stanford. Texas A&M leads the all-time series with Utah, 3-1. On Oct. 28, 1995, Texas A&M defeated Utah in five games in Salt Lake City. The Utes are 0-1 at home, 0-0 away and 1-2 at a neutral site vs. Texas A&M. Wisconsin leads the all-time series with Utah, 1-0. In their last meeting on Sept. 10, 1998, Utah lost in three games to Wisconsin at the Long Beach State Invitational Tournament. The Utes are 0-0 at home, 0-0 away and 0-1 at a neutral site vs. Wisconsin.

SCOUTING STANFORD: The Stanford University Cardinal are currently 29-2 overall, 17-1 in the Pac-10 Conference. Stanford defeated San Jose State, 3-0 (30-25, 30-21, 30-23) in the NCAA second round match-up on Sat., Dec. 1, in Stanford, Calif. On Fri., Nov. 30, the Cardinal swept the Nevada Wolfpack, 30-20-30-16, 30-20 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The third-ranked Stanford women's volleyball team take a 15-match winning streak into Friday's match-up. Stanford received an automatic bid to the tournament as conference champions.

Since joining the Pac-10, the Cardinal is 59-17 (.776) in the NCAA Tournament ... Stanford is one of only four teams to have appeared in all 21 NCAA Championships (UCSB, Penn State, Pacific) ... The Cardinal are one of six Pac-10 teams in the 2001 tournament, joining USC, Arizona, UCLA, Oregon State and Washington State.

Sara Sandrik's 14 service aces is this year's best, her previous season high (13 in 1998) ... For her career, Logan Tom is averaging 5.00 kills per game (1,306 kills in 261 games) - this ranks her second all-time in the Pac-10 in highest kills average ... The Cardinal have won 17 consecutive home matches dating back to last season, including 12 this year ... Currently, four Pac-10 teams are ranked in the top 15 (USA Today/AVCA Coaches Poll) ... Stanford has played 14 nationally ranked opponents in 29 matches played ... Stanford has amassed an amazing 637-167-4 all-time record since 1976 (.791 winning percentage), and has finished in the top 10 nationally in 20 of the last 21 seasons ... Stanford has lost five or more matches in a season just once in the last 10 years, and is 203-27 (.883) in the last seven years alone ... Stanford has also reached the Final Four 12 times in the last 20 seasons, and produced 41 All-American honors in the last 19 years.

First-year head coach John Dunning was named 2001 Pac-10 Coach of the Year. Dunning took over the reins of the Stanford women's volleyball program on July, 6, 2001. Dunning, who spent 16 seasons at Pacific, compiled an impressive 437-102 (.811) record during his tenure.

SCOUTING TEXAS A&M: The Texas A&M Aggies are currently 25-5 overall, 16-4 in the Big-12 Conference. A&M defeated Texas, 3-0 (30-24, 30-22, 30-27) in the NCAA second round match-up on Sat., Dec. 1, in College Station, Texas. No. 15 ranked Texas A&M defeated Texas-Arlington, 3-0 (30-16, 30-17, 30-17) at G. Rollie White Coliseum in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Fri., Nov. 30, in College Station, Texas.

A&M is making its ninth consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament and its 13th overall appearance (1981, '82, '85, '86, '93, '94, '95, '96, '97, '98,' 99, '00 and '01) since the inception of the tournament in 1981 ... The Aggies, who have never lost an NCAA first-round match under ninth-year head coach Laurie Corbelli, sport a 15-12 (.556) all-time record in the NCAA tournament ... A&M's best finish in the NCAAs was in 1999 when the Aggies advanced to the Elite Eight after sweeping both Stephen F. Austin and North Carolina in College Station and then upsetting No. 3 Hawaii, the top seed in the Mountain Regional, in four games in Honolulu before getting eliminated by sixth-ranked and Final Four-bound Long Beach State ... Last year A&M was sent to Stockton, Calif., where the Aggies defeated Houston in the first round and were eliminated by host Pacific in the second round ... The Big 12 Conference has the largest representation in the tournament field with a record eight teams receiving bids -- Nebraska, Baylor, Colorado, Kansas State, Missouri, Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech ... Nebraska, the defending national champion, earned the league's automatic bid ... The Aggies are 12-5 against the tournament field ... Other than a loss to Stanford, all other matches were against Big 12 foes.

Head Coach Laurie Corbelli is in her ninth season at Texas A&M. She has accumulated a 212-74 overall record with the Aggies.

SCOUTING WISCONSIN: The No. 6 ranked Wisconsin Badgers are currently 27-3 overall, 19-1 in the Big-12 Conference. The Badgers defeated Michigan State, 3-0 (30-21, 30-22, 30-24) in the NCAA second round match-up on Sat., Dec. 1, in Madison, Wisc. Wisconsin defeated Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 3-0 (30-19, 30-15, 30-27) at the UW Fieldhouse in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Fri., Nov. 30, in Madison, Wisc.

Wisconsin is seeded sixth nationally in the 2001 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship. The Badgers, who are 18-9 in the NCAA Tournament, have made their sixth consecutive and 10th overall appearance in the championship. Wisconsin finished second in the 2000 NCAA Championship, it's best finish ever.

Senior Sherisa Livingston has recorded double-figure kills in all 30 matches this season including 10 matches with 20-plus kills. Livingston leads the Badgers with 5.17 kills per game and has a team-high .413 hitting percentage. Senior Lizzy Fitzgerald needs only 183 assists to reach the 4,000 mark for career assists. She averages 13.90 assists per game. Junior Amy Hultgren ranks second on the team with 1.08 blocks per game. Junior Erin Byrd has recorded double-figure digs in a team-leading 14 matches this season and leads the team with 2.93 digs per game.

In only two years, head coach Pete Waite has become one of the most successful volleyball coaches in UW history. Waite is 80-17 (.824) in his third year with the Badgers and has a career record of 346-119 (.744) in his 14th year.

UTAH TOURNAMENT TID-BITS: Utah is 120-229 (.344) all-time against the other 63 teams in the field. This season, the Utes went 10-6 (.625) against teams they played that made the tournament. There are 22 teams in the field that Utah has never faced. They are: Alabama A&M, American, Arkansas, Baylor, Cincinnati, Duke, Florida A&M, Florida Intl, Georgia Southern, Kansas State, Liberty, Missouri, North Carolina, Northeastern, Ohio State, Oral Roberts, Pennsylvania, Robert Morris, South Carolina, William and Mary, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Xaiver.

UTES AND THE NCAA TOURNAMENT: Utah has started a great NCAA tradition. They are 5-3 (.625) overall in the NCAAs. The Utes, seeded 14th nationally, made school history on Sat., Nov. 30, with a 3-1 (30-21, 30-18, 26-30, 30-22) win in the NCAA second round over Utah State to advance to their first-ever NCAA Regional Tournament. Utah recorded a fourth-consecutive NCAA first-round victory, sweeping Texas Tech (30-24, 31-29, 30-23) on Thurs., Nov. 29, at Crimson Court in Salt Lake City. After qualifying for the NCAA tournament for the first time in 1998, Utah advanced to the second round.

Last year, they made a repeat visit to the tournament with identical results. The Utes were the No. 8 seed in the West Region which was played in Honolulu, Hawaii on Nov. 30-Dec. 1. Utah defeated Texas Tech, 3-2 (6-16, 15-8, 2-15, 15-10, 15-12) in the first round the tourney. The Utes lost to its host Hawaii, 3-0 (12-15, 8-15, 8-15) in the second round.

In 1999, Utah, seeded No. 9 in the Mountain Region, defeated eighth seeded Colorado in three games (15-10, 15-6, 17-15) in the first round and lost to top-seeded Hawaii in three games (15-11, 15-6, 15-4) in the second round of the NCAA sub-regional in Honolulu, Hawaii.

In their first-ever NCAA Tournament in 1998, the Utes received an at large bid as the eighth seed in the Pacific Region. Utah defeated ninth-seeded Illinois State in three games (15-11, 15-12, 15-5) in the first round and lost to top-seeded Nebraska in four games (14-16, 15-4, 15-8, 15-9) in the second round at the sub-regional in Lincoln, Neb.

NEXT WEEK: Utah will await the chance to participate in the NCAA Final Four on Dec. 13-15.

UTAH RANKINGS IN THE MWC: Utah, as a team is second in the MWC in opponent hitting percentage, holding opponents to just a .146 hitting percentage per match. The Utes are second in match win-loss percentage (.807) and blocks (3.40), and third with a .249 hitting percentage. Utah is third in assists (14.10), kills (15.54), digs (13.58), and fourth in service aces (1.53). Individually, Utah ranks among the top in the MWC statistical leaders. Junior Sylva Strzinkova is second in the MWC in digs (2.88), is sixth in kills (3.49) and eighth in points (4.20). Senior Alisa Geddes is fourth in digs (2.76) and seventh in service aces (0.36), sophomore Kim Turner is third in blocks (1.50) fourth in hitting percentage (.352) and 10th in points (3.81). Senior McKelle Stilson is seventh in hitting percentage (.316) and 10th in blocks (1.07), senior Adrianne Drake is fifth in blocks (1.42), junior Katrena Ellett is 10th in hitting percentage (.283) and freshman Kelsie Kartchner is eighth in assists (6.69).

NEW ON THE STAT REPORT: The MWC is tracking individual points per game this season. Points are awarded based on the following formula: kills + aces + solo blocks + 1/2-assist blocks. Utah, as a team is seventh in the MWC in points (2354.0). On the year, Sylva Strzinkova leads the Utes with 474.5 points (4.20 ppg), followed by Kim Turner with 430.0 (3.81 ppg), Alisa Geddes with 348.5 points (3.03 ppg), McKelle Stilson with 339.0 (3.03 ppg) and Adrianne Drake with 345.0 (3.05 ppg).

NATIONAL VOLLEYBALL ATTENDANCE: Utah ranks just outside the top 30 in the nation in home match attendance. In 15 matches at home, the Utes have brought in 12,020 fans, an average of 801 fans per match. Utah's match with BYU on Oct. 19, 2001 at Crimson Court marked the second highest attendance in school history with 1,571 fans.

UTES ARE PERFECT AT HOME: Utah was a perfect 15-0 at home this season. The Utes have beaten national caliber teams such as Colorado State, Colorado, San Diego State, Brigham Young, Utah State, Georgia Tech and Texas Tech at Crimson Court this year.

UTAH VS. RANKED OPPONENTS: Utah is 7-4 (.636) vs. opponents ranked in the Top 25 USA Today/AVCA Coaches' Poll. On Fri., Aug. 31, the Utes defeated then-No. 25-ranked Georgia Tech in three games at Crimson Court. On Thurs., Sept. 6, Utah lost to then-No. 5-ranked Arizona Wildcats. The Utes lost in three games in Tucson, Ariz. The Utes defeated then-No. 23 ranked Colorado in five games on Sat., Sept. 8, at Crimson Court. Utah lost to then-No. 14-ranked BYU Cougars in three games in Provo, Utah on Thurs., Sept. 20. On Fri., Oct. 5, the Utes lost to then-No. 9 ranked Colorado State in three games at Moby Arena in Fort Collins, Colo. Utah recorded a comeback win in five games over then-No. 13-ranked BYU at Crimson Court on Fri., Oct. 19. The Utes defeated then-No. 25-ranked Utah State in four games at home on Tues., Oct. 26. On Sat., Nov. 3, Utah upset then-No. 6-ranked Colorado State in five games at Crimson Court. The Utes defeated then-No. 18-ranked BYU in four games, 30-27, 25-30, 32-30, 30-25, in a semifinal match-up at the MWC Tourney on Fri., Nov. 16 in Provo, Utah. Utah recorded an upset win over then-No. 8-ranked Colorado State in the championship match of the 2001 MWC Tournament on Sat., Nov. 17, in Provo, Utah. The Utes lost a nail biter to No. 10 ranked Hawaii in five games, 30-24, 19-30, 30-27, 23-30, 7-15, at the Banker's Classic on Fri., Nov. 23 in Stockton, Calif.

MWC TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS: No. 2 seed Utah won the 2001 Mountain West Conference Tournament Championship, upsetting regular season conference champions and No. 1 seed Colorado State in a thrilling five game victory, 32-34, 19-30, 30-23, 30-27, 15-8, on Sat., Nov. 17 in Provo, Utah.

Utah, who has handed CSU two of its three losses this season, was led by the MWC Tournament's Most Valuable Player Kim Turner. Turner had 15 kills and a match-high 13 blocks while leading the Utes to their first conference title in the history of the school. Utah defeated No. 3 seed BYU in four games, 30-27, 25-30, 32-30, 30-25, Fri., Nov. 16, in the second semifinal match of the MWC Tournament. Utah out-blocked BYU 13-10 in only its second win all-time at the Smith Fieldhouse. The last time Utah won in Provo was Sept. 21, 1985. The Utes defeated the New Mexico Lobos in a quarterfinal match-up, 3-0 (30-15, 30-16, 30-19) at the MWC Tournament on Thurs., Nov. 15 in Provo, Utah. Utah is a perfect 13-0 at home this season and is on a 15-match overall home win streak.

The Utes entered the MWC Championship as the No. 2 seed-their highest conference tournament seed since 1986. Utah advanced to the MWC semifinals two straight years, but fell to the eventual conference champion each year (Colorado State, 1999, BYU, 2000). The Utes reached their highest national ranking in school history earlier this season at No. 14 and snapped Colorado State's 20-match win streak this year. Sylva Strzinkova was MWC statistical champion for digs with 154 (3.14 per game), while ranking in the league's top 10 for kills (4), aces (6) and points (6).

ALL-MWC TOURNAMENT TEAM: The MWC Tournament champion Utah, placed three players on the all-tournament team. They were: Adrianne Drake, Sylva Strzinkova and Kim Turner. Turner was named the 2001 MWC Tournament MVP.

ALL-MWC TEAM: Utah, which posted its highest conference finish since 1986 at second place, landed three members on the 2001 All-Mountain West Conference Volleyball Team. Kim Turner (MB), last year's Freshman of the Year, was a repeat selection, while McKelle Stilson (MB) and Sylva Strzinkova (OH) were first-time award recipients.

MWC PLAYER OF THE WEEK (Nov. 19): Utah sophomore middle blocker Kim Turner was named the Mountain West Conference Volleyball Player of the Week, marking her third award this season and fourth overall.

Turner helped Utah to the school's first-ever conference tournament crown last week. With the Utes trailing 0-2 in the title match vs. No. 1 seed Colorado State, Turner helped shift the tide in a dramatic five-game upset of the Rams by posting a Mountain West Conference Championship match record 13 total blocks. She also hit .394 with 15 kills in the championship match vs. CSU.

In the semifinals, Turner sparked the Utes to just their second win in 32 tries vs. BYU in Provo, totaling 12 kills, three blocks and a .375 attack percentage. In a first-round win over New Mexico, Turner recorded 11 kills, four blocks and a .412 hitting percentage.

For the week, Turner totaled 38 kills (3.17 per game), 19 blocks (1.67 per game) and three digs (.25 per game), earning MWC Tournament Most Valuable Player honors.

MWC PLAYER OF THE WEEK (Nov. 5): Utah sophomore middle blocker Kim Turner was named the Mountain West Conference Volleyball Player of the Week for the week of Nov. 5. This was Turner's second award this season and third overall.

Turner helped then-No. 15 Utah upset then-No. 6 Colorado State in five games in Salt Lake City. Turner played a significant role for the Utes in the blocking category last week. In a match where the Rams and the Utes combined for a MWC season-high 42 blocks, Turner totaled a career-high 11 blocks. She recorded her first double-double of the season, adding 10 kills vs. the Rams, while posting a .375 hitting percentage (10k-1e-24a). In a three-game win over Wyoming, Turner totaled six kills, three digs and three blocks. For the week, Turner averaged 2.0 kills, 1.75 blocks, .62 digs and 2.94 points per game, while hitting .275.

Utah was on a 10-match winning streak and has a league-high 13 straight victories at home.

MWC PLAYER OF THE WEEK (OCT. 22): Utah sophomore middle blocker Kim Turner was named Mountain West Conference Volleyball Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 22.

Turner helped then-No. 18 Utah sweep a pair of in-state teams last week. In a three-game victory over Weber State, Turner hit a season-high .750 with 10 kills, while playing just two of the three games in the match. Turner played one of her best matches of the year in a five-game upset of No. 13 BYU as she tallied a season-high 18 kills along with a .333 hitting percentage. She also posted nine block assists for a season-high 22.5 points in the match.

For the week, Turner averaged 4.0 kills, .43 digs, 1.43 blocks and 4.71 points per game, while hitting .444 (28k-8e-45a).

MWC PLAYER OF THE WEEK (OCT. 15): Utah junior outside hitter Sylva Strzinkova was named Mountain West Conference Volleyball Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 15, marking the first time she has earned the award.

A native of Brno, Czech Republic and a transfer from Salt Lake CC, Strzinkova helped the Utes sweep UNLV and San Diego State (Oct. 12 and 13) to extend their home win streak to eight matches. Strzinkova totaled 12 kills and hit .400 vs. UNLV, and came back the next night to post her league-leading seventh double-double of the season with 12 kills and 14 digs vs. SDSU. She also tallied five block assists and hit .455 vs. the Aztecs.

HEAD COACH BETH LAUNIERE: In her 12th season, Beth Launiere has not only resurrected the Ute volleyball program and turned it into a consistent winner, she has also guided Utah to unprecedented success on the national level.

Under Launiere's leadership, Utah made its third-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance in 2000, and for a third-straight year advanced to the second round. It is the crowning achievement of Launiere's eleven-year tenure at Utah, in which she has posted a 228-152 (.600) career record.

The winningest coach in school history, Launiere has overseen a significant transformation since her arrival in 1990. In the last seven years alone, Launiere has guided the Utes to seven 20-win seasons and Utah's second-place finish in the MWC this season marked its highest finish ever in the Launiere era. The 2001 Ute team won the 2001 Mountain West Conference Tournament Championship, upsetting regular season conference champions and then-No. 8-ranked Colorado State in a thrilling five game victory, 32-34, 19-30, 30-23, 30-27, 15-8, on Sat., Nov. 18 in Provo, Utah. The 2001 MWC Tournament title is the first-ever in school history.

Launiere worked hard in 2001 to maintain the level of play and expectations of the previous season. The 2001 season has been a definite breakthrough year for Utah volleyball. Starting off on a good note, the Utes with 254 points, checked in at No. 21 pre-season AVCA/USA Today Coaches' Top-25 poll. The No. 13 ranking in the Nov. 19th poll this season was the highest-ever ranking for the Utah volleyball program. With a 25-6 overall record, Utah posted its sixth consecutive, and 12th overall, 20-win season. The Utes' .807 overall winning percentage proves the best in school history. Utah also equaled the third-best conference winning percentage in school history this season (11-3, .785). The 2001 squad is the only team thus far to snap Colorado State's 20-match win streak this year.

UTES APPROACH 500 CAREER WIN MARK: The Utah volleyball program is quickly approaching its 500th career win. The Utes need just one more win and with the NCAA Regional Tournament this week, they could very well hit the mark.

UTES HIT 455 CAREER WINS: The University of Utah women's volleyball program hit the 455 career-win mark on Nov. 16 at the 2001 MWC Tournament semifinals. The 3-1 win over BYU in Provo, Utah, marked the Utes 455th career win.

LAUNIERE LANDS 225TH CAREER WIN MARK: Utah's winningest coach in school history, Beth Launiere recorded her 225th career win at the 2001 MWC Tournament in Provo, Utah. Launiere hit the 225 career win mark in the MWC tournament championship match, with a 3-2 upset win over then-No. 8-ranked Colorado State.