It’s the midway point in the Pacific-10 Conference volleyball season, and the conference is exactly where it started: six teams ranked among the top 12 in the nation. The top teams have all beat up on each other and the second half of the season is shaping up to be a close race. California and Stanford are tied for first place at the moment, but Washington and Oregon are lurking only a few games back. In the Pac-10, no team is safe from an upset.
No. 7 Oregon Ducks (18-4 overall, 6-3 Pac-10), 4th place in Pac-10: B+
At this point in the season the Ducks have played exceptionally well, but have struggled on the road against ranked opponents in the Pac-10. Oregon’s three losses in the Pac-10 have all come on the road: 3-0 losses to then-No. 8 California, then-No. 6 Stanford, and a trying five-set loss to No. 6 Washington in Seattle. Captain Sonja Newcombe, a University junior, said it was frustrating losing to the Huskies because she knows the Ducks are better. But there’s a chance at redemption because Oregon plays every team they’ve lost to in conference at home, where the Ducks are 11-0 and have only lost two sets in the entire year.
When asked if he’s happy with where the team is right now, head coach Jim Moore simply said no, and that he feels they still need to get better on defense and on blocking. “We just want to keep on winning,” he said.
No. 4 California Bears (18-2, 8-1), tied for 1st place: A
It’s just an “A” for the Golden Bears after their loss in five sets to No. 14 USC last weekend ended a 13-game win streak. Offensively, the Golden Bears have blown their opponents out of the gym. They are averaging .310 hitting, while holding opposing teams to a .168 percentage, and leading the Pac-10 in kills per set with 15.06. The next-closest is Stanford at 14.42. But Cal is far from finishing on top. They wrap up the season with a brutal schedule that starts with No. 5 Stanford, No. 9 UCLA and No. 12 USC at home, followed by a trip to Oregon to finish off the season with the Beavers and the Ducks.
No. 5 Stanford Cardinal (17-3, 8-1), tied for 1st place: A+
The national runner-up Cardinal are continuing an impressive run that ended last year in the NCAA championship game against No. 1 Penn State. They played a tough non-conference schedule that included No. 2 Nebraska and No. 3 Texas. Stanford lost to the Cornhuskers and No. 23 Saint Louis, but in the Pac-10 they’ve only lost to California. Led by defending Pac-10 Player of the Year Foluke Akinradewo, the Cardinal play five of their remaining nine matches on the road, including trips to Berkeley and Eugene.
No. 6 Washington Huskies (16-3, 7-2), 3rd place: A+
The Huskies’ one non-conference loss came at the hands of No. 8 Hawaii, and after early losses to California and Stanford in Seattle, Washington has won five straight, including a Los Angeles sweep of UCLA and USC. But the Huskies have what is arguably the toughest remaining schedule of any of the teams in conference. This weekend they travel to the Bay Area to play Stanford and Cal, followed by a weekend set in Washington against USC and UCLA. Then they travel to Oregon where they take on the Beavers on Nov. 14 and the Ducks two days later in a very anticipated rematch.
No. 9 UCLA Bruins (14-6, 4-5), tied for 5th place: B-
UCLA has been on a roller coaster all season long. After starting the season 10-1 with their only loss coming against No. 1 Penn State, the Bruins went 1-3 in their first four Pac-10 matches. Following two tough losses to Cal and Stanford this past weekend, the Bruins will play host to the Oregon schools. However, there’s good news for the Bruins: Six of the last 10 matches of the season are played at Pauley Pavilion.
No. 12 USC Trojans (11-7, 4-5), tied for 5th place: B
With a 4-5 record in Pac-10 play, the 2007 Final Four team feels like it is underachieving. The Trojans have been swept on the road by Oregon and Oregon State, and lost in Tucson to Arizona. That said, things are on the upswing after an upset win against No. 4 California at the Galen Center. This weekend USC plays both Oregon schools, followed by the Washington schools the weekend of Nov. 7.
Oregon State Beavers (14-8, 3-6), tied for 7th place: C+
Oregon State’s run into the top 25 has surprised many in the Pac-10, but much like Oregon a couple years ago, it is still able to hang with the top tier of the conference. After a tough loss to Arizona State on Oct. 25, the Beavers dropped out of the rankings. Against the six ranked Pac-10 teams they’ve played, they are 1-5, including 3-0 losses to Stanford, California, Oregon and Washington. But don’t count out the Beavers from coming through with at least one more upset. After a trip to Los Angeles this weekend, the Beavers have Oregon, Washington, Stanford and California at home, where they are 8-4.
Arizona Wildcats (13-8, 3-6) tied for 7th place: C
After a 10-1 non-conference record, the Wildcats are finding out how tough the Pac-10 is. They’re 3-6 with wins against Washington State, Arizona State and USC. Arizona was swept by the Beavers and the Ducks this past weekend, and it only gets tougher. Starting on Nov. 7 they play California, Stanford, USC, UCLA, Oregon and Oregon State in back-to-back-to-back weekends.
Arizona State Sun Devils (11-11, 2-7), 9th place: D+
The Sun Devils’ two conference wins were against Washington State way back on Sept. 27 and last weekend against Oregon State in Corvallis. Additionally, they face the same brutal schedule as the Wildcats do because they are travel partners.
Washington State Cougars (7-13, 0-9), 10th place: F
Much like their football team, the Cougars have yet to crack the win column in the Pac-10. They’ve won only one set in conference play, against Oregon State on Oct. 17, and their last match win was Sept. 19 against Utah Valley. The school’s next shot at a conference win might have to wait until the first of the new year when it hosts the Washington Huskies – in men’s basketball.
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