Carlson Verbals, Gold on the Beach, Going for Gold Inside

#1 posting 8.21.2008
your daily dose of girls volleyball news & information

CARLSON VERBALS
Ariel Carlson of Alexandria has veballed Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi on August 16th. Ari is a 6-1 MB/RH from Alexandria, MN - who has played the last two JO season for M1 18-1s and M1 17-1s, and has trained in the USA Volleyball A1 Development Program at Colorado Springs, CO for the last two summers. Ari is listed in the Breakdown's Fab 50 Seniors for this upcoming season and also as one of the Top 5 Right Sides.

Carlson is the 15th overall player from the Minnesota 2009 class to verbal and the 11th headed to a D1 program.

PREVIEWS
HIGH SCHOOL
A veteran Mankato East team is being led by new coach Kari Rodman. From the Mankato Free Press.

The Fargo Forum has capsule reviews of the eight teams in the Fargo area including Moorhead, DGF, and Park Christian.

D2
Bemidji State looks to improve under second year coach Laurie Bitter. Joining her this year is her daughter Courtney. From the Bemidji Pioneer.

POLLS
D1: Colorado State is 17th in the D1 AVCA poll.
Creighton is picked for third in the Missouri Valley.

D2: UM Duluth is 8th in the D2 AVCA poll.

D3: Bethel has received votes in the D3 AVCA poll.

SCRIMMAGE
D1: Iowa State will hold a clinic and then scrimmage on Saturday in Ames. The scrimmage starts at 1 pm.

Betsy (Spicer) Brookbank (Illinois '99) will return for the Illinois scrimmage on Saturday at 7 pm.

D2: The SW MN State women's volleyball team will hold its annual late show scrimmage tonight. From the Marshall Independent.

CC: Defending NJCAA D3 national champ Central Lakes will scrimmage their alumni on Saturday at noon. From the Brainerd Dispatch.

ON LINE CHAT
Washington State women's volleyball coach Andrew Palileo will hold an online chat on August 25. Readers can submit questions.

MEDIA
Michigan State held their media day yesterday. They also have a preseason video preview.

BIG 10
New Hawkeye coach Sharon Dingman says Iowa will not be outworked.

The Wisconsin Badgers feature "Meet the Freshman" look at Kelsey Maroney.

NOTEBOOK
In the NCAA Notebook: Penn State will not have an easy path to repeating this year.

OLYMPICS
GOLD:
Americans Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor have repeated as beach volleyball Olympic champions. They defeated the host Chinese pair of Jie Wang and Jia Tian 21-18, 21-18. From the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

GOING FOR GOLD:
The American indoor women's volleyball team got revenge against Cuba in the semifinals in Beijing in a sweep. Earlier in the tournament The Americans lost to Cuba. Former Gopher Lindsey Berg is a reason the squad is playing in their first gold medal game since 1984.

The American indoor men's volleyball team edged out Serbia in five games. Coach Hugh McCutcheon is an important part of the win. Player Lloy Ball states:

"Obviously, from a tactical and technical standpoint, it's an enormous help to have the guy who has been leading us. But just to know that when we look over there, our fearless leader — our captain, our general — who has been in every battle we've had in the last quad (four-year cycle), is there to get our back again."

McCutcheon missed the first few games in the Olympics after the stabbing death of his father in law Todd Bachman of Lakeville. From the Pioneer Press.

Next up: later today with the first of the out & abouts this year.