All-American Joines powers Pacific over Utah State Saturday
It’s been somewhat of an injury-filled year for University of the Pacific middle blocker Jennifer Joines.
When she has not been injured, the two-time second-team American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-American has wreaked havoc on opposing defenses.
This was the case in UOP’s 3-0 victory over Utah State on Saturday night in the Spectrum as Joines hit a blistering .633, with 16 kills and zero attacking errors.
“[She was] a huge factor,” said Aggie senior Emily Kennedy. “She had a great hitting percentage tonight, and she had no errors. She’s just one incredible middle blocker.”
The Aggies were able to keep the junior out of the Tiger attack until late in the first game – Joines picked up her first kill with USU leading 23-17 – but it was all Joines from then on.
Not only did Joines help turn the tide to the Tigers’ side in the first game, she was the go-to player in the clutch. Joines picked up four of her kills with UOP ahead 23-19 in the third game, and the Aggies still within striking distance.
“She’s very good,” said USU Head Coach Burt Fuller. “We didn’t slow her down at all, obviously. They just got the ball to her, and they gave her decent support.”
Honoring the seniors
It wasn’t quite the way they wanted to go out, but Saturday night’s match was the final home match for four USU seniors.
Third-year Aggies Shauni Fluckiger, Emily Kennedy and Hailey Seedall were joined by second-year Aggie Rickie Rigby, and honored before the match.
The players were honored in a pre-match ceremony that showed baby and toddler pictures, as well as highlight clips of the USU seniors. The players were also given flowers, and joined on the court by their parents.
“I just wanted to give it my all,” Kennedy said when asked about senior night. “I always want to give it my all in every game, but tonight, of course, was a little more special because this is my home court, and the last time I’m going to be playing on it.”
One thing Rigby said she will especially miss about playing at the Spectrum is the boost Aggie fans give the team.
“Support is always huge, and it helps,” she said. “I mean, that’s one or two points a game, I think, just having a big crowd. It was great to see everybody out tonight.”
Although it has been an up-and-down year for the Aggies, Fluckiger, Kennedy, Seedall and Rigby have played a part in the program’s resurgence. What was a program that went 0-30 in 1995 has now established itself as a force in the Big West Conference, as USU has made consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
A block party
Led by middle blockers Joines and Elaine Goeders, and setter Hayley Anderson, the Tigers were able to finish the match with nearly twice as much block assists (18 to 10) as the Aggies.
Pacific was consistently able to challenge USU attacks with two blockers, and played a big factor in UOP’s sixth-straight road victory, said Pacific Head Coach Jayne McHugh.
“I think we put good pressure on them from the service line, and so when their setters are on the run, it’s usually easier to tell where the set is going,” she said. “I think we did a good job with that [tonight].”
While he gave credit to the Tiger blockers, Fuller said a lot of Pacific’s blocks were set up by USU’s inability to consistently pass the ball well.
“That’s what happens when you pass the ball 15 feet off the net,” he said. “There’s not a whole lot you can run [offensively] at that point.”
Rigby agreed.
“I think our passing struggled a little bit, and it just kind of compounded [matters] from there,” she said. “If we don’t pass well, then our middles aren’t able to be [effective], and that leaves two big blockers for the outsides to hit around – two huge blockers.”
Quotable
“I just wanted to be able to have a good performance, and wanted my team to have a good performance. I wanted to be able to remember my last home match as a cohesive unit.” – Senior Emily Kennedy said about playing her last home match.
By the Numbers
– 24 matches in which Aggie middle blocker Erin
Cartwright has had at least 10 kills.
– 19 kills by Tiger All-American Jennifer Joines.
– 18 block assists by the Tigers.
– 11 service errors committed by the Aggies.
– 8 more kills USU had in game one than UOP.
– 6 straight road victories by the Tigers.
– 4 Aggie seniors who played their last home
match.
– 3 Number of USU players who recorded double-
digits in kills.
– 0 attacking errors committed by Joines.
– jasonwturner@cc.usu.edu