Colorado University Athletics
Pac-12 Spotlight Features Arizona State, Volleyball
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Arizona State Location: Tempe, Ariz. Colors: Maroon and Gold Chief Rival: Arizona |
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NCAA Championships: Baseball, five; W Tennis, three; M Gymnastics, 1986; M Track and Field, 1977 (outdoor), 2008 (indoor); Wrestling, two; WomenGÇÖs Indoor Track and Field, two; WomenGÇÖs Outdoor Track and Field, 2007; Softball, two 12 Top Student-Athletes: Sal Bando, baseball; Barry Bonds, baseball; Henry Carr, football/track and field; Heather Farr, golf; Mike Haynes, football; Lionel Hollins, basketball; Reggie Jackson, baseball; John Henry Johnson, football; Phil Mickelson, golf; Byron Scott, basketball; Pat Tillman, football; Danny White, football Other Famous Alumni: Business ? Doug Ducey, CEO
of Coldstone Creamery; Joe Shoen, President of UHaul; Shining Moment: The Sun Devils won their first of their two Rose Bowl appearances, defeating Michigan 22-15 in the 1987 game. ASU quarterback Jeff Van Rapphorst earned player-of-the-game honors by rallying the Sun Devils from a 15-3 deficit with a pair of touchdown passes. ASUGÇÖs only other Rose Bowl appearance resulted in a 20-17 loss to Ohio State in 1997. The Sun DevilsGÇÖ quarterback in that game was Jake Plummer, who later played for the Denver Broncos. Quotable: GÇ£My job is to win football games. IGÇÖve got to put people in the stadium, make money for the university, keep the alumni happy and give the school a winning reputation. If I donGÇÖt win, IGÇÖm gone.GÇ¥ ? Former ASU football coach Frank Kush Classic CU: Lady Buffs Rip Sun Devils 83-55 |
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Bet You DidnGÇÖt Know: ASU won its second NCAA softball championship earlier this month, defeating Florida for the 2011 title in Oklahoma City. It gave the Sun Devils two softball titles in four years and the Pac-10 its 400th team championship ? the most of any conference...The Sun Devils have won 132 national (not exclusively NCAA) championships, with 96 of those in archery and badminton (menGÇÖs, womenGÇÖs, mixed in both sports)...ASU leads all schools with 368 players selected in the MLB draft, including Rick Monday as the No. 1 selection in the first-ever MLB draft (1965)...The Sun Devils track and field teams compete at Sun Angel Stadium ...ASU was 62-9 in football from 1970-75 under former coach Frank Kush, whose practices were no place for the meek...ASU alum/pro golfer Phil Mickelson won the 1990 CU-Fox Acres Invitational...The CU womenGÇÖs basketball teamGÇÖs second-ever conference win (71-44) came against the Sun Devils on Feb. 22, 1975. Both were competing as members of the Intermountain Conference. CU was 5-0 against ASU in Intermountain Conference play...ASU football coach Dennis Erickson has made stops at three Pac-12 schools ? Washington State, Oregon State and ASU. His records: 12-10-1, WSU; 31-17, OSU; 25-24, ASU...The Sun DevilsGÇÖ most successful menGÇÖs basketball coach was Ned Wulk (1957-82). His career record at the school was 406-272, with a No. 3 national ranking in 1980-81 and three Elite Eight appearances (1961, 1963, 1975). Buffs vs. Sun Devils/By The Numbers: Football: ASU leads 2-0; M Basketball: Tied 2-2; W Basketball: CU leads 9-0; Volleyball: ASU leads 1-0; Soccer: ASU leads 2-0; Tennis: ASU leads 13-2. |
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Above: Highlights of Colorado's upset win over No. 11 California in 2007. Classic CU: Buffs Stun No. 11 Cal In CU Invite |
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The Pac-10 has a long history of being a powerhouse nationally in womenGÇÖs volleyball. The league has captured 13 of 29 NCAA Championships, including 11 in the past 21 years. Stanford has played in the NCAA finals 14 times and has won it all six times. The Cardinal has appeared in 18 NCAA Final Fours which leads the conference. USC and UCLA both have won three team championships titles and Washington has the other crown. The 2010 season was a good one for the Pac-10 as it had five teams ranked in the top 25 at the end of the season. No. 2 Cal recorded a 15-3 record in league play in 2010 and finished the season at 30-4 after falling in the NCAA Championship match to Penn State. USC finished the season third in the rankings and Stanford was ranked No. 5. The Cardinal also recorded a 15-3 Pac-12 record and were 27-4 overall. Washington finished the season ranked sixth (23-9, 10-8) and UCLA was 12th overall (22-9, 11-7). The Pac-12 will play a round-robin schedule, with each team playing each other twice in a home and road contest. Utah and CU will serve as travel partners, so the Buffs will start and end the Pac-12 schedule against the Utes. There will not be a conference tournament. |
CU In The Pac-12 . . . Volleyball Coach Liz KritzaGÇÖs Take: GÇ£Top to bottom, the Pac-12 will be the toughest (womenGÇÖs) volleyball conference in the nation. The top teams in the Big 12 could win a national championship, but the overall level of play permeating the No. 5 through 12 positions in the Pac-12 make this league that much tougher. Both of the leagues (Big 12, Pac-12) have fantastic athletes, but I think the top coaches are in the Pac-12 ? just based on the traditional number of championship appearances by Pac-12 teams. Cal was in the national championship last year. The game was grown on the West Coast, and that reputation precedes everything about the Pac-12. It has the highest level of coaching, overall players and its history is unmatched. The league has a reputation thatGÇÖs been hard-earned and is well-deserved. ItGÇÖs definitely going to be a task, a big challenge for us with the way the Friday-Saturday scheduling is set. YouGÇÖre going against national championship caliber teams on back-to-back nights. But itGÇÖs also going to be great for our recruiting. Great players want to play against other great players ? thatGÇÖs true in every sport. The level of play makes it very attractive for recruits; itGÇÖs a high-level draw athletically and academically. When we got here (at CU), we had to get competitive for play in the Big 12. Now weGÇÖve got to go back and prepare for an even bigger jump. The first year of going through the Pac-12, through the training cycle, the travel and everything associated with the new conference, is going to help us get acclimated. WeGÇÖve got a great 2012 (recruiting) class coming in and thatGÇÖs going to help us make that jump to the Pac-12.GÇ¥ |
Pac-12 Spotlight content provided by B.G. Brooks, CUBuffs.com Contributing Editor and the Colorado Sports Information Office. |
 Photo Courtesy: Denny Medley/randomphotography.com |
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