2000 NCAA VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT
Duke Blue Devils vs. Arizona State Sun Devils
December 1, 2000
Minneapolis, Minn. (Sports Pavilion)
ASU WINS FIRST NCAA MATCH SINCE 1995: With tonight's 3-1 win over the Duke Blue Devils, ASU won its first postseason NCAA match since Dec. 3, 1995 when they beat the University of California-Santa Barbara Gauchos, 3-2. ASU is now 6-12 in the program's history in NCAA Tournament action. Arizona State will take on Minnesota or Robert Morris in second round action of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night at 7 p.m. CST at the Sports Pavilion on the University of Minnesota campus.
COUGHLIN NOTCHES 1,000th CAREER KILL: Junior outside hitter Jami Coughlin (Glendale, Ariz.) had one of her best matches of the year and in her three-year career. The junior tallied a team-high 19 kills and in doing so became only the 12th Sun Devil volleyball player in history to pass the 1,000 kill mark in a career. Coughlin now has 1,001 in her career. She also posted a career high with 26 digs vs. the Blue Devils. ASU's other current player with at least 1,000 kills, Amanda Burbridge, did not reach the 1,000 plateau until the first match of her senior year.
ASU IN NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY: The Arizona State Sun Devil volleyball program is making its 13th appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Sun Devils now hold a 6-12 record in NCAA Tournament play. The farthest ASU has advanced in postseason play is the Sweet 16. ASU has reached the Sweet 16 five times in school history, last in 1995 (3-1 loss to Hawai'i). Arizona State has a career 8-14 record in postseason, having played four matches in 1990 in the Women's Invitational Tournament. Patti Snyder-Park is now 6-7 in postseason play during her 12-year tenure in Tempe, having led seven teams to the NCAA Tournament.
FRESHMAN STEP UP IN FIRST NCAA MATCH: ASU's four freshman out of Chandler's Valley Christian High School all played exceptionally well in their first NCAA Tournament match. Setter Cheryl Anglin (Queen Creek, Ariz.) led all players with 63 assists, adding to her already freshman record for assists by a freshman in school history. Anglin now has 1,413 in her freshman campaign, tying for third place with Regina Stahl (1986) in the ASU record books. Opposite hitter Natalie Harris (Tempe, Ariz.) made only her third start of the year and contributed a career-high 12 kills and 14 digs. Courtney Blocher (Scottsdale, Ariz.) had 15 digs and a service ace and Kim Mehlhorn (Tempe, Ariz.) provided a spark off the bench as a defensive specialist in the fourth and fifth games.
COLD, COLD, COLD: The cold Minnesota weather has been quiet a change for the members of the ASU volleyball team. When the team left Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix, the temperature was 75? and sunny. Upon arriving in Minneapolis for the NCAA Tournament, the temperature was a balmy 30?. The is within walking distance of the Sports Pavilion and on their walk to practice Thursday evening, the whole team was decked out in Adidas parkas.
SUN DEVIL NOTES: Tonight's match with Duke was the first time in program history that the Sun Devils have faced the Blue Devils... the Sun Devils were 5-9 against teams that are in the 64-team NCAA Tournament field... before tonight's match with Duke, the Sun Devils had not played in 13 days (Arizona, 11/18)... with the 15-3 game one win, the Sun Devils have now won 23 first games this year and have posted a 17-7 record when they open a match with a win in game one... for only the third time in 2000, an ASU player other than Amanda Burbridge led the team in kills when Burbridge is in the lineup... Coughlin's 19 kills led the Sun Devils... with starting defensive specialist Ashley Hubbard struggling, Mehlhorn, normally a opposite hitter, made her debut at the defensive specialist position... Amanda Burbridge has still yet to have a match this year with less than double-digit kills and posted her 22nd double-double of the year... she now has 1,578 career kills, third best in ASU volleyball history.