Slade Named Cal Pac MVP
3 Others Named to All-Cal Pac Teams
Senior outside hitter Therese Slade was named the 2005 California Pacific Conference Most Valuable Player this week. The Tracy, CA native was a 1st Team All-Cal Pac selection last year and led her Hawk teammates to a 12-2 Cal Pac record, finishing just one match behind champion Menlo College. Holy Names was the only team to beat the Oaks in the last two years. Slade led the Cal Pac in kills and hitting percentage recording an impressive 197 kills and a .409 hitting percentage.
The Lady Hawks' Brittney Woodsmall received 1st Team All-Cal Pac honors as well while sophomore Colleen Boston and freshman Miya Frank were named to the All-Cal Pac 2nd team and Honorable Mention All-Cal Pac team respectively.
Lady Hawks Close Out Season in Style
HNU Honors Seniors Slade, Amwake, Hartkopf
Oakland, CA - Holy Names Women's Volleyball went out in style Thursday night sending their seniors off with a 3-0 sweep of Pacific Union College on "Senior Night". Therese Slade, Abra Amwake and Rebekah Hartkopf were victorious in their last match in Tobin Gym and what unfortunately turned out to be their last collegiate contest. Needing a win over PUC and a Dominican win over Menlo to force a three way tie for the Cal Pac Championship, the Lady Hawks did their part but helplessly watched as Menlo swept the Penguins in route to their second consecutive Cal Pac title.
Hartkopf led the way against Pacific Union with 11 kills on 15 attempts, 5 service aces and 9 digs. Amwake recorded 9 kills, 3 aces and 5 digs while Slade, the team's only four year senior, notched 6 kills, 9 aces and 10 digs. Slade closes out her career as both the program's single season and career leader in kills.
Holy Names closes out the season with a 12-2 conference record and a second place finish in the Cal Pac standings. After an 0-5 start Head Coach Erika Rinset's squad won 15 of their last 19 matches to post a 15-9 overall record including the program's first ever victory over CSU East Bay (formerly CSU Hayward) in a 3-2 thriller on November 4.
Slade Named Cal Pac Player of the Week
Senior outside hitter Therese Slade was named the California Pacific Conference Player of the Week for her efforts in wins over Menlo College (3-1), Bethany University (3-0) and a 3-1 loss to rival Dominican University. In the win over previously unbeaten Menlo the Tracy native recorded an impressive 39 kills. With the win the Lady Hawks ended Menlo's streak of 26 consecutive Cal Pac wins. In the loss to Dominican, Slade recorded 16 kills and 14 digs. In eleven games on the week she recorded 69 kills (6.3 per), 29 digs (2.6 per) and added 3 service aces. Holy Names sits at 8-2 in Cal Pac play.
HNU Snaps Menlo's Unbeaten Streak
Lady Hawks Beat Oaks 3-1
Atherton, CA - Holy Names University avenged an earlier 3-2 heartbreaking loss to first place Menlo handing the Oaks their first Cal Pac loss since Nov. 8, 2003 with a 30-27, 30-20, 27-30, 30-15 win. Menlo had run off 26 consecutive Cal Pac wins going 18-0 last season and starting this season 7-0. Senior Therese Slade recorded an impressive 39 kills in the four game match while freshman Miya Frank added 15. Setter Brittney Woodsmall dished out 62 assists.
Holy Names traveled to Scotts Valley on Saturday and swept Bethany University 3-0 to improve to 9-2 in Cal Pac play. The Lady Hawks must beat Dominican and hope for a Penguin win over Menlo to force a 3 way tie in the Cal Pac. Holy Names plays Dominican in San Rafael on Friday, October 28.
Dominican Wins in Four
Holy Names Drops to Third Place
Oakland, CA - Dominican University won the battle for sole possession of second place in the Cal pac Volleyball standings with a 30-20, 30-24, 28-30, 30-20 win over host Holy Names University. Both teams came into the match with just one conference loss apiece, both coming to first place Menlo College. Dominican improves to 6-1 while Holy Names drops to 7-2.
The Penguins took control early winning the first two games decisively. Dominican was led by Maren Dermody's 17 kills and .762 hitting percentage. Jessica Woodall added 10 kills and 20 digs while Rose Chavez contributed 24 digs herself. Therese Slade once again led the Lady Hawks with 16 kills. Setter Brittney Woodsmall dished out 52 assists and libero Colleen Boston recorded a match high 25 digs.
Women's Volleyball Matches Postponed
Dates to be Announced Later
The women's volleyball matches scheduled for this Friday and Saturday, September 23rd and 24th on the campus of Holy Names University have been postponed and will be rescheduled at a later date. The matches with Dominican University and Notre Dame de Namur University are tentatively rescheduled for October 12 and November 12 to be confirmed later. Confirmation of the dates will be posted here.
Slade, Boston Repeat Winners
Named Cal Pac POWs Again
Therese Slade and Colleen Boston were named as the California Pacific Conference's Player and Libero of the Week respectively for the second consecutive week. This weekend's matches provided mixed results as Holy Names lost a heartbreaking 5 game match to defending champion Menlo College on Friday before turning around and sweeping Bethany University on Saturday. Slade put up impressive numbers recording 37 kills, 44 digs and 5 service aces in the 8 games while hitting at a .378 clip. Against Menlo the 5-8 senior recorded 23 kills and 32 digs in defeat. Boston meanwhile dug everything in site against the Oaks recording 43 digs in the match. She followed that up with 20 digs in the Bethany win giving her 63 digs in the 8 games, an impressive 7.9 gigs per game. Holy Names dropped to 3-1 after the weekend and sit in second place behind Menlo.
Holy Names Sweeps the Bruins
Lady Hawks Improve to 3-1
Holy Names bounced back from a devastating loss Friday night to sweep the visiting Bethany University Bruins. Holy Names improved their Cal Pac record to 3-1 with game scores of 30-24, 30-21, 30-16. Therese Slade led the offensive charge with 14 kills while Jennifer Perkins recorded 9. Brittany Woodsmall dished out 29 assists while defensive specialist Colleen Boston recorded 20 digs. Bethany's Emily White and Christine Axtell recorded 15 and 12 digs respectively in the loss.
Holy Names is next in action next Friday night as they host arch rival Dominican University. The match begins at 7:00PM
Defending Champs Prevail
Menlo's Comeback Downs the Hawks
Oakland, CA - The Holy Names Lady Hawks held a 2-0 lead and a 27-20 advantage in game 3 but could not deliver the knockout punch as Menlo College, the defending Cal Pac Champs, came all the way back to take the 3-2 thriller. Menlo won game three 38-36 before a raucous Holy Names crowd and went on to take games four and five for the win.
The loss marks the first conference defeat for the Lady Hawks who drop to 2-1 while Menlo remains perfect at 2-0. Malia Pires and Kari Shimomura led the Oaks with 15 and 14 kills respectively. Shimomura added 15 assists and 18 digs while teammate Christa Hewett recorded 37 digs.
Senior Therese Slade had a monster game in defeat as she recorded 23 kills and 32 digs in the match. Jennifer Perkins added 13 kills on 19 attempts while Colleen Boston notched 43 digs. Holy Names takes on Bethany University tomorrow night at 7pm in Tobin Gymnasium.
Slade, Boston Grab Cal Pac Honors
Named Player and Libero of the Week
Senior Therese Slade and sophomore Colleen Boston were named the California Pacific Conference Player and Libero of the Week respectively for their efforts this past week. Slade and Boston helped lead their team to a perfect 2-0 start in Cal Pac play with 3-0 sweeps of William Jessup University and Simpson University.
Slade hit at a torrid .475 recording 22 kills on 40 attempts with just 3 errors on the weekend. The 2005 1st Team All-Cal Pac selection added an impressive 17 service aces and 12 digs in the 6 games. Boston meanwhile led the defensive charge with 17 digs in the two matches with no service receive errors. The Oakland native added 2 service aces in the win at Jessup.
Holy Names meets up with the 2005 Cal Pac Champion Menlo College Oaks Friday night in Holy Names' Tobin Gymnasium. The match begins at 7:00pm.
Lady Hawks Open Cal Pac With a Bang
Post Perfect 2-0 Weekend
After completing a brutal preseason schedule with a dissapointing 0-5 record, the Holy Names Women's Volleyball program began the season that matters with a bang. Holy Names improved to 2-5 on the season with back to back 3-0 sweeps of conference foes William Jessup and Simpson Universities. HNU traveled to Willam Jessup on Friday and won in decisive fashion with scores of 30-7, 30-10 and 30-17. Senior Therese Slade led the attack as she recorded 14 kills on 21 attempts with just 1 error (.619). Slade, a 1st Team All-Cal Pac selection last season, added 7 service aces and 10 digs in the win. Freshman Miya Frank chipped with 7 kills, 7 aces and 2 blocks.
The next night Holy Names returned home to crush the visiting Redhawks 30-11, 30-18 and 30-6 to complete the perfect weekend. Frank and Slade again led the way with 11 and 8 kills respectively with SLade adding 10 service aces. Senior Abra Amwake dished out 20 assists to go along with 3 kills and 7 digs. The Lady Hawks are next in action this Friday as they host the defending Cal Pac Champions Menlo College. Menlo swept through the Cal Pac last year with a perfect 18-0 record. Menlo enters this weekend with a 1-0 conference mark. Match starts at 7pm.
Cal Maritime Cancels Volleyball Season
Cal Pac member CSU Maritime officaly canceled their 2005 volleyball season for lack of participation. The announcement came this week and reduces the Cal Pac schedule to 16 matches for each team. Holy Names was originaly schedule to play at Maritime on October 8 and host the Keelhaulers on November 11.
HNU Competes in Concordia Festival
Two of Four Losses to Top 5 Teams
Irvine, CA - The Holy Names Women's Volleyball team made a swing through the GSAC, the NAIA's toughest conference for women's volleyball, and returned with four losses in four tries. Two of the four losses came at the hands of teams ranked in the nation's top 5 as both #2 Fresno Pacific and #5 Concordia, the tournament host, swept the Hawks in three straight. Holy Names also lost 3-0 to Vanguard University and 3-1 to Westmont College.
Of the six GSAC teams competing in the tournament, 5 had perfect 4-0 records while Westmont went 3-1. The GSAC has produced the last two National Champions and boast 5 teams currently ranked in the Top 25.
Holy Names begins Cal Pac play this weekend as they travel to William Jessup Friday and host Simpson on Saturday. Both matches begin at 7:00PM. For complete tournament coverage and results click here.
Holy Names Drops Opener
OIT Downs Hawks in 4
Oakland, CA - Holy Names University dropped their first match of the season tonight, a 3-1 setback at the hands of visiting Oregon Tech before a raucous crowd in Tobin Gymnasium. Tech, who improves to 3-3 with the win, jumped out to a 2-0 lead with tight 30-28 and 32-30 wins. Holy Names bounced back to take a thrilling game three 38-36 before succumbing in game four 30-22.
Tech was led by setter Megan Albertson who dished out 49 assists and recorded 7 kills and 11 digs. Michelle Klaja added 15 kills and 14 digs while Marcie Mitner recorded 14 kills on 26 attempts with just 2 errors for a .462 hitting percentage. Holy Names meanwhile was led by senior outside hitter Therese Slade who notched 18 kills and 12 digs. Freshman Amber Kanoa recorded 17 kills in her first collegiate action.
Holy Names next will travel to compete in the Concordia University Labor Day Volleyball Festival held at Concordia University in Irvine, CA. The tournament is held September 2 and 3. Holy Names will play two matches a day.