Penn State's Megan Hodge is the fifth player ever to be a four-time first-team AVCA All-American

The AVCA announced its All-America teams today, with 42 student-athletes (three teams of 14) being recognized as All-Americans (full listing here). Highlighting the announcement is Penn State senior outside hitter Megan Hodge, who became just the fifth player in Division I history to be selected to the AVCA All-America First Team on four occasions. That pantheon of stars features a Stanford trio - Bev Oden (1989-92), Kerri Walsh (1996-99) and Logan Tom (1999-2002) - plus Nebraska's Sarah Pavan (2004-07), and now Hodge.

Here are some other notes about the selections:
• Four other players were tabbed first-team All-Americans for the second year in a row: Cal senior outside hitter Hana Cutura, Penn State senior setter Alisha Glass and the Texas senior duo of setter/hitter Ashley Engle and outside hitter Destinee Hooker.
• PSU had four selections on the first team (Hodge, Glass and juniors Blair Brown and Arielle Wilson), while Texas was the only other school to have more than one.
• Hawai'i outside hitter Kanani Danielson is the only sophomore on the first team.
• Junior libero Ashley Mass - the only primarily defensive player on the first team - gives Iowa State its first-ever AVCA first-team All-American, while junior setter Lexi Zimmerman is Michigan's first first-team honoree.
• Junior setter/hitter Cassidy Lichtman became the 40th Stanford player to be tabbed an AVCA first-team All-American. No school has had more honorees (Nebraska is next at 37).
• No freshman was tabbed an All-American this year (though nine were listed as honorable mention), but UCLA setter Lauren Cook was recognized as the AVCA Freshman of the Year.
• Seniors Brianna Barry (Florida State) and Rachel Rourke (Oregon State) were both tabbed to the All-America second team to become the first AVCA All-Americans in the history of their respective programs.
• Juniors Lindsay Fletemier (Dayton) and Ashley Benson (Indiana) also became the first AVCA All-Americans ever for their schools - having both been third-team selections.

We'll be able to watch many of the players earning All-America recognition on the court this week. Here are the players from the remaining teams that earned AVCA mention:
• PENN STATE - Blair Brown (1st team, Jr., RS/OPP); Alisha Glass (1st, Sr., S); Megan Hodge (1st, Sr., OH); Arielle Wilson (1st, Jr., MB); Darcy Dorton (honorable mention, Fr., OH)
• HAWAI'I - Kanani Danielson (1st team, So., OH); Aneli Cubi-Otineru (3rd, Sr., OH); Amber Kaufman (honorable mention, Sr., MB); Dani Mafua (honorable mention, Jr., S)
• MINNESOTA - Lauren Gibbemeyer (1st team, Jr., MB); Taylor Carico (3rd, Sr., S)
• TEXAS - Ashley Engle (1st team, Sr., S/H); Destinee Hooker (1st, Sr., OH); Juliann Faucette (3rd, Jr., OH)

Kourtney Edwards and TCU will make their NCAA tournament debut on Thursday

The wait is almost over, as the 2009 NCAA Championship will get underway on Thursday, with eight first-round matches - those being hosted by Texas, Illinois, Florida and Colorado State - scheduled to take place. On Friday, we'll have the second-round contests at each of those four sites, plus 22 first-round matches. Saturday will feature 11 more second-round matches, plus the two first-round clashes at Florida State. The second-round match at FSU will be the lone contest on Sunday.

The best way to follow the entire tournament is via NCAA.com's interactive bracket, which features the latest official matchup information, as well as live scoring of every match, video and audio links, pre-game statistical comparisons and individual leaders, and tournament statistical leaders.

Another cool thing to check out is the NCAA.com Bracket Challenge game, where you can view matchup information and make your predictions on who will win every match. You can even create a group and invite your friends to compete against you. You must fill out your bracket before the first tournament match - Florida International vs. Miami (Fla.) at 5 p.m. ET - begins.

Now let's take a look at Thursday's matches:

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL VS. MIAMI (Fla.)
Gainesville, Florida - 5 p.m. ET
FIU Basics: 31-3, 17-0 Sun Belt (1st, East Division), 15th in RPI, listed in tie for 35th in AVCA poll, 24-1 in last 25, 8-1 at neutral sites, 20-2 away from home, 1-2 all-time in NCAAs (2nd appearance in a row; 3rd overall)
Miami Basics: 18-12, 11-9 ACC (T-5th), 47th in RPI, 6-4 in last 10, 2-1 at neutral sites, 8-6 away from home, 2-1 all-time in NCAAs (1st appearance since 2002; 2nd overall
Notes: FIU senior outside hittger Yarimar Rosa, the national leader in kills in 2008 (5.12), was the Sun Belt Player of the Year in both 2008 and '09. FIU has one of the top offenses in the nation, ranking ninth in kills (14.65), 12th in assists (13.54) and 22nd in hitting percentage (.262), while Natalia Valentin ranks sixth individually in assists (11.96). Only Penn State has won more matches than FIU This season. You can read a feature on Miami senior libero Cassie Loessberg here. Previous 2009 Meeting: FIU won 26-24, 26-24, 25-17 on Sept. 10 at FIU; FIU hit .303; FIU's Yarimar Rosa had 17 kills and Chanel Araujo had 18 digs; no Miami player had more than eight kills

RICE VS. TCU
Austin, Texas - 5:30 p.m. ET
Rice Basics: 23-8, 11-5 C-USA (4th), Conference USA tournament champion, 39th in RPI, listed 41st in AVCA poll, won nine in a row, 2-0 at neutral sites, 11-3 away from home, 0-2 all-time in NCAAs (2nd appearance in a row; 3rd overall)
TCU Basics: 26-6, 13-3 MWC (2nd), 43rd in RPI, listed in tie for 37th in AVCA poll, 11-1 in last 12, 6-0 at neutral sites, 15-4 away from home, first appearance in NCAAs
Notes: Rice outside hitter Jessie Boulavsky is a first-team Academic All-American (one of just four in the tournament), having posted a 4.00 GPA in psychology and pre-med. Rice ranks third in Division I in assists (13.95) and kills (14.93), as well as sixth in digs (18.11). Neither team has ever won an NCAA tournament match.

DAYTON VS. MILWAUKEE
Champaign, Illinois - 5:30 p.m. ET
Dayton Basics: 29-3, 14-1 A-10 (T-1st), Atlantic 10 tournament champion, 23rd in RPI, 23rd in AVCA poll, won 9 in a row and 19 of last 20, 5-1 at neutral sites, 15-3 away from home, 2-5 all-time in NCAAs (3rd appearance in a row; 6th overall)
Milwaukee Basics: 16-14, 10-6 Horizon League (T-3rd), Horizon League tournament champion, 139th in RPI, won 11 in a row, 3-2 at neutral sites, 8-10 away from home, 0-7 all-time in NCAAs (2nd appearance in a row; 8th overall)
Notes: Dayton middle blocker Lindsay Fletemier, the Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Year, ranks eighth in the nation in hitting percentage (.405). Milwaukee libero Lauren Felsing is a two-time Academic All-American (2nd team in '08, 3rd team in '09). Milwaukee lost on Oct. 11 to fall to 5-14, but has not lost since.

TEXAS STATE AT (2) TEXAS
Austin, Texas - 7 p.m. ET
Texas Basics: 24-1, 19-1 Big 12 (1st), 1st in RPI, 2nd in AVCA poll, won 6 in a row, 10-0 at home, 53-24 all-time in NCAAs, including five final fours and the 1988 title (6th appearance in a row; 26th overall)
Texas State Basics: 22-12, 13-3 Southland (1st, West Division), 108th in RPI, won 13 in a row, 6-6 in true road matches, 11-10 away from home, 0-6 all-time in NCAAs (first appearance since 2007; 7th overall)
Notes: Texas has won 20 in a row at home and has won 30 of 31 sets at home this season. UT senior outside hitter Destinee Hooker is the Big 12 Player of the Year this year after being a first-team All-American in 2008 (and a second-team selection in 2007). She also is a thre-time NCAA champion in the high jump. She is first among players in the tournament in points (5.86; 3rd overall in DI), as well as second in kills (4.87; 5th overall). Texas ranks second to Penn State among all DI teams in hitting percentage (.335), as well as second to PSU among tourney teams in blocks (3.04; 4th overall). Texas has won 42 in a row against fellow Lone Star State schools, dating back to 2004.

(6) WASHINGTON VS. NORTHERN COLORADO
Fort Collins, Colorado - 7 p.m. ET
Washington Basics: 23-5, 13-5 Pac-10 (T-2nd), 5th in RPI, 6th in AVCA poll, 3-3 in last 6, 5-0 at neutral sites, 14-3 away from home, 28-12 all-time in NCAAs, including three final fours and 2003 title (8th straight appearance; 14th overall)
Northern Colorado Basics: 21-11, 12-4 Big Sky (T-2nd), Big Sky tournament champion, 106th in RPI, 9-2 in last 11, 3-3 at neutral sites, 12-8 way from home, first appearance in NCAAs since moving to Division I in 2004.
Notes: Washington ranks fifth among DI schools in hitting percentage (.288), while Bianca Rowland ranks third individually in hitting (.460). UW senior Jill Collymore - who is second among all tournament players in aces (0.54; 9th overall in DI) - is a two-time Academic All-American (2nd team in '09, 3rd team in '08). This is the first time any Northern Colorado team has ever qualified for the NCAA tournament.

COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON AT (16) FLORIDA
Gainesville, Florida - 7:30 p.m. ET
Florida Basics: 22-5, 16-4 SEC (2nd, Eastern Division), 16th in RPI, 14th in AVCA poll, 11-2 in last 13, 12-2 at home, 49-19 all-time in NCAAs, including 7 final fours (19th appearance in a row; 20th overall)
College of Charleston Basics: 18-12, 12-4 SoCon (2nd, South Division), Southern Conference tournament champion, 95th in RPI, 11-2 in last 13, 6-6 in true road matches, 9-10 away from home, 1-5 all-time in NCAAs (first appearance since 2007; 6th overall)
Notes: UF's Kelly Murphy was the AVCA National Freshman of the Year and a third-team All-American in 2008. Florida ranks seventh nationally in hitting percentage (.288), as well as 13th in kills (14.56) and 19th in assists). The College of Charleston is 29th in blocks (2.57).

IPFW AT (5) ILLINOIS
Champaign, Illinois - 8 p.m. ET
Illinois Basics: 24-5, 16-4 Big Ten (2nd), 4th in RPI, 8th in AVCA poll, 15-2 in the last 17, 11-1 at home, 23-17 all-time in NCAAs, including two final fours (2nd straight appearance; 18th overall)
IPFW: 20-11, 11-7 Summit League (3rd), Summite League tournament champion, 128th in RPI, 8-2 in last 10, 7-5 in true road matches, 9-5 away from home, first NCAA appearance since moving to Division I in 2001.
Notes: Illinois junior middle blocker Johannah Bangert is the nation's leader in blocks per set, at 1.58. U of I junior outside hitter Laure DeBruler ranks sixth among tournament players in kills (4.49; 14th overall) and seventh in points (4.98; 14th overall). Illinois has won 19 matches in a row at home, excluding contests against Penn State.

MIDDLE TENNESSEE AT COLORADO STATE
Fort Collins, Colorado - 9:30 p.m. ET
Colorado State Basics: 23-5, 15-1 Mountain West (1st), 18th in RPI, 25th in AVCA poll, 7-1 in last 8 and 19-2 in last 21, 13-3 at home, 18-20 all-time in NCAAs (15th consecutive appearance; 20th overall)
Middle Tennessee Basics: 25-9, 15-2 Sun Belt (2nd, East Division), 30th in RPI, 5-1 in last 6 and 15-2 in last 17, 9-3 in true road matches, 11-6 away from home, 4-4 all-time in NCAAs (4th consecutive appearance; 5th overall)
Notes: CSU junior outside hitter Danielle Minch is the Mountain West Player of the Year. Colorado State is 16th in the nation in blocks, at 2.70 per set. Middle Tennessee ranks ninth nationally - and second among unseeded tournament teams - in hitting percentage (.285). Individually, MTSU's Stacy Oladinni is one of just nine DI players to be hitting over .400 (.403).

Tiffany Gaerke and Dayton rallied to with the Atlantic 10 title

The field for the 2009 NCAA Championship - which will be revealed in full on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on ESPNews - is beginning to crystallize, as 20 more teams earned automatic bids over the weekend. In all, we now have 23 automatic qualifiers into the field, with eight more auto bids to be handed out this week (see below for a rundown of when those will be decided). Near the bottom of this post is an updated chart that shows the automatic qualifiers from every conference, but first here are some of the highlights from one of the most-exciting weekends of the season:

• Top-ranked Penn State had its streak of nine consecutive sweeps ended on Friday when Purdue took the opening set by a 31-29 score, but the Nittany Lions rebounded for the victory and then won in three on Saturday at Indiana to secure PSU's seventh consecutive outright Big Ten title. Penn State has now won 94 straight matches.
• No. 15 Florida State swept both Boston College and Maryland to earn its first-ever ACC championship. The Seminoles have won 15 straight matches and are 27-2 on the season and 18-1 in league play.
• The other regular-season title that was determined over the weekend went to Long Beach State - which swept UC Riverside on Friday and then outlasted UC Irvine in five sets on Saturday. The 49ers were down 4-1 in the final set against the Anteaters, but rallied to win the match and their second consecutive Big West crown. The Beach will make its 23rd consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament.
• One of the best matchups in tournament play came in the final of the Atlantic 10 Championship, which saw Dayton rally from losing the first two sets to win in five against No. 20 Saint Louis.
• Louisville came into the weekend in some danger of missing the NCAA tournament for the first time in 12 years. But the Cardinals, playing at home, proceeded to knock of No. 23 Notre Dame - which had been 14-0 in BIG EAST play - in five in the semifinals and then down second-seeded Cincinnati in the final of the league tournament.
• Rice also defeated the top two seeds in its league tournament en route to taking the title on their home court. The Owls defeated top-seeded Southern Miss in the semis and then took down Tulsa in the championship match to win the Conference USA championship
• Albany won all 10 regular-season league matches in America East, sprinting away from the rest of the conference (four teams tied for second with 5-5 records). But the Great Danes were upset in the final of the league tournament, as Binghamton came through with a four-set win.
• Florida International had won 23 consecutive matches - dating back to Sept. 12 - but the Golden Panthers were upset by Middle Tennessee in the championship match of the Sun Belt tournament.
• Another team that had gone unbeaten in league play but couldn't get it done in the tournament was North Dakota State. The Bison were 18-0 in Summit League action during the regular season, but then lost in five sets to third-seeded IPFW in the championship match.
• Furman was 16-0 in the Southern Conference during the regular season, but ended up getting swept by the College of Charleston in the final of the SoCon tournament.
• There were teams that continued their conference dominance through the tournament. Lipscomb was 20-0 in the Atlantic Sun during the regular season and cruised through the league tournament - while Long Island was unbeaten in 16 regular-season Northeast Conference matches and didn't drop a set in the NEC tourney.
• Two conferences - the MEAC and SWAC - featured title matches pitting teams that had been unbeaten in league play against each other. Florida A&M swept Maryland Eastern Shore for its ninth consecutive MEAC title, while Alabama A&M swept Grambling State in the SWAC.
• In non-tournament action, the Pac-10 (again) featured a bunch of great matchups. Two of the best saw No. 6 Stanford top 19th-ranked Arizona and 18th-ranked Oregon beat No. 7 UCLA - both in five sets. In other matches between ranked teams, No. 15 USC swept the Ducks and the Wildcats beat 11th-ranked Cal in four.
• In the SEC, 13th-ranked Florida topped No. 10 Kentucky in four sets, but also lost in four to Tennessee.
• No. 14 Michigan won the premier match in the Big Ten with a sweep of 12th-ranked Minnesota.
• No. 24 Baylor had a tough week, getting swept by second-ranked Texas and No. 9 Nebraska.

A QUICK LOOK AT THIS WEEK'S BIDS
Here is a look at when each of the eight remaining automatic berths will be handed out:

MONDAY - The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship final takes place tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET in Buffalo and will be shown live on ESPNU. It features second-seeded Niagara (22-8, 14-4; RPI: 162) facing fourth-seeded Marist (18-12, 11-7; RPI: 219) - which upset the league's regular-season champion, Fairfield, in the semifinals.
TUESDAY - The Colonial Athletic Association Championship final will be played at 7 p.m. ET in Richmond, Va.
WEDNESDAY - No. 3 Hawai'i will look to capture the Western Athletic Conference Championship, as the title match begins at 6:30 p.m. MT in Las Vegas. Also, the Southeastern Conference champion will be determined - and it's assured that Florida's NCAA-record streak of 18 consecutive titles will be ended. No. 17 LSU already has clinched a share of the SEC crown, having completed league play with an 18-2 mark. But 10th-ranked Kentucky can grab a share of the title with a win at Tennessee (which beat UK in four sets in Lexington on Oct. 21) on Wednesday - and the Wildcats would earn the league's automatic bid due to a season sweep of the Tigers. No. 2 Texas also can clinch the Big 12 Conference title and automatic bid with a victory at Oklahoma (UT can also do so with a win on Saturday against Kansas). Also, No. 4 Washington plays host to Oregon State. A win by the Huskies would pull them into a tie for first in the Pac-10, with Stanford.
FRIDAY - The Pac-10 crown will be decided, and the two top contenders both have tough home matches to finish the regular season. Fourth-ranked Washington - which starts the week at 12-4 in league play - plays host to No. 18 Oregon, while sixth-ranked Stanford (13-4 in the Pac-10) welcomes archrival and 11th-ranked Cal.
SATURDAY - The final two automatic bids will be handed out. No. 20 Northern Iowa - which went unbeaten in league play - hopes to be in the Missouri Valley Conference Championship final that starts at 3 p.m. CT and will be televised on a host of networks. The final automatic qualifier will be the Big Sky Conference champion, which will be determined in the tournament final that begins at 7 p.m. PT in Cheney, Wash.
SUNDAY - The entire 64-team bracket for the 2009 NCAA Championship will be revealed at 3 p.m. ET on ESPNews.

Annie Fesl and Cincinnati hope to be playing in the BIG EAST final on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on ESPNU

It's one of the biggest weekends of the season, as 17 teams will clinch automatic bids to the NCAA Championship this weekend. Six of those will be handed out on Saturday, starting with the America East Conference final that begins at 1 p.m. ET. Fans of teams fighting for at-large bids should probably be pulling for Albany (America East), Lipscomb (Atlantic Sun) and North Dakota State (Summit) to win their tournaments, as well as either Florida International or Middle Tennessee in the Sun Belt.

On Sunday, 11 more squads will punch their tickets to the tourney. Bubble teams will likely be hoping that Tulane (Conference USA), Furman (SoCon) and Ohio (MAC) win their tournaments, and that either Notre Dame or Cincinnati takes the BIG EAST and either Saint Louis or Dayton wins the Atlantic 10.

In addition to the conference tournaments, there are seven matchups of ranked teams this weekend and 11 televised matches. Below is a complete list of all of the matches involving a Top-25 team, all of the televised matches and all of the conference finals with an NCAA bid at stake.

WEEKEND SCOREBOARD WATCH
All Times Eastern
Friday
No. 23 Notre Dame vs. Seton Hall (BIG EAST quarterfinals), 3:30 p.m. - Live Stats
No. 1 Penn State at Purdue, 7 p.m. - Live Stats
South Carolina at No. 10 Kentucky, 7 p.m. - Live Stats
No. 12 Minnesota at No. 14 Michigan, 7 p.m. - Live Stats
No. 13 Florida at Tennessee, 7 p.m. - Free Video | Live Stats
Boston College at No. 15 Florida State, 7 p.m. - Live Stats
Iowa at No. 5 Illinois, 8 p.m. - Live Stats
Mississippi State at No. 17 LSU, 8 p.m. - Live Stats
Creighton at No. 21 Northern Iowa, 8 p.m. - Live Stats
New Mexico at TCU, 8 p.m. - TV: The Mtn. (airs Friday, 9:30 p.m. ET) | Free Video | Live Stats
No. 6 Stanford at No. 19 Arizona, 9 p.m. - Free Video | Live Stats
No. 11 California at Arizona State, 9:30 p.m. - Live Stats
No. 7 UCLA at Oregon State, 10 p.m. - Free Video | Live Stats
No. 15 USC at No. 18 Oregon, 10 p.m. - Live Stats
Saturday
America East Conference Championship, 1 p.m. - Tournament Central
Big South Conference Championship, 2 p.m. - Tournament Central
UNLV at No. 25 Colorado State, 3 p.m. - Live Stats
Atlantic Sun Conference Championship, 3 p.m. - Tournament Central
No. 23 Notre Dame at Louisville (BIG EAST semifinals), 3:30 p.m. - Live Stats
No. 9 Nebraska at Kansas, 4 p.m. - Live Stats
Portland at No. 22 Saint Mary's, 4 p.m. - Live Stats
Sun Belt Conference Championship, 4 p.m. - Tournament Central
BYU at San Diego State, 4 p.m. - TV: CBSC (airs Tuesday, 11 p.m. ET) | Free Video | Live Stats
No. 8 Iowa State at Missouri, 6 p.m. - Live Stats
No. 1 Penn State at Indiana, 7 p.m. - Live Stats
No. 20 Saint Louis vs. Xavier (A10 Semifinals), 7:30 p.m. - Live Stats
No. 2 Texas at No. 24 Baylor, 8 p.m. - Live Stats
Wisconsin at No. 5 Illinois, 8 p.m. - Live Stats
No. 12 Minnesota at Michigan State, 8 p.m. - TV: Big Ten Network (airs Sunday, 8 p.m. ET) | Live Stats
Drake at No. 21 Northern Iowa, 8 p.m. - Live Stats
Summit League Championship, 8 p.m. - Tournament Central
Ohio Valley Conference Championship, 8:30 p.m. - Tournament Central
No. 6 Stanford at Arizona State, 9 p.m. - Live Stats
Washington State at No. 4 Washington, 10 p.m. - TV: FSN (delayed) | Free Video | Live Stats
No. 15 USC at Oregon State, 10 p.m. - Free Video | Live Stats
No. 7 UCLA at No. 18 Oregon, 11 p.m. - Live Stats
Sunday
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship, Noon - TV: ESPNU (airs 10 p.m. ET) | Tournament Central
Horizon League Championship, 1 p.m. - Tournament Central
Northeast Conference Championship, 1 p.m. - Tournament Central
Maryland at No. 15 Florida State, 1 p.m. - Live Stats
No. 13 Florida at No. 10 Kentucky, 2 p.m. - TV: FSN | Live Stats
Conference USA Championship, 2 p.m. - TV: CBSC | Tournament Central
Southern Conference Championship, 2 p.m. - Tournament Central
Auburn at Mississippi, 2 p.m. - TV: CSS | Live Stats
Alabama at No. 17 LSU, 2:30 p.m. - Live Stats
No. 11 California at No. 19 Arizona, 3 p.m. - Free Video | Live Stats
BIG EAST Conference Championship, 3 p.m. - TV: ESPNU | Tournament Central
Mid-American Conference Championship, 3 p.m. - Tournament Central
Southland Conference Championship, 3 p.m. - Tournament Central
Atlantic 10 Conference Championship, 4 p.m. - TV: CBSC | Tournament Central
Patriot League Championship, 4 p.m. - Tournament Central
Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship, 8 p.m. - TV: ESPNU | Tournament Central

Lauren Williams and USC posted a pair of big victories

Top-ranked Penn State rose to the challenge again on Friday night, sweeping No. 5 Illinois 25-20, 27-25, 25-15 at home in front of 4,163 fans. Blair Brown pounded 17 kills on .538 hitting ans senior Alisha Glass set the Nittany Lions to a .350 team hitting mark. Illinois was led by Laura DeBruler, who had 18 kills on .421 hitting. PSU then swept Northwestern on Saturday for its 92nd consecutive win - which ties the North Carolina women's soccer team's streak from 1990-94 as the second longest in NCAA Division I history in any sport. The NCAA record is 137 consecutive wins, which was done by the Miami men's tennis team from 1957-64.

One of the biggest winners from last week was 17th-ranked USC - which came into the weekend on a three-match losing streak and having won just two of its last nine. But the Women of Troy got a pair of big wins, first outlasting No. 4 Washington in five sets (25-18, 24-26, 22-25, 25-21, 15-13) on Friday and then beating 25th-ranked Washington State 24-26, 25-18, 28-26, 25-16 the following day. Sophomore outside hitter Alex Jupiter (21 kills) led a quartet of players with 14+ kills against the Huskies, while sophomore middle blocker Lauren Williams paced all players with 19 kills and no errors on .559 hitting vs. WSU. Washington sophomore middle blocker Lauren Barfield was in on 11 blocks in Friday's match.

Washington was able to rebound on Saturday for a road sweep (25-19, 25-18, 25-21) of sixth-ranked UCLA in front of 2,569 fans. Senior libero Tamari Miyashiro (23 digs), junior setter Jenna Hagglund (18 digs) and Barfield (7 blocks) led a UW defense that held UCLA to .101 hitting and didn't see a Bruin post more than seven kills. UW junior outside hitter Kindra Carlson had 18 kills to lead all players, while UCLA sophomore libero Lainey Gera finished with 22 digs.

UCLA had moved briefly into first place in the Pac-10 with a 25-23, 25-14, 23-25, 25-23 victory against Washington State on Friday, the Bruins' seventh straight win. Senior outside hitter Kaitlin Sather led UCLA with 19 kills in the match, while Gera added 26 digs. The Bruins, at 10-4 in league play, now stand one-half game behind both Washington and Stanford at the top of the standings. The seventh-ranked Cardinal notched a big win on Friday, beating No. 16 Oregon 25-23, 25-16, 25-23 in front of 2,712. Freshman Karissa Cook and junior Cassidy Lichtman set Stanford to a .378 hitting mark, and Lichtman also led all players with 16 kills on .419 hitting. No. 12 California beat the Ducks on Saturday in four (25-21, 25-21, 23-25, 25-16). Senior outside hitter Hana Cutura posted 28 kills on .442 hitting and 10 digs for the Bears, while junior Carli Lloyd's offense hit .341.

In a clash of Southeastern Conference titans, 19th-ranked LSU knocked off No. 10 Florida in four sets (24-26, 25-23, 25-19, 25-17) on Friday in front of 2,875 fans in Gainesville. Marina Skender led all players with 20 kills, while Brittnee Cooper added 16 on 26 attempts (.500) as the Tigers swept the Gators for the first time since 1991.

The top two teams in the West Coast Conference hooked up on Saturday in Moraga, Calif., with No. 23 Saint Mary's eventually prevailing over 25th-ranked San Diego in five sets (25-18, 25-19, 20-25, 17-25, 15-10). Junior Kapua Kamana'o and redshirt freshman Missy White and set the Gaels to a .342 attack percentage, and junior middle blocker Shannon Lowell posted 23 kills on .381 hitting to help SMC clinch the WCC regular-season title for the first time. Junior Kelsi Myers' USD attack also was prolific, with a .303 hitting mark.

There was just a single instance of an unranked team knocking off a ranked one last week. That occurred on Saturday in Lawrence, Kan., where Kansas beat Baylor 25-18, 19-25, 25-20, 25-20. The Jayhawks got 19 kills from junior outside hitter Karina Garlington, as well as 16 from sophomore outside hitter Allison Mayfield.

No. 14 Michigan was extended to fifth sets against unranked opponents in both of its matches, but the Wolverines ended up prevailing against Purdue on Friday (18-16 in the fifth after saving a match point) and vs. Indiana on Sunday (15-11 in the fifth).

No. 22 Northern Iowa also needed five sets against Wichita State on Saturday, but the Panthers eventually prevailed, 25-15, 19-25, 25-19, 20-25, 15-9, for their 24th consecutive victory. The win clinched the regular-season Missouri Valley Conference crown for UNI.

Elsewhere, No. 3 Hawai'i, the regular-season WAC champion, swept Boise State and Idaho to run its winning streak to 21. In the BIG EAST, 24th-ranked Notre Dame topped Georgetown and USF to finish 14-0 in league play - its seventh unbeaten mark in BIG EAST action since joining the conference in 1995. No. 20 Saint Louis beat Rhode Island and Temple to finish 14-1 in Atlantic 10 play and share the regular-season league title with Dayton.

Natalia Valentin and Florida International are 14-0 in Sun Belt Conference play

With only three and a half weeks left before the NCAA Championship field is announced (Sunday, Nov. 29 at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN News), it's time to examine how some of the big conference races are shaping up. First we'll take a quick look at what's happening at the top of the standings in each of the 13 leagues that have at least one team that is ranked or receiving votes in this week's AVCA poll. Below that, we revisit the 19 squads across the country that continue to remain perfect in conference action.

Atlantic 10
Dayton leads the way with an 11-1 league mark, with four matches to go. No. 21 Saint Louis stands one-half game back, at 10-1, with five to play - though the Flyers topped the Billikens in the teams' only meeting of the regular season. The conference tournament - which has been won by one of those two schools for each of the last six years (Dayton in 2003, '04, '05 and '07; Saint Louis in 2006 and '08) - takes place Nov. 20-22 in Dayton, with six teams qualifying. The championship match (Nov. 22, 4 p.m. ET) will be televised live by CBS College Sports Network.

Atlantic Coast
No. 16 Florida State is atop the standings with a 12-1 conference record, with seven matches remaining. The Seminoles have a one-game lead on Duke (11-2), and those two will meet on Friday in Tallahassee. FSU - which has won just one regular-season ACC crown (co-champions with Duke in 1992) - took a five-set decision in Durham last month. Georgia Tech - the only team to have defeated the Seminoles in ACC action - is 10-3 and will play host to FSU on Nov. 14. The ACC does not have a conference tournament.

Big 12
Second-ranked Texas stands a perfect 13-0 in one of the nation's toughest conferences and has a two-game lead over No. 8 Iowa State (11-2) with seven matches to play. The Longhorns and Cyclones will hook up tonight in Ames. UT - seeking its first outright Big 12 title since 1997 after being co-champs in each of the last two years - won in three sets in Austin in September. Iowa State has never finished higher than fourth since the Big 12 was founded in 1996. The Big 12 does not have a conference tournament.

BIG EAST
Notre Dame remains unbeaten in league play with a 10-0 record and four matches left. Cincinnati - which lost in five sets at Notre Dame in October - is right behind at 9-1, with Pittsburgh at 8-2. The Fighting Irish are seeking their first BIG EAST title since 2005, after having claimed at least of a share of the regular-season crown each year from 1999-2005. The BIG EAST Championship takes place Nov. 20-22 in Louisville (the Cardinals are the defending champions), with the top eight teams qualifying. The championship match (Nov. 22, 3 p.m. ET) will be televised by ESPNU.

Big Ten
Top-reanked Penn State has won 57 consecutive Big Ten matches and again stands atop the conference with a 12-0 record and eight matches to play. No. 5 Illinois is two back at 10-2, and the Fighting Illini will head to Happy Valley on Nov. 13. PSU - which is seeking its seventh consecutive outright Big Ten crown - won in three sets at Illinois in September. The Big Ten does not have a conference tournament.

Big West
UC Davis sits atop the conference standings with a 9-2 mark with five matches to play. UC Santa Barbara - which lost in five at UCD in October - is right behind at 9-3, while Long Beach State is in third at 7-3. The Aggies will play at LBSU - which beat UC Davis in three on Oct. 9 - on Saturday and will play host to UCSB on Nov. 13. In just its third season as a member of the Big West, UC Davis went 1-15 in league action in 2007 and 4-12 a year ago. The Big West does not have a conference tournament.

Missouri Valley
No. 25 Northern Iowa leads the way with a 12-0 record in league action and six matches remaining. Missouri State - which lost in four at UNI on Oct. 17 - is in second place with a 10-2 mark. Those teams will hook up again on Nov. 13 in Springfield, Mo. The State Farm MVC Championship takes place from Nov. 26-28 in Omaha. UNI has won eight of the last 11 MVC tournaments - though the Bears knocked off the Panthers in the title match in 2008.

Mountain West
Colorado State is in first place with a 10-1 record and six matches remaining. TCU - the lone squad to defeat the Rams in league play (3-0 on Oct. 22; CSU won 3-0 at home on Sept. 26) - is right behind at 10-2, while Utah is in third at 8-2. CSU will be at Utah on Nov. 12, having swept the Utes at home on Oct. 17. The MWC does not have a conference tournament.

Pacific-10
No. 4 Washington leads the way with a 9-2 league mark and seven matches remaining, while fifth-ranked Stanford and No. 7 UCLA are right behind with 8-3 records. The Huskies will play host to Stanford on Friday and head to UCLA on Nov. 14. The Cardinal dealt UW its first loss of the season in a five-set decision on Oct. 10, while the Huskies won in four against the Bruins on Oct. 16. Stanford has been the conference champion in each of the past three years. The Pac-10 does not have a conference tournament.

Southeastern
No. 11 Kentucky is atop the Eastern Division with a 10-1 mark and seven matches remaining. Right behind is ninth-ranked Florida, at 10-2, and Tennessee is in third at 8-3. The Wildcats will wind up the season with matches against those two, first visiting Gainesville on Nov. 22 and then welcoming the Lady Vols on Nov. 25. UK won in five at home against Florida on Oct. 2 and lost 3-1 to Tennessee on Oct. 21. In the Western Division, No. 19 LSU is 10-2 with six matches remaining and is three clear of second-place Auburn (6-5). The SEC does not have a conference tournament.

Sun Belt
Florida International is 14-0 in conference play, but Middle Tennessee (12-0) is right behind in the East Division. The Panthers won the first matchup between the teams, in four sets at home on Oct. 4. On Saturday, FIU heads to Murfreesboro, Tenn., for the rematch. The West Division is wide open, with New Orleans and Denver currently tied for first at 8-5. Arkansas State is right behind at 9-6, while Arkansas-Little Rock is 8-7 and North Texas is 6-7. The Pioneers play host to the Privateers on Thursday. The Sun Belt Championship takes place from Nov. 19-21 in Bowling Green, Ky.

West Coast
No. 25 Saint Mary's is on top of the standings with an 8-1 conference mark, with five to play. Right behind is 22nd-ranked San Diego, which is 7-2 and beat the Gaels in four sets on Oct. 17. SMC plays host to the Toreros on Nov. 14. USD has claimed at least a share of the WCC title in each of the last three seasons, while Saint Mary's has not won a conference crown since joining the WCC in 1987. The WCC does not have a conference tournament.

Western Athletic
No. 3 Hawai'i - which has won at least a share of the WAC regular-season title in all 13 years of league membership - is on pace to extend that streak, with an 11-0 record in league action with five to play. New Mexico State is in second with a 9-3 mark, while Idaho is 8-3. The Rainbow Wahine will play at Idaho on Nov. 14 after sweeping the Vandals at home in September. The six-team WAC Championship will be Nov. 23-25 in Las Vegas. The championship match (Nov. 25, 6:30 p.m. MT) will be televised by ESPNU.

Teams Undefeated in Conference Play

TODAY'S SCOREBOARD WATCH
Top 25 and Television Schedule
Purdue at Indiana, 7 p.m. - TV: Big Ten Network | Live Stats
No. 2 Texas at No. 8 Iowa State, 7:30 p.m. - Live Stats
Missouri at No. 10 Nebraska, 8 p.m. - TV: NET | Free Video | Live Stats
Oklahoma at No. 20 Baylor, 8 p.m. - Live Stats
No. 23 Texas A&M at Kansas State, 8 p.m. - TV: FSN | Live Stats
Kansas at Colorado, 9 p.m. - TV: FSN | Live Stats

Sonja Newcombe and Oregon notched two big victories

It was another exciting weekend of action across the country, with many of the top matchups delivering high drama. In fact, four of the seven meetings between nationally-ranked teams needed fifth sets to decide them. There were also two five-setters that saw ranked teams fall to unranked opposition.

The biggest story of the weekend was that top-ranked and two-time defending NCAA champion Penn State was pushed to the limit by 11th-ranked Michigan - but the Nittany Lions would eventually prevail in five, 24-26, 25-8, 23-25, 25-21, 15-12. Due largely to the blowout second set, PSU dominated the match statistically, holding a .362-.191 edge in hitting, a 50-37 advantage in digs and a 17-8 blocking comparison. But a sold-out crowd of 1,850 in Cliff Keen Arena helped the Wolverines become the first opponent to win two of the first three sets against Penn State during PSU's NCAA-record 84-match winning streak. It was just the second five-set match for the Lions during that string (the other was against Nebraska in last year's NCAA semifinals). Senior outside hitter and three-time All-American Megan Hodge had 25 kills and junior middle hitter Arielle Wilson - the nation's leader in attack percentage - had 17 kills on .696 hitting and eight blocks to lead the Nittany Lions.

Another of the nation's elite teams, No. 4 Washington, also was challenged but eventually came through with a pair of victories. The Huskies registered a 25-19, 26-24, 24-26, 25-18 triumph against No. 12 UCLA in front of a crowd of 5,018 on Friday, before rallying for a five-set (25-21, 22-25, 24-26, 25-20, 15-10) win against 16th-ranked USC the following evening. Junior outside hitter Kindra Carlson led the way with 18 kills on Friday, while sophomore libero Lainey Gera posted 28 digs for the Bruins. On Saturday, UW was balanced offensively, while senior All-America libero Tamari Miyashiro had 30 digs. Sophomore outside hitter Alex Jupiter had 25 kills for S.C.

Another big winner was 15th-ranked Oregon, which had a historically successful weekend. On Friday, the Ducks registered a sweep (25-20, 25-19, 25-20) of 14th-ranked California for the first time since 1990. Senior Nevena Djordjevic set Oregon to a .402 attack percentage, with two more seniors, outside hitter Sonja Newcombe and middle blocker Neticia Enesi, combined for 24 kills on .595 hitting. The next night saw UO battle and rally for a five-set (25-23, 22-25, 30-32, 25-22, 15-11) win that snapped a 39-match losing streak against fifth-ranked Stanford that dated back to 1989. It was the same players leading the Ducks, as Newcombe pounded 26 kills on .362 hitting, Enesi had 21 on a .514 mark and Djordjevic's offense hit .289. The Cardinal got 24 kills from junior outside hitter Alix Klineman.

Hawaii coach Dave Shoji after his 1,000th victory

The biggest individual milestone of the weekend occurred in Honolulu, where Hawai'i's Dave Shoji became just the second Division I head coach ever to earn 1,000 victories. His third-ranked Rainbow Wahine beat New Mexico State 25-13, 22-25, 25-21, 25-8 in front of 9,293 fans on Saturday to allow Shoji to reach quarduple digits in victories. He holds a 1,000-175-1 mark in 35 seasons as a head coach, and Shoji's winning percentage of .851 is third in the all-time record book. Current UCLA coach Andy Banachowski is the all-time leader in victories on the Division I level, with 1,096.

In the only match of the weekend pitting top-10 teams against each other, it was 10th-ranked Illinois making a strong statement with a 25-19, 27-25, 25-22 home win against No. 6 Minnesota. It was a trio of outside hitters who paced the Illini, who got 15 kills on .314 hitting from junior Laura DeBruler, as well as 14 kills from senior Kylie McCulley and 13 kills on .333 hitting from sophomore Michelle Bartsch. Both senior liberos were oustanding, as Illinois' Ashley Edinger finished with 19 digs and Minnesota's Christine Tan leading all players with 20.

Several conferences saw two of the teams atop their standings faceoff over the weekend. Two of the most-anticipated of those showdowns both lived up to the billing, offering five sets of excitement. In Irvine, it was the 21st-ranked Anteaters of UC Irvine that eventually prevailed, 27-29, 25-23, 25-17, 18-25, 15-13, against 25th-ranked Long Beach State. Junior outside hitter Kari Pestolesi had 23 kills and her classmate, Juliane Piggott, added 19 in what turned out to be a defensive struggle (both teams hit below .155). UCI now stands alone in first place in the Big West. In the Atlantic 10, it was Dayton taking over first place in the standings with a marathon (25-18, 24-26, 19-25, 31-29, 17-15) home victory against 20th-ranked Saint Louis. The Billikens had a match point in the fourth set and three more in the fifth, but eventually it was the Flyers prevailing to snap SLU's 21-match winning streak in A-10 play. Dayton got 16 kills each from junior outside hitter Tiffany Gaerke and redshirt freshman outside hittter Rachel Krabacher - while senior outside hitter Bridget Fonke had 27 and her classmate, Sammi McCloud, pounded 20 for Saint Louis.

There were two other upsets of ranked teams. The 16th-ranked Women of Troy began their weekend by getting swept (25-17, 28-26, 25-23) by Washington State. Senior setter Renee Bordelon set the Cougars to .304 hitting, while sophomore outside hitter Meagan Ganzer had 15 kills on a .458 individual mark. Jupiter had 21 kills for USC. In the Big 12, Oklahoma - playing a ranked team for the third straight match - broke through with a five-set (25-13, 21-25, 25-17, 19-25, 15-12) upset of 19th-ranked Baylor. Sophomore right side Suzy Boulavsky had 21 kills on .455 hitting, as well as 20 digs and five blocks to lead the Sooners.

And No. 2 Texas remained unbeaten with a 25-21, 25-16, 25-17 victory against Texas Tech that saw junior All-America outside hitter Juliann Faucette post 22 kills on 27 attempts for a career-best .778 attack percentage. Sophomore Michell Kocher set the Longhorns to a .386 team mark.

TODAY'S SCOREBOARD WATCH
Top-25 and Television Schedule - All Times Eastern
Idaho at Utah State, 11 p.m. - TV: ESPNU | Live Stats
Louisiana Tech at No. 3 Hawai'i, 1 a.m. - TV: KFVE | Live Stats

Alex Hunt and Michigan will challenge Penn State in front of a sold-out crowd on Friday

Here are some notes on this weekend's biggest matchups:

• There are seven matches pitting nationally-ranked teams against each other this weekend, with five of those coming on Friday night and spanning three different conferences.
• The Big Ten Conference boasts four teams ranked among the top 11, and those squads will hook up for two huge matchups on Friday evening. Top-ranked Penn State - riding its NCAA-record 82-match winning streak - heads to 11th-ranked Michigan in a match that will be shown on a delayed basis on ESPN2. Sixth-ranked Minnesota plays at No. 10 Illinois in a contest that will be aired on tape delay by the Big Ten Network.
• Penn State is atop the conference standings with a 6-0 mark (and a conference-record 51 consecutive Big Ten victories), while Minnesota is in second place at 5-1. Illinois (5-2) and Michigan (4-2) are right behind the Gophers.
• PSU and Michigan are the top two teams in the Big Ten in kills (Penn State is first at 15.07; Michigan is at 14.27) and service aces (U-M is first at 1.78; PSU is at 1.64). The match also will feature the league's top two individual servers, as PSU's Alyssa D'Errico is tops at 0.59 aces per set, while Michigan's Alex Hunt is second at 0.54.
• The Penn State-Michigan match in Keen Arena is sold out. The Nittany Lions have won 12 in a row against the Wolverines (with eight of those being in straight sets).
• The Minnesota-Illinois contest is a special event called Spike the Record at Illini Madness, in which the match will be held in Assembly Hall immediately before the first Illinois basketball practices. Illinois has announced it is attempting to break the NCAA record for attendance at a regular-season volleyball match held in conjunction with a special promotion of another event. That record is 16,126 fans, and it was set at a five-set victory for North Carolina over Duke on Oct. 17, 2003, in a match held before UNC's first men's basketball practice.
• Each of the last three matches between Minnesota and Illinois have ended in five-set victories for the Gophers.
• The Pac-10 has four matches between ranked squads this weekend. On Friday, it will be 14th-ranked California at No. 15 Oregon, as well as No. 12 UCLA at fourth-ranked Washington. The following evening, No. 5 Stanford will be at Oregon, while Washington plays host to No. 16 USC.
• Stanford has won 39 straight against the Ducks and is 46-2 all-time in the series. Oregon's last victory came in 1989.
• Also on Friday, the co-leaders in the Big West Conference will meet, as No. 21 UC Irvine plays host to 25th-ranked Long Beach State. Both are 4-1 in league action.
• Long Beach State is the top defensive team in the Big West, allowing opponents to hit .173 this season - while UC Irvine is next-best at .177.
• LBSU and UCI split their meetings a season ago, but The Beach has won eight of the last 10 and is 57-7 all-time against the Anteaters.
• The top two teams in the Atlantic 10 will play this weekend, as well, as No. 20 Saint Louis heads to Dayton, which is receiving votes. The Billikens are 4-0 in conference action this season and have won 21 straight A-10 regular-season matches - while the Flyers are 5-0 in the A-10. Dayton is the last team to beat SLU in league action, a four-set match on Oct. 28, 2007.
• The West Coast Conference also has a matchup of two of its elite teams, as 23rd-ranked San Diego will play host to Saint Mary's - the lone team without a WCC defeat - on Saturday.
• There are five other matches where a ranked team plays a road match against a squad receiving votes in this week's poll. On Friday, No. 5 Stanford is at Oregon State, and No. 13 USC at Washington State. No. 1 Penn State will be at Michigan State - the first team outside the rankings - on Saturday, when 12th-ranked UCLA plays Washington State and No. 14 Cal takes on Oregon State, as well.
• There will be seven matches that feature some television coverage, though four of those will be shown on a tape-delayed basis and the other three are on local channels.

WEEKEND SCOREBOARD WATCH
Friday, October 16
No. 17 Florida State at Maryland, 5:30 p.m. - Live Stats
No. 1 Penn State at No. 11 Michigan, 7 p.m. - TV: ESPN2 (airs Sunday at 1 p.m. ET) | Live Stats
No. 9 Florida at Auburn, 7 p.m. - Live Stats
No. 20 Saint Louis at Xavier, 7 p.m. - Free Video | Live Stats
Georgetown at Marquette, 7 p.m. - TV: MUTV | Free Video | Live Stats
No. 6 Minnesota at No. 10 Illinois, 7:30 p.m. - TV: Big Ten Network (airs Sunday at 7 p.m.) | Live Stats
Arkansas at No. 24 LSU, 8 p.m. - Live Stats
No. 12 UCLA at No. 4 Washington, 9 p.m. - Free Video | Live Stats
No. 5 Stanford at Oregon State, 10 p.m. - Free Video | Live Stats
No. 14 California at No. 15 Oregon, 10 p.m. - Live Stats
No. 16 USC at Washington State, 10 p.m. - Live Stats
No. 18 Arizona at Arizona State, 10 p.m. - TV: FSN (delayed) | Live Stats
No. 25 Long Beach State at No. 21 UC Irvine, 10 p.m. - Live Stats
Saturday, October 17
No. 19 Baylor at Oklahoma, 1 p.m. - Live Stats
Colorado at No. 22 Texas A&M, 3 p.m. - Free Video | Live Stats
Saint Mary's at No. 23 San Diego, 4 p.m. - Free Video | Live Stats
No. 1 Penn State at Michigan State, 6:30 p.m. - Live Stats
Ohio State at No. 11 Michigan, 7 p.m. - Live Stats
No. 20 Saint Louis at Dayton, 7 p.m. - Free Video | Live Stats
No. 2 Texas at Texas Tech, 7:30 p.m. - Live Stats
No. 7 Nebraska at Missouri, 7:30 p.m. - Live Stats
No. 6 Minnesota at Northwestern, 8 p.m. - Live Stats
No. 8 Kentucky at Mississippi State, 8 p.m. - Live Stats
No. 16 USC at No. 4 Washington, 10 p.m. - Free Video | Live Stats
No. 5 Stanford at No. 15 Oregon, 10 p.m. - Live Stats
No. 12 UCLA at Washington State, 10 p.m. - Live Stats
No. 14 California at Oregon State, 10 p.m. - Free Video | Live Stats
UC Riverside at No. 21 UC Irvine, 10 p.m. - Live Stats
Cal State Northridge at No. 25 Long Beach State, 10 p.m. - Live Stats
Portland State at Northern Arizona, 10 p.m. - TV: Universityhouse & FSN (both delayed) | Live Stats
New Mexico State at No. 3 Hawai'i, 1 a.m. - TV: KFVE | Live Stats
Sunday, October 18
No. 17 Florida State at Boston College, 1 p.m. - Live Stats
Houston at UCF, 1 p.m. - TV: Bright House Sports Network | Live Stats
No. 9 Florida at Georgia, 1:30 p.m. - Free Video | Live Stats
No. 8 Kentucky at Alabama, 2:30 p.m. - Free Video | Live Stats
Mississippi at No. 24 LSU, 2:30 p.m. - Live Stats