Issue link: https://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1021958
2 0 1 8 P A C - 1 2 V O L L E Y B A L L M E D I A G U I D E 36 WA S H I N G T O N S T AT E C O U G A R S COUGAR FACTS Location: Pullman, WA 99164-1602 Founded/Enrollment: 1890/20,286 Colors: Crimson & Gray Joined Pac-12: 1986 All-Time Record: 680-717 (45 years) Home Court: Bohler Gym (2,752) President: Kirk H. Schultz Faculty Rep: Nancy Swanger Athletic Director: Patrick Chun SWA: Anne McCoy Head Coach: Jen Greeny (Washington State, '99) Career Record: 221-144 (11 years) WSU Record: 109-120 (7 years) Pac-12 Record: 35-107 (7 years) Office: (509) 335-4290 Fax: (509) 335-7168 Associate Head Coach: Burdette Greeny Assistant Coach: Shannon Hunt SID: Bill Stevens Office: (509) 335-4294 Fax: (509) 335-0267 Volleyball SID: Devon Lucal E-Mail: devon.lucal@wsu.edu Office: 509-335-0268 Cell: 513-720-8488 2017 Records: 18-16 Overall: 22-12 Pac-12: 6-14 (9th) NCAA: 1-1/Second Round RECORD HOLDERS KILLS Career: 1848 Sarah Silvernail, 1993-96 Season: 649 Sarah Silvernail, 1996 Match: 39 Sarah Silvernail vs. California (1996) HITTING PERCENTAGE Career: .306 Carrie Gilley, 1990-93 Season: .405 Sarah Silvernail, 1996 Match: .909 Holly Harris (10-0-11) vs. Oregon, 2001 ASSISTS Career: 4553 Keri Killebrew, 1990-92 Season: 1726 Keri Killebrew, 1992 Match: 85 Keri Killebrew vs. USC, 1992 TOTAL BLOCKS Career: 615 Carrie Couturier, 1988-91 Season: 198 Joanne Johnson, 1992, 1993 Match: 20 Traci King at Oregon State, 1989 DIGS Career: 1954 Kate Sommer, 2012-15 Season: 565 Kelly Hyder, 2006 Match: 39 Oceana Bush vs. Arizona State (2009) SERVICE ACES Career: 143 LaToya Harris, 1999-2002 Season: 55 Carrie Couturier, 1991 Match: 7 Maggy Robinson vs. Washington, 1981 NO. NAME POS HT YR EXP HOMETOWN/HIGH SCHOOL (LAST SCHOOL) 1 Penny Tusa S 5-8 So. 1V Long Beach, Calif./Long Beach Poly HS 2 Kaylah Williams MB/OH 6-0 Fr. HS Long Beach, Calif./Long Beach Poly HS 4 Alexis Dirige DS/L 5-2 Jr. 2V San Francisco, Calif./Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep 5 McKenna Woodford OH 6-4 Sr. 3V Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton HS 6 Jocelyn Urias MB 6-3 R-Jr. 2V Tijuana, Mexico/José Vasconcelos School 8 Charity Bradley OH 6-4 R-Fr. RS St. George, Utah/Emery HS 10 Taylor Mims OH 6-3 Sr. 3V Billings, Mont./Billings Senior HS 12 Claire Martin MB/OPP 6-4 Sr. 3V Bremerton, Wash./Bellarmine Prep 13 Olivia Coale DS 5-6 Sr. 3V Vancouver, Wash./Skyview HS 14 Aria McComber DS/L 5-6 Fr. HS Kapolei, Hawaii/Punahou School 15 Abby Phillips DS/L 5-5 Sr. 1V Central City, Iowa /Marion HS (Iowa State) 17 Gabbie Heller OH 6-0 Fr. HS Los Gatos, Calif./St. Francis HS 18 Ella Lajos MB 6-3 Sr. 3V San Jose, Calif./Valley Christian HS 19 Ashley Brown S 5-9 Jr. 1V Prosper, Texas/Prosper HS (Oklahoma) Letterwinners Returning/Lost/Newcomers: 10/4/3. Returning starters in bold. TEAM OUTLOOK The Cougars are coming off back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time since 2001 and 2002, and look to continue that trend in 2018. Washington State welcomes back four starters and 10 letterwinners in all, including All-Pac-12 honoree Taylor Mims. Several of the Cougs spent time competing with national teams which only gives the squad more of a boost in their goal of making the postseason a third-straight year. WSU also welcomes four newcomers to this year's squad. STRENGTHS • Several Cougs spent part of the summer competing with national teams, including senior middle blocker Taylor Mims, senior outside hitter McKenna Woodford and junior setter Ashley Brown. Each earned a spot on a few USA Collegiate National teams that participated in overseas competition. Redshirt junior middle blocker Jocelyn Urias has been with the Mexican National team. • Mims is coming off earning Most Valuable Player honors of the Global Challenge while with the collegiate national team, which also included teammate Alexis Dirige, that traveled to Croatia. Mims also earned All-Pac-12 nods and was a honorable mention All-American last season. She was the Cougars statistical leader in kills per set and points per set, both sixth-best in Pac-12. D • Along with Mims, Martin, Urias, Dirige and Ella Lajos make up the majority of the starting lineup. Urias and Lajos were both in the top-10 in the Conference in blocks per set, a large reason WSU was sixth in the nation in team total blocks and 11th in team blocks per set. Dirige returns to the court after becoming the fastest player in WSU history to record 1,000 digs. • Washington State has one of the must experienced rosters in the Pac-12, including nine upperclassmen (six seniors). The Cougs have proven they have the ability to beat any teams with three wins over ranked opponents last year and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Their defensive presence at the net will continue to carry them in 2018. CONCERNS • Other than 2016, the Cougs have a knack for starting the season strong, closing the non-conference season with a strong record over the last several years, but becomes inconsistent in Conference play. Perhaps the Cougs can carry the momentum into league play as it did two years ago when WSU won 22 matches. • While Washington State does not lose much going into this season, it lost Casey Schoenlein, an outside hitter who spent the summer of 2017 with the U.S. Collegiate National Team and also was the team's third-leading scorer. GREENY'S CAREER RECORD Year School Overall Conference Postseason 2007-10 Lewis-Clark State (4 years) 112-24 (.848) 49-7 (.875) 7-8 (.467) 2011-17 Washington State (11 years) 109-120 (.476) 35-107 (.246) 2-2 (.500) Career totals (10 years) 221-144 (.605) 84-114 (.424) 2-2 (.500) Division I only HEAD COACH JEN GREENY • Entering her eighth season as the head coach, the Cougars to back-to-back NCAA Tourna- ment appearances for the first time since 2001 and 2002. WSU's 2016 appearance was its first since 2009. • Prior to leading the Cougar bench, spent four seasons as head coach of Lewis-Clark State College, leading the team to four-straight Frontier Conference regular-season crowns, includ- ing an undefeated league record in 2010, and four-straight conference tournament titles. • Four-time Frontier Conference Coach of the Year and the 2010 AVCA Northwest Region Coach of the Year. • Graduate of WSU, she led the Cougars to a No. 5 national ranking in 1995 and the NCAA Regional Finals in 1996, and the regional finals as an assistant in 2002. 2018 WASHINGTON STATE ROSTER