Women's Basketball Travels To Kent On Monday

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Jan. 21, 2000

Virginia at Kent
Jan. 24, 2000 7:00 p.m.
M.A.C. Center (6,327) Kent, Ohio
Radio: WINA 1070 AM
TV: none

Game Notes
The Cavaliers are looking to extend their 10-game winning streak when they play an out-of-conference game at Kent on Jan. 24. Depending on the outcome of Kent’s Jan. 22 game at Western Michigan, both teams could be putting a 10-game winning streak on the line in Monday night’s game. Kent is the top team of the East Division of the Mid American Conference.

Virginia’s current streak is its longest since the 1994-95 season when the Cavaliers put together a string of 13 wins. The current streak began on Dec. 20 when the Cavaliers posted a 67-62 win over in-state rival Virginia Tech and the they have been on fire ever since, posting wins over ninth-ranked North Carolina at home and sixth-ranked N.C. State on the road.

All five Cavalier starters are averaging in double figures in the current streak, led by Svetlana Volnaya (18.0 ppg), Schuye LaRue (15.3 ppg), Telisha Quarles (12.0 ppg), Renee Robinson (11.0 ppg) and Lisa Hosac (10.9 ppg). All five are above their season averages in the last nine games. In addition, Robinson is averaging 6.5 assists per game during that span.

The longest winning streak in Virginia history is 20 straight games which was accomplished in the 1985-86 season. The Cavaliers have won two straight games on the road since losing to #21 Old Dominion in Norfolk, Va. on Dec. 10.

Cavaliers
14-4 overall, 6-1 ACC
9-1 home, 3-2 away , 2-1 neutral

Team Leaders
Scoring: Schuye LaRue 15.1 ppg
Rebounding: Schuye LaRue 6.9 rpg
Assists: Renee Robinson 5.6 apg
Steals: Renee Robinson 2.5 spg

The Series with Kent
This is the second meeting between Kent and Virginia. The Cavaliers won the only previous meeting 67-54 on Nov. 21, 1997 in University Hall. Virginia was ranked 12th at the time.

Possible StartersF  15  Svetlana Volnaya (Minsk, Belarus)     6-1  Jr. 14.1 ppg, 3.8 rpgF  20  Lisa Hosac (Littleton, Colo.)         6-2  Sr.  9.8 ppg, 5.9 rpgF  45  Schuye LaRue (Washington, D.C.)       6-3  Fr. 15.1 ppg, 6.9 rpgG  10  Telisha Quarles (Louisa, Va.)         5-8  So. 11.1 ppg, 2.7 rpgG   5  Renee Robinson (E. Palo Alto, Calif.) 5-6  Sr.  8.5 ppg, 5.6 apg

Key ReservesF 00 Dean’na Mitchelson (Bakersfield,Calif.) 6-2 Jr. 3.4 ppg, 3.3 rpgF 33 Chalois Lias (Newport News, Va.) 6-1 Jr. 3.3 ppg, 2.7 rpgG 12 Katie Tracy (Richmond, Va.) 5-5 Jr. 1.5 ppg, 0.8 rpg

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In the Buckeye State
This is only Virginia’s second trip to the great state of Ohio. The Cavaliers lost to Ohio State 91-84 in Columbus on Jan. 2, 1992.However, Virginia is 4-3 vs. Ohio teams. In addition to being 1-0 vs. Kent, Virginia is 2-0 vs. Cleveland State and 1-3 vs. Ohio State.

How the Teams Match Up                                      Virginia        Kent **   Points             76.7           81.3   Points Allowed     67.3           68.8   Rebounds           36.2           37.8   Rebound Margin     -1.6           +2.5   FG %               .459           .454   FG% defense        .385           .429   3-pt FG %     .313 (91-291)   .319 (66-207)   3-pt FG/game        5.1            4.1   FT %               .745           .745   Assists            16.7           16.3   Turnovers          17.5           20.4   Blocks              3.4            2.0   Steals              9.3           11.7

** these stats do not include Kent’s Jan. 22 game vs. Western Michigan.

Four Cavaliers Leaders In ACC
Virginia, historically known for its defense, has made a splash on the offensive side of the ball. Individually, four Cavaliers lead the ACC in offensive stats. (as of 1-21-00)

Schuye LaRue leads the ACC in field goal percentage (.614), Svetlana Volnaya leads the conference in three-point field goal percentage (.460), Lisa Hosac leads the ACC in free throw percentage (.859), followed in second place by Volnaya (.845) and Renee Robinson leads in assists (5.6 apg).

In scoring, LaRue ranks fifth (15.1 ppg) and Volnaya ranks sixth (14.1 ppg).

As a team, the Cavaliers lead the ACC in scoring and field goal percentage and rank second in free throw percentage.

Volnaya Grabs First ACC Honor
Junior forward Svetlana Volnaya was named the ACC Player of the Week (Jan. 17) after scoring 28 points and shooting .648 percent (11 for 17) from the floor in the Cavaliers 76-68 win over Maryland. She scored 17 of her 28 points in the second half to help erase a four-point halftime deficit. She was 2-5 from three-point range and 4-4 from the free throw line. This was the first time Volnaya was named the Player of the Week.

She currently leads the ACC in three-point field goal percentage (.481, 26-54), ranks third in free throw percentage (.827) and sixth in scoring (14.1 ppg).

With her recent scoring outburst, she has moved from 12th to sixth place in the ACC in scoring (14.1 ppg).

Robinson Having a Great Year
With 12 games remaining in the regular season, Renee Robinson already has 100 assists for the season, surpassing her total of 88 she had as a junior. Robinson worked hard over the summer to get ready for her senior season and the hard work has paid off. She currently leads the ACC in assists and has had six or more assists in nine games this year. She matched her career-high of nine assists in the N.C. State win (Jan. 17).

Robinson is also averaging 8.5 points per game this season which is 5.5 points over her career average. She netted a career-high 24 points in the win over ninth-ranked North Carolina (Jan. 6) and produced 19 points in the win over sixth-ranked N.C. State. In her previous three seasons, she had only recorded double figures in scoring twice but this year alone has scored in double figures in five games.

The Schuye’s the Limit
Schuye LaRue continues to lead the Cavaliers in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage. If she ends her rookie campaign as the team leader in those three categories, she will match Cathy Grimes (1982) as the only other freshman to achieve the feat. Grimes and Dawn Staley (1989) were the only other freshmen to lead the team in scoring while Chrissy Reese (1980), Grimes and Heather Burge (l990) all were the top rebounders as rookies.

Currently, LaRue leads the league in field goal percentage and is the top scoring rookie in the ACC.

Last Game: Virginia Needs Overtime to Top Tigers
Renee Robinson hit a 18-foot jumper with 57 seconds remaining in the second overtime to give Virginia its first lead of the period and Telisha Quarles hit the second of a two free throws with 10 seconds left to lift the Cavaliers to a 77-74 win over Clemson in an ACC game. With the win, Virginia (14-4, 6-1) takes over first place in the ACC standings over Duke who lost in overtime to N.C. State. The win extended the Cavaliers’ win streak to 10.

Lisa Hosac led Virginia with 19 points and 13 rebounds and was a perfect 10-10 from the free throw line. Foul shots made the difference in the game for Virginia who made 30 of 36 shots from the line. Clemson was 11 of 16 from the charity stripe.

“Every time I thought the game was slipping away, Lisa (Hosac) would get to the line and pull us back within two,” said Virginia head coach Debbie Ryan. “She was the glue that kept us together.”

Clemson (11-7, 2-4) led the entire first half and 10 minutes of the second half before Svetlana Volnaya hit two free throws at the 10:05 mark of the second half to give Virginia its first lead of the game 39-38. The Cavaliers built an eight-point lead with 4:00 minutes left in regulation, but Clemson ended the half with a 12-4 run. Nuria Forns hit a three-point shot with 19 seconds remaining to tie the game 58-58 and missed a long-range shot at the buzzer that would have won the game.

Erin Batth scored four points to give Clemson a 62-58 lead to start the first overtime but Virginia’s Schuye LaRue scored on a driving layup and Hosac sank two free throws to tie the game at 62 at the 3:17 mark. The Cavaliers had a two-point lead with 13 seconds to go, but Angie Cossey scored on a driving lay-up with four seconds to send the game into the second overtime.

Virginia fell behind by four points in the second overtime, but a Robinson layup and two free throws by Hosac tied the score at 74 with 3:05 left. Clemson missed shots on its next three possessions. The game ended as Hosac stole the ball from Cossey on the Tigers’ final possession and time expired.

“It was a very emotional game. Clemson played a great game tonight in every respect,” said Ryan. “They took us out of our game almost the entire night. We couldn’t get on track in the first half.”

All five starters scored in double figures for the Cavaliers. Volnaya and Robinson each had 15 points, Telisha Quarles added 13 and LaRue had 12.Forns led Clemson with 17 points and eight rebounds and Batth had 14 points, Joanie Mungro had 11 and Krystal Scott had 10.

Robinson Moving On Up In Assists and Steals
Renee Robinson has 326 assists for her career which puts her in 8th place in Virginia history. She entered the season with 226 assists and with her100 assists this season, she moved ahead of Melissa Mahony in seventh place. Below is ranking of Virginia’s Top 10 assist leaders:

   1.   Dawn Staley (1989-92)          729   2.   Donna Holt (1985-88)           561   3.   Dena Evans (1990-93)           528   4.   Tora Suber (1994-97)           504   5.   Nancy Mayer (l984-87)          420   6.   Jenny Boucek (l993-96)         397   7.   Tammi Reiss (1989-92)          380   8.   Renee Robinson (1997-present)  326   9.   Melissa Mahoney (l979-82)      312   10.   Kim Silloway (1983-86)        310

Robinson also broke into the Top 10 in steals, resting in 10th place with 184 career steals. Below is the ranking of Virginia’s Top 10 steals leaders:

   1.   Donna Holt (1985-88)            529   2.   Dawn Staley (1989-92)           454   3.   Tonya Cardoza (1987-91)         375   4.   Nancy Mayer (1984-87)           240   5.   Daphne Hawkins (1985-88)        228   6.   Tora Suber (1994-97)            223   7.   Wendy Palmer (l993-96)          219   8.   DeMya Walker (1996-99)          192   9.   Heather Burge (1990-93)         185   10.   Renee Robinson (1997-present)  184

Ryan Holds Advantage vs. Current ACC Coaches
Debbie Ryan holds a 143-72 record against the current coaches in the ACC and holds a winning record versus every coach in the conference.

   Ryan vs.   Jim Davis, Clemson    20-11   Gail Goestenkors, Duke    9-7   Sue Semrau, Florida St.   5-0   Agnus Berenato, Georgia Tech    23-3   Chris Weller, Maryland   32-20   Sylvia Hatchell, North Carolina   23-9   Kay Yow, N.C. State   26-22   Charlene Curtis, Wake Forest   5-0      Total  142-72

Schuye Grabs Another ACC Honor
LaRue was named the ACC Rookie of the Week (Jan. 3) for her play in the three Cavalier wins last week. For the week, LaRue averaged 23.0 points and 9.7 rebounds while shooting .700 from the field in the wins over Siena, Butler and Syracuse.

LaRue Making Mark In ACC and the NationFreshman Schuye LaRue currently leads the ACC in field goal percentage (.615, 112-1182) and ranks fourth in scoring (15.3 ppg), the highest scoring freshman in the league. She ranks seventh in rebounds (7.0 rpg) and third in blocked shots (1.1 bpg).

LaRue currently ranks 10th in the nation in field goal percentage.

Volnaya and LaRue Lead Cavs to Win Over Syracuse
Junior Svetlana Volnaya connected for a career-high 23 points and freshman Schuye LaRue recorded her second double-double of the season to lead Virginia to a 70-59 win over Syracuse. Volnaya’s previous career-high was 18 points vs. Brown (Dec. 28, 1998). LaRue pumped in 20 points and had 16 rebounds against the Orangewomen. Her only other double-double this season came against Texas (24 points, 14 rebounds) on Nov. 27, 1999. Her 16 rebounds is the most by a Cavalier since DeMya Walker grabbed 17 rebounds vs. Mt. St. Mary’s on Dec. 8, 1997.

LaRue Hits Career High vs Butler
Schuye La Rue connected for 29 points against Butler, eclipsing her career high of 24 she set against Texas. Her 29 points is the most scored by a freshman since Tora Suber hit 29 vs UNC in 1994. Only Dawn Staley (37 vs Wake in 1989) and Heather Burge (30 vs Virginia Tech in 1990) have scored more as a freshman.

Quarles Steals Victory over Siena
Sophomore guard Telisha Quarles stole the ball eight times in the victory over Siena, the most steals by an individual in a single game since Wendy Palmer had 9 in the 78-66 win over Virginia Tech on Dec. 8, 1993. The all-time record for steals in a game is 10, held by Dawn Staley (Temple ’91) and Donna Holt (Maryland ’86).

Win Over Tech Boosts Cavaliers
Four of the five starters scored in double figures as the Cavaliers defeated state rival Virginia Tech 67-62 on Dec. 20. Junior Svetlana Volnaya led Virginia with 13 points, followed by sophomore Telisha Quarles with 12, freshman Schuye LaRue and senior Renee Robinson each had 10 and the fifth starter, senior Lisa Hosac had nine points.

The win boosted the confidence of the Cavaliers who overcame a 13-0 deficit at the beginning of the game and thwarted several comeback bids by the Hokies who had been ranked in the polls earlier in the season. Virginia was also playing without junior guard Erin Stovall who left the team the week before due to personal reasons and rallied despite her absence.

Mitchelson Returns to Line-up
After sitting out six games with a separated right shoulder, junior forward Dean’na Mitchelson returned to action on Dec. 10 vs. Old Dominion. Mitchelson played only two minutes in the season opener vs. St. Joseph’s before suffering the injury and had not seen action in any games until the Cavaliers met ODU.

Against the Monarchs, Mitchelson nearly had a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds in only 22 minutes of action.

Hosac Lifts Cavaliers To Win Over Loyola
Senior Lisa Hosac took command of the offense and scored a season-high 22 points to lead Virginia to a win over Loyola on Tuesday. Hosac, who had been averaging just 7.3 points per game, exploded for 11 points in the first half on 4-8 shooting from the field, including 1-1 from three-point range. She was more deadly in the second half going 5-7 from the field. She also led the team with seven rebounds, tied with Svetlana Volnaya.

Quarles Hits Career-High Against Blue Devils
One of the bright spots in Sunday’s loss at Duke was the emergence of sophomore Telisha Quarles. The native of Louisa, Va. led Virginia with 17 points against Duke with 14 of those points coming in the second half. She was 7-10 from the field in the second half. Her previous career-high was eight points which she set three times this year in the St. Joseph’s, Grambling, and Washington games.

Virginia Has Longest Streak in Polls Among ACC Teams
Virginia holds the longest streak of any ACC team in the AP poll – 182 weeks. The streak in the AP poll started on Nov. 20, 1989 and ended this season. The Cavaliers had appeared in every USA Today poll for a total of 261 consecutive weeks, until this season.

With Virginia grabbing the final spot in the preseason USA Today poll, the Cavaliers extended their streak in the polls. However, by not securing a spot in the pre-season AP poll, the Cavaliers’ streak of 182 consecutive weeks in that poll is history. Up until the polls of Nov. 22, 1999, the Cavaliers had been ranked every week in either the AP or USA Today poll since Jan. 8, 1984 – a total of 281 consecutive weeks.

LaRue Named ACC Rookie of the Week (Nov. 30)
Schuye LaRue was named the ACC Rookie of the Week on Nov. 30 after her performance in the Rainbow Wahine Classic. In the three-game tournament, LaRue averaged 19.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and was 24-39 from the floor for a shooting percentage of 61.5 percent. In the Washington game, LaRue was a perfect 9-9 from the floor, 1-1 from three-point range and 2-2 from the free throw line. She tied the school record for field goal percentage, a mark that was set in 1995 by Wendy Palmer and matched last season by DeMya Walker.

Stovall Will Not Return To Team
Virginia Head Coach Debbie Ryan announced that junior guard Erin Stovall, who left the team indefinitely last month for personal reasons, will not return to the team this season. Ryan made her announcement in the press room following Virginia’s 87-68 upset of ninth-ranked North Carolina.

“I would like to dispel any speculation that we are a better team because she is not here. I feel like there are alot of reasons why we are playing better,” said Ryan. “We’ve always had good chemistry. I did not feel that Erin’s departure made our chemistry better. I feel that certain players had a chance to step up and they did. And I want that on the table. Right now, it’s in the team’s best interest. I had to make a tough decision. I did not close the door completely, we will revisit this in the spring if she wants to.”

Stovall, a preseason All-ACC selection, was averaging 13.8 points and 2.4 rebounds per game and was the team’s second leading scorer. She left the team prior to the Dec. 20 game vs. Virginia Tech.

Cavaliers On TV

Jan. 17     Virginia at N.C. State    W, 80-73   (HTS, Fox Sports South)Jan. 30   Duke at Virginia   12:00 p.m.   (HTS, Fox Sports South)Feb. 3   Virginia at Georgia Tech   7:00 p.m.   (Fox Sports South)Feb. 7   Virginia at N. Carolina   7:30 p.m.   (HTS, Fox Sports South)Feb. 20   N.C. State at Virginia   2:00 p.m.    (ESPN2)

all times are Eastern

The Cavalier’s record when they:
led at half-time 11-0
trailed at half-time 2-3
were tied at half-time 1-1
went into overtime 0-0
shot 60% or better 0-0
shot 50% or better 6-0
shot less than 50% 8-4
shot less than 40% 1-2
opponent shot 50% or better 0-0
opponent shot less than 50% 14-4
opponent shot less than 40% 8-0
had higher FG% than opponent 12-1
had lower FG% than opponent 2-3
out-rebounded opponent 6-1
were out-rebounded by opponent 7-3
had same rebounds as opponent 1-0
had more offensive rebounds 5-2
had fewer offensive rebounds 8-1
had same offensive rebounds 1-1
had fewer turnovers than opponent 8-1
had more turnovers than opponent 4-2
had same amount of turnovers 2-1
shot more FTs than opponent 7-0
shot fewer FTs than opponent 6-4
shot same number of FTs as opponent 1-0
had game decided by 10 points or less 5-1
had game decided by 5 points or less 3-1
scored 100+ points 1-0
scored 90-99 points 0-0
scored 80-89 points 6-0
scored 70-79 points 6-1
scored 60-69 points 1-3
scored 59 or less points 0-0
leading scorer is Hosac 3-0
leading scorer is LaRue 3-2
leading scorer is Quarles 1-2
leading scorer is Stovall 2-0
leading scorer is Volnaya 4-0
leading scorer is Robinson 1-0

Starting Line-ups:
Hosac, Mitchlsn,Stovall,Robinson,Quarles 0-1
Hosac, LaRue, Stovall, Robinson, Quarles 1-0
Hosac, Lias, LaRue, Stovall, Robinson 1-1
Hosac, Volnaya, LaRue, Stovall, Robinson 1-2
Hosac, Volnaya, Kravch., Stovall, Rob. 1-0
Hosac, Volnaya, LaRue, Quarles, Rob. 10-0

Virginia’s record on:
Sunday 2-2
Monday 4-0
Tuesday 1-0
Wednesday 1-0
Thursday 4-0
Friday 1-1
Saturday 1-1

In the ACC In All Games
(stats as of 1-21-00)

Schuye LaRue1st   field goal percentage   61.4 % (116-189)3rd   blocks   1.1 bpg5th   scoring   15.1 ppg9th   rebounds   6.9 rpg

Lisa Hosac1st free throw percentage 85.9% (55-64)

Chalois Lias4th blocks 0.9 bpg

Renee Robinson1st assists 5.6 apgT-5th steals 2.5 spg

Telisha Quarles10th assists 2/8 apg

Svetlana Volnaya1st 3-pt FG percentage 46.0 % (29-63)2nd free throw percentage 84.5% (49-58)6th 3-pt FG/game 1.76th scoring 14.1 ppg

TEAM1st   scoring   76.7 ppg6th   scoring defense   67.3 ppg3rd   scoring margin   9.41st   FG%   45.9%5th   FG% defense   38.5%6th   3-pt FG%   31.3%2nd   FT%   74.5%3rd   blocked shots   3.47th   steals   9.34th   turnover margin   3.17th   rebound margin   -1.64th   3-pt FG made/game   5.1

1999-2000 Team Honors

Schuye LaRue Rainbow Wahine Classic All-Tournament Team ACC Rookie of the Week (Nov. 30, Jan. 3) Nationwide Cavalier Classic Most Valuable Player

Svetlana Volnaya Nationwide Cavalier Classic All-Tournament Team ACC Player of the Week (Jan. 17)

Renee Robinson ACC/HTS Player of the Game (Jan. 17)