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Hello Cougar Fans and welcome to the A.D. Forum. Washington State University Director of Athletics Jim Sterk will post periodic entries on this page about topics regarding WSU Athletics.
Dec. 2, 2009
For the third time in November, a WSU sports program received national recognition when volleyball earned an at-large berth to the NCAA Championship on Sunday, Nov. 29.
The Cougars will play Northern Iowa in the first round at 4:30 p.m. Central Time, Friday, Dec. 4 at Lincoln, Neb. When the Cougars take the court, it will mark the first appearance by a WSU volleyball team at the NCAA Championship since the 2002 Elite Eight season.
Furthermore, on Monday, Nov. 30, Head Coach Andrew Palileo, in just his second year with the program, was named the Pacific-10 Conference Volleyball Coach of the Year. In addition, four student-athletes: Renee Bodelon, Cassie Robbins, Ocean Bush and Rachel Todorovich, were selected to All-Pac-10 teams.
The NCAA bid and Pac-10 accolades add to the growing list of accomplishments by Coach Palileo and the team this season, which includes a Pac-10 Player of the Week honor for Renee Bodelon, the program's first national ranking since 2003, an ESPN.com feature story, and defeating No. 4 Washington.
The accomplishments are not limited to on the court as the team has also excelled academically. Jackie Albright was named to ESPN The Magazine District VIII Volleyball All-Academic First Team earlier this season, and Albright, along with Faith Hutcherson and Cassie Robbins, earned Pac-10 All-Academic accolades.
Volleyball's NCAA berth followed soccer's NCAA appearance and Lisa Egami representing cross country at the NCAA Championships earlier in November. All three NCAA appearances are something we take great pride in. Their accomplishments represent the commitment to excellence we have at WSU.
I congratulate Coach Palileo and the volleyball student-athletes on their tremendous achievements throughout this season and I wish them the best of luck at the NCAAs.
Go Cougs!
Jim Sterk
Director of Athletics
Washington State University
