Mechelle Voepel Archive
Mechelle Voepel
espnW.com
Voepel: Sims' return ignites Baylor past Notre Dame
In front of a sold-out crowd in her hometown and on national television, Skylar Diggins surely would have liked it to be her night. But it wasn't, and Baylor's Odyssey Sims had a lot to do with that.
Dec 4 | By Mechelle Voepel
- College Sports
Voepel: A look at volleyball's loaded Sweet 16
We take a glance at this weekend's tough regionals, which feature 12 seeded teams, six former champions and six Big Ten squads.
Dec 3 9:20 PM ET | By Mechelle Voepel
Voepel: Baranczyk juggles coaching, motherhood
Shortly after Iowa native Jennie Baranczyk took over at Drake, she gave birth to her first child. Now she's enjoying juggling her two dream jobs.
Nov 30 | By Mechelle Voepel
- College Sports
Voepel: Penn State path paved to Final Four
The Nittany Lions face a team with a losing record in the tournament opener and should have no problem winning the regional in West Lafayette, Ind.
Nov 26 7:13 AM ET | By Mechelle Voepel
- More Sports
Voepel: LPGA Tour looking up for 2013
Inbee Park and Stacy Lewis won the top season-ending awards, and four others won the major championships in a year of non-dominance on the LPGA Tour.
Nov 20 12:14 PM ET | By Mechelle Voepel
And so begins Total Access with Tennessee
With Holly Warlick taking over a young squad with eight underclassmen, it's a new era for Tennessee. And espnW is along for the ride with a Total Access look at the people and personalities that make up the Lady Vols.
Nov 20 | By Mechelle Voepel
Voepel: Thibault did everything -- but win WNBA title
When the Sun fired Mike Thibault, the coach wasn't totally caught off guard. "I was fired because we didn't win a championship this year," he told espnW on Tuesday.
Nov 20 | By Mechelle Voepel
- College Sports
Voepel: Teams make final push in weekly Power Rankings
The final weekend of the regular season is upon us and a familiar name has made its way back atop our volleyball rankings. Here's how teams are stacking up.
Nov 21 12:16 PM ET | By Mechelle Voepel
Ogwumike named espnW player of the week
While Stanford got a very good effort from its entire team in upsetting Baylor, Chiney Ogwumike earns top billing as our first espnW player of the week.
Nov 30 6:18 PM ET | By Mechelle Voepel
- More Sports
Voepel: Player of the year Lewis ends American drought
Stacy Lewis becomes the first American to win the LPGA player of the year award since Beth Daniel in 1994, and says her best golf is yet to come.
Nov 13 5:35 PM ET | By Mechelle Voepel
Voepel: Baylor blows away No. 6 Kentucky
No. 6 Kentucky couldn't keep up with Baylor. In fact, the Wildcats couldn't even penetrate to the rim, attempting 27 3-pointers. Tuesday was about Baylor's relentless attack -- and the futility of Kentucky's.
Nov 13 | By Mechelle Voepel
- College Sports
Voepel: Texas on track in weekly Power Rankings
A year ago, Khat Bell was a freshman dealing with a devastating injury. Now she and fellow sophomore Haley Eckerman have helped the Longhorns to another Big 12 win and the No. 3 spot in our Power Rankings.
Nov 14 11:01 AM ET | By Mechelle Voepel
Voepel: Baylor to host Kentucky in Tipoff Classic
Two of the country's top programs clash Tuesday in the State Farm Tipoff Classic when defending national champion Baylor hosts No. 6 Kentucky.
Nov 12 | By Mechelle Voepel
Voepel: Griner repeats as espnW preseason player of the year
No matter her personal accolades or even Baylor accomplishing a perfect 40-0 season and NCAA title, Brittney Griner, espnW's preseason player of the year, keeps driving forward to become a better player.
Nov 9 | By Mechelle Voepel
Voepel: Thomas becomes bigger leader for Terps
The Terps could be a national contender this season with high-scoring Alyssa Thomas leading the way. But they'll need her playmaking skills, too, as the Terps try to fill a void at point guard.
Nov 8 | By Mechelle Voepel
Voepel: Tennessee, SEC look very different for 2012-13
Everyone knows Tennessee is in a transitional season. But with four new coaches and two new teams joining the league, it's a tremendous season of change for the entire SEC.
Nov 8 | By Mechelle Voepel
- College Sports
Voepel: Stanford rules weekly Power Rankings
The past week was unkind to teams near the top of our volleyball power rankings, but one thing remained unchanged: Stanford's continued success and standing atop our poll.
Nov 6 3:18 PM ET | By Mechelle Voepel
Voepel: With everyone back, Baylor aims for repeat
In going a perfect 40-0 last season, Baylor managed to make something very difficult look pretty easy. And with all five starters back, led by Brittney Griner, all eyes are on the Lady Bears as they take aim at repeating as national champs.
Nov 5 | By Mechelle Voepel
Voepel: Big 12 preview
The Big 12 will have a new look in 2012-13, with newcomers TCU and West Virginia. But everyone is still chasing Baylor at the top of the conference.
Nov 5 | By Mechelle Voepel
- College Sports
Voepel: Nebraska makes quick recovery in weekly Power Rankings
In the midst of an alumni celebration, Nebraska suffered a surprising home loss to Ohio State but recovered to topple top-ranked Penn State and unseat the Nittany Lions as the No. 1 team in our Power Rankings.
Oct 30 11:52 AM ET | By Mechelle Voepel
Voepel: Stanford win gives season shot of adrenaline
Attribute No. 1 Baylor's 71-69 loss to No. 4 Stanford on Friday in part to the "Honolulu effect." Another factor? Baylor point guard Odyssey Sims played just four minutes because of a hamstring injury.
Oct 25 | By Mechelle Voepel
Voepel: Laimbeer, Stern make their mark on WNBA
Although David Stern and Bill Laimbeer are known for so much more than their WNBA ties, their contributions to women's basketball have been quite significant.
Oct 25 | By Mechelle Voepel
Voepel: Chamique Holdsclaw in uncharted territory after alleged attack
Alleged attack on Jennifer Lacy leaves fans of Chamique Holdsclaw worried and sad. The former WNBA star faces potential jail time.
Oct 25 | By Mechelle Voepel
- College Sports
Voepel: No. 1 Penn St. hangs on in weekly Power Rankings
No. 1 Penn State needed five sets to avoid an upset at Michigan. Were the Nittany Lions caught looking ahead to Sunday's showdown with No. 4 Nebraska?
Oct 23 11:03 PM ET | By Mechelle Voepel
Voepel: Fever finally find their fairy tale ending
When the playoffs opened, not many were picking Indiana to knock off the top team from each division en route to the WNBA championship. But odds were beaten, twists and turns were navigated, and in the end, the Fever got their fairy tale ending.
Oct 23 | By Mechelle Voepel