Issue link: https://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1161821
2 0 1 9 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 / / T E A M S 36 W A S H I N G T O N S T A T E C O U G A R S COUGAR FACTS Location: Pullman, WA 99164-1602 Founded/Enrollment: 1890/21,022 Colors: Crimson & Gray Joined Pac-12: 1986 All-Time Record: 703-726 (46 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: 244-154 (12 years) WSU Record: 132-130 (8 years) Pac-12 Record: 47-115 (8 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 2018 Records: 23-10 Overall: 22-12 Pac-12: 12-8 (4th) NCAA: 2-1/Sweet Sixteen 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 OH/S 5-8 Jr. 2V Anaheim, Calif./Long Beach Poly HS 2 Kalyah Williams OH 6-0 R-Fr. RS Long Beach, Calif./Long Beach Poly HS 4 Alexis Dirige DS/L 5-2 Sr. 3V San Francisco, Calif./Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep 6 Jocelyn Urias MB 6-3 R-Sr. 3V Tijuana, Mexico/José Vasconcelos Bilingual School 7 Pia Timmer OH 6-2 Fr. HS Emlichheim, Germany/Lise-Meitner-Gymnasium 8 Charity Bradley OH 6-4 R-So. 1V St. George, Utah/Desert Hills HS 9 Hannah Pukis S 5-11 R-Fr. RS Tacoma, Wash./Bellarmine Prepatory School 10 Alexcis Lusby OH 6-5 Fr. HS Sparks, Nev./Reed HS 11 Julia Norville DS/L 5-8 Fr. HS Orangevale, Calif./Capital Christian HS 12 Mykayla Myers MB 6-0 Fr. HS Coppell, Texas/Coppell HS 14 Aria McComber DS/L 5-6 R-Fr. RS Kapolei, Hawai'i/Punahou School 15 Magda Jehlářová MB 6-3 Fr. HS Přerov, Czech Republic/Gymnázium Olomouc Hejčín 16 Weronika Wojdyla OH 6-2 Fr. HS Kraków, Poland/Sparta Karow 17 Gabbie Heller OH 6-0 R-Fr. RS Los Gatos, Calif./St. Francis HS 18 Reagan Cooper OH 6-1 Fr. HS Dallas, Texas/Parish Episcopal School 19 Ashley Brown S 5-9 Sr. 2V Prosper, Texas/Prosper HS (Oklahoma) Letterwinners Returning/Lost/Newcomers: 5/6/7. Returning starters in bold. TEAM OUTLOOK Ranked No. 22 in the preseason, the Cougs are riding the best three-year stretch in program his- tory, advancing to the NCAA regional semifinal for the first time since 2008. Looking to continue its postseason streak, Washington State's challenge in 2019 is having just four letterwinners back, including redshirt senior Jocelyn Urias (pictued), senior Alexis Dirige, and senior Ashley Brown, as well as junior Penny Tusa. In addition, seven newcomers join the team and four redshirts get to hit the court this season. It will be a young and inexperienced, but talented, squad on the court in 2019. STRENGTHS • Washington State's returnees will carry the load this season but those that are back made significant contributions. Senior Ashley Brown returns to direct the offense after averaging 10.5 assists per set last season and was one of just two student-athletes to start in every match. She was sixth in the Pac-12 in the category, helping the Cougs set the program record for points in a season, breaking a 16-year old record. • Redshirt Jocelyn Urias ranked in the top 10 in the Pac-12 in hitting percentage and service aces. She has also been a member of the Mexican National Teams, taking part in international competitions. One of just two Cougs to start every match last season, she helped WSU rank second in the Conference in team blocks per set, ranking behind only NCAA Champion Stanford. • Senior Alexis Dirige is among the best liberos in Washington State history and was the fastest to 1,000 career digs in program history. She also ranked seventh in the Pac-12 in digs per set. Her ability to keep the ball up is key for WSU's success. • Junior Penny Tusa leads the outside hitting corp made of of just freshmen or redshirts. She saw action in 116 sets and started 14 matches last season. CONCERNS • Washington State and head coach Jen Greeny is going to have to work through her team's lack of experience with 11 student-athletes on the squad entering the season for their first collegiate seasons. In particular, the offensive produc- tion coming from the outside hitters has just one returnee in Penny Tusa. Though she played in the majority of the matches, she saw limited attack opportunities and needs to improve her hitting percentage. However, she can draw on her experience in those matches to help lead the young Cougs. • Though there are veterans at the setter, libero and middle blocker positions, WSU will still need to rely heavily on the newcomers. Of significance will be how quickly Greeny can acclimate the newcomers to the team and to the competi- tion it will face. 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) 2011-18 Washington State (8 years) 132-130 (.504) 47-115 (.290) 4-3 (.571) Career totals (12 years) 244-154 (.613) 96-125 (.434) 4-3 (.571) 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. 2019 WASHINGTON STATE ROSTER