Once Again, Pac-10 Looks Formidable Stanford The Clear Favorite, But Next Five All Pose Serious Threats

Cindy Fredrick claims this is going to be the toughest year ever in the history of Pacific-10 Conference volleyball.

Isn’t that what the Washington State University coach said this time last year?

“We’re going to be the strongest we’ve ever been from top to bottom, with the exception of maybe Arizona State. But they could come around, too,” said Fredrick, who guided her team a second-place 14-4 conference record last season.

The opinion seems to be nationwide. Just like last year, the Pac-10 fills five spots in the USA Today/ American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25 preseason poll.

Defending national champion Stanford begins at No. 1. The Cougars are next at No. 7, followed by No. 15 USC, No. 19 Washington and No. 21 UCLA.

The conference coaches feel differently. Stanford received nine of 10 first-place votes. But USC was picked second, followed by UCLA. The Cougars, the only other team aside from Stanford to receive a first-place vote, were picked to finish fourth.

“Obviously, the Pac-10 coaches got to see (Pac-10 player of the year) Sarah Silvernail week in and week out. Our team is going to go out and prove we weren’t just one player,” Cougars assistant coach Keri Killebrew said.

Stanford (31-2 last year), whose only losses were to Pacific and Washington State, return three-time All-American Kristin Folkl, Debbie Lambert, Barbara Ifejika, Kerri Walsh and setter Lisa Sharpley.

Although everyone except Walsh is a senior, it’s Walsh, already a first-team All-American, who’s most feared. In her first year, the middle blocker led her team with 521 kills (.369).

Walsh underwent right shoulder surgery in April and is still recuperating. She did not play at Stanford’s State Farm/NACWAA Classic Friday and Saturday.

“They’re good. There’s no doubt about it. But they’re beatable,” Fredrick said. “It’s the people that sit around and say, ‘They’re so good, they’re so good,’ that aren’t ever going to beat them. I think my kids are not in awe of Stanford anymore. They have tremendous respect for Stanford, but it’s not an untouchable feeling anymore.”

The Bruins (17-14), plagued by bizarre injuries and sickness last season, should be back to normal form and back in the NCAA Tournament. Their key returning hitters behind veteran setter Kim Coleman are senior Kara Milling and sophomore Elisabeth Bachman. Milling and Bachman were both members of USA Volleyball’s World University Games team.

USC (21-9), a final-16 team last year, also returns three starters in juniors Jasmina Marinkovic and Jennifer Kessey and setter Janice Mounts. The Trojans top recruit, Janae Henry was voted Volleyball Magazine’s high school player of the year.

The Huskies (23-8) return four starters and are anchored by senior middle blocker Makare Desilets, one of the best leapers in the country. Last year, Desilets finished fourth in the nation in blocks per game (1.80).

Sophomore Tamara VanEngelen, a North Central graduate, will be the third blocker behind Desilets and Leslie Tuiasosopo. Her playing time is expected to increase, but a starting spot is probably a year away.

“Too many people are overlooking Washington. Washington is a great team,” Fredrick said.

Last season, the Cougars opened the Pac-10 season with a three-game loss at Washington. Its other losses were vs. Penn State, at Stanford (twice), at USC and at Arizona.

Arizona (20-10), a second-round loser to Pacific in the NCAAs, returns four senior starters. However, it’s sophomore middle blocker Erin Aldrich who’s hardest to stop.

The league’s lower-division teams - Oregon State (6-12), Arizona State (4-14), Oregon (3-15) and California (3-15) - still are expected to be the spoilers. And in a conference like this, any upset is possible.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: GOING POLLING Pac-10 Conference preseason coaches poll. (Points in parenthesis.) 1. Stanford (90) 2. USC (76) 3. UCLA (70) 4. WSU (66) 5. Washington (59) 6. Arizona (56) 7. Oregon State (41) 8. California (36) 9. Oregon (24) 10. Arizona State (21)