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Guards Rosalyn Gold-Onwude and JJ Hones and forward Kayla Pedersen enjoy the waning moments of a Cardinal victory. Stanford has had many chances to smile, winning 10 of its first 11 games this season. This weekend’s trip to the Los Angeles schools marks the Cardinal’s first road trip in Pac-10 play. Stanford will take on two tough opponents in USC and UCLA, both coming off sweeps of ranked teams. (MASARU OKA/Staff Photographer)

The No. 2 Cardinal will face one of the tougher tests of its still-young Pac-10 season this weekend when the team heads to Los Angeles to play USC and UCLA. After soundly defeating rival Cal its last time out, Stanford will look to continue its momentum en route toward a 10th consecutive conference title.

While it may be difficult to imagine the 10-1 Cardinal facing a considerable challenge in both games of a road trip, the Trojans (8-5, 2-0 Pac-10) and the Bruins (9-4, 2-0) perennially find themselves in contention for competitive spots in conference and national tournaments. While the Cardinal managed to win all of its matchups against the L.A. schools last season, the games were not easy, including hard-fought Pac-10 tournament games. The Trojans in particular posed a significant threat to Stanford, barely losing the race to a regular season conference title and earning runner-up behind Stanford in the Pac-10 tournament.

By all indications, it would appear that both teams are off to fantastic seasons. Just last weekend, in fact, the L.A. schools each managed to sweep nationally ranked Arizona State and Arizona.

“Both teams look great,” emphasized Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer. “I’ve been watching so far, and USC had Tennessee down by 10 at one point on the road, and UCLA had an opportunity to beat Duke at Duke, so they’ve both done well with a tough non-conference schedule. But that’s the nature of it. We want to play teams that have done well and will make us better. This is definitely a very tough road trip, and it might be the toughest combination of teams we face.”

Given what they’ve already been through this season, Stanford should be well prepared to compete on this road trip. The Cardinal purposely scheduled a tough non-conference season, including several games against top-10 teams, and managed to outscore opponents in 21 of 22 halves that it played — the exception being a disappointing second half against defending champion Connecticut.

“We played a brutal non-conference season, arguably the toughest ever for Stanford and probably one of the toughest in the country,” VanDerveer said. “I think our team played terrific basketball. I think we learned a lot, and we’re very excited about the Pac-10.”

Stanford already played one game in its conference season, knocking off the Golden Bears by an apparently convincing margin of 79-58. Never one to rest on her team’s laurels, however, VanDerveer wasn’t entirely satisfied with the team’s performance.

The Cardinal was able to hold Cal to just 35.9 percent shooting and picked up a combined 49 rebounds, but shot a somewhat underwhelming 41.8 percent. Last season, the Cardinal shot an average of 47.3 percent for the year.

“I wasn’t really pleased with how we played against Cal, and I think we’ve really cleaned some things up since,” she said. “We’re doing some new things and getting everyone on the same page. Our rebounding and our defense was great, but we’ve since been working really hard to clean up our offense, and it looks a lot better.”

Good teams need good players, something the Trojans and Bruins certainly are not lacking. USC is led on the court by sophomore guards Ashley Corral (15.7 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per game, 5.8 assists per game) and Briana Gilbreath (12.9 ppg, 5.8 rpg). Heading up UCLA’s offense, meanwhile, are standout freshman guard Markel Walker (12.9 ppg, 8.5 rpg) and sophomore guard Jasmine Dixon (12.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg).

Stanford’s roster, meanwhile, is absolutely packed with star power. Sophomore guard Nnemkadi Ogwumike and junior forward Kayla Pedersen hold the Pac-10’s top spots in scoring with 18.8 and 18.0 points per game, respectively. Senior Jayne Appel’s 9.7 rebounds per game are good enough for third in the conference; Ogwumike and Pedersen are fourth and fifth. Besides these “big three,” another impressive playmaker has been redshirt junior guard JJ Hones, who is leading the conference with a 2.00 assist-to-turnover ratio after returning from her second major ACL injury.

Ogwumike, in particular, has impressed of late. After the game with Cal, in which the some of her teammates had a harder time finding the net, the Cypress, Texas, native secured her sixth game with more than 20 points (she had 24) and fourth double-double of the season. She is currently second in the conference with 63.4 shooting percentage.

“Some people talk about a sophomore slump,” VanDerveer said. “That’s not the case with Nneka . . . she’s been nothing but sophomore spectacular.”

Ogwumike worked her way into a starter’s role for a portion of her freshman season, and expectations for her couldn’t be much higher.

“My biggest goal was to become more of a threat for my team,” Ogwumike said. “I wanted to work on my outside shot and get more of an aggressive mentality.”

Whatever her plan was, it seems to be working. One contribution that was less anticipated — but certainly welcome — was her defense. Ogwumike had two blocked shots and a steal against Cal. She now is second on the team in both steals (13) and defensive rebounding (72).

I don’t see myself as the best defensive player, but I think I’m improving,” she said. “Our coaches have definitely been helping us work and improve our defense. It’s progressing right now, and I’d like to be more of a locked-down defensive player.”

Stanford will begin its first Pac-10 road trip tonight at 7 p.m., when it faces the Trojans. After a practice day, the Cardinal will head to UCLA for a 2 p.m. game on Sunday.

The Consumer Electrics Show (CES), currently running in Las Vegas, is also hosting the introduction of several new goodies for the auto sector and, as far as we’re concerned, Kia is the guest star of the show for the time being. The South Korean manufacturer demonstrates a total of seven technologies, including the UVO system we told you about a few days ago.

Besides the UVO, whose details description you’ll find right here, Kia also presented a touch-sensitive control panel that … (read more)

Card faces fellow rebuilder UCLA

If Wednesday night’s games were any indication of what is to come, Saturday afternoon’s contest between UCLA and Stanford could be a game for the ages.

Senior captain Landry Fields holds off a defender in Stanford’s thrilling 54-53 win over USC. The Cardinal looks to continue its success in Pac-10 play against UCLA. (DYLAN PLOFKER/The Stanford Daily)

Stanford squeezed by a deflated USC team on Wednesday, winning 54-53 after sophomore point guard Jarrett Mann sank one of two free throws with just 10.6 seconds left on the clock.

“It was very important,” head coach Johnny Dawkins said after the victory. “It was a tough loss for us at Cal. It’s nice to win it on the final possession. We’ve had some tough ones.”

UCLA won by one point also, but in an even more thrilling manner: senior Michael Roll sank a mid-range jumper with just 1.9 seconds remaining on the clock after the ball was fortuitously deflected by a Cal defender, right into the guard’s hands. Roll’s shot gave the Bruins a 76-75 victory over the Golden Bears, the preseason favorite to win the conference.

“I just turned and shot it,” Roll said to the Los Angeles Times after the game. “And it went in.”

Both the Bruins (7-8, 2-1 Pac-10) and Cardinal (7-7, 1-1 Pac-10) appear to be having down years, especially UCLA. After three Final Four appearances in the last five years, head coach Ben Howland’s team is likely going to miss the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004. But both teams clearly have some solid basketball left in them, and Saturday’s game will be an important one for two teams fighting to stay in the upper half of the conference this season.

The outcome of the game will probably be determined by how the guards match up. Like Stanford, UCLA’s post game is not its strength — the team was dealt a significant blow to an already meager front line when then-leading rebounder Drew Gordon decided to leave the program. Gritty Bruins freshman Reeves Nelson has stepped in and done yeoman’s work in his absence since then, though, reaching double digits in points and being a force on the boards in his last seven games.

As said before though, the match-up between each team’s guards will likely decide the game. Mann will have the task of facing Bruins point guard Malcolm Lee, who leads the team with 14.1 points and 3.9 assists per game. Sophomore Jeremy Green, the Cardinal’s strongest perimeter threat, will have the task of guarding Roll. Green is more athletic and a bit stronger than the veteran Roll, so he may have the advantage in that match-up.

Both teams have been inconsistent this season, though the Bruins have shown a bit more life in recent weeks. UCLA has won four of its last five games, although that stretch of games is sandwiched by a dispiriting 77-63 loss last weekend to Arizona.

Although UCLA seems to have come together a bit more in the recent weeks, the Bruins and Cardinal seem to be two teams that have a lot in common. Both have consistently stayed near the top of the Pac-10 for the last two decades, and both seem to be in rebuilding years of sorts. Even further, Stanford and UCLA experienced similar off-the-court problems, though the Bruins’ Nikola Dragovic’s legal issues stemming from a fight at a concert are much more substantial than the dropped allegations against Green.

Games against what some call “swing opponents” are often the most important, as they can go a long way in determining a team’s standing at the end of the year. Aside from being a battle of two programs trying to reclaim their past success, Saturday’s game may make the difference between a third seed or sixth seed during the all-important Pac-10 Tournament come March.

It’s UCLA and Stanford. And while the stakes are a bit lower than usual, Saturday’s game is not one to miss. Tipoff is at 3 p.m. at Maples Pavilion.

Senior setter Kawika Shoji is one of six returning starters looking to bring Stanford back into the national title chase. The Cardinal is ranked No. 3 in the nation this preseason after finishing 21-11 in 2009. (Stanford Daily File Photo)

While the Cardinal produced one of its most successful seasons since 1997, finishing in fourth place in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) and sixth nationally, the team met an abrupt ending against USC in the first round of finals.

Now, Stanford is ranked No. 3 in the coaches’ poll as well as in the MPSF, behind No. 1 USC and the defending national champions, No. 2 UC-Irvine. Last season, the Card went 21-11 only to finish with a five-set loss against USC in MPSF playoffs.

“We went up 2-0 and it was disappointing that we lost that match in five,” said head coach John Kosty. “We thought we had our opportunity to go deep into the tournament and maybe end in the national championships.”

However, the attitude heading into this season thus far has been tremendously influenced by last season’s highlights including libero Erik Shoji’s kick set that appeared on ESPN and YouTube with over 250,000 views. Similarly, the team experienced “late match heroics” in Long Beach “by pancaking a ball” for the win, according to Kosty.

Last season, the team also bid farewell to starting middle blocker Brandon Williams. His position will be filled by Gus Ellis, Charley Henrikson and Max Halvorson.

“I think Brandon is a tough guy to replace, but Gus Ellis got a lot of playing time last year so he’ll fill in nicely,” senior setter Kawika Shoji said.

With the main hit to the roster coming from the graduated middle blocker, the Card returns six of its seven starters, including first team All-American brothers Kawika and Erik Shoji.

The brothers are the first duo from Stanford awarded All-American honors since 1993.

“[Erik] helps me out because he passes me the ball,” Kawika said. “I tell everyone he makes me look good. He makes my job a lot easier.”

The Shoji brothers have brought much success to the program, including a pair of school records. Kawika set the bar for assists in a single season at 1,394, while Erik eclipsed the national record with 447 digs in a single season.

Aside from the Shoji brothers, the Card returns its best hitter, senior opposite Evan Romero, who holds the Stanford record for most career kills at 1,295. Last year was Romero’s third straight season leading the Card’s offensive attack, averaging 4.33 kills per set.

“We’re senior-led in team with a junior and a couple of sophomores thrown in and that gives us a definite advantage over a lot of teams,” Kosty said. “We’re striving to be even better than we were last year.”

This coming season remains a chance to prove to the volleyball world just what the Cardinal is made of. Though last season remains a successful season in Stanford history, the team expected a longer run into the MPSF playoffs. This season holds its own set of expectations as well.

“I know that I can speak for everyone on the team when I say that our expectations for this season are very high,” Ellis said. “With almost all of our starters returning, strong senior leadership and a refined work ethic, we are looking forward to a great season and hopefully we will be ending it with a final match in Maples Pavilion for the NCAA title.”

All of these qualities will be tested as the season gets underway as the Card hosts its first opponent, University of Hawaii. Hawaii exhibits a challenging team, especially with 6-foot-9 opposite hitter Jonas Umlauft, 6-foot-5 outside hitter Steven Hunt and 6-foot-3 outside hitter Gus Tuaniga.

Hawaii will be the initial test of where Stanford stands in the MPSF.

“We need to prove that we can go deeper into the MPSF tournament,” Kosty said. “We need to prove our consistency and be ranked higher all season long. Our team is ready. We filled all of our holes. We’re ready to go after it.”

This month starts off the MPSF excitement and the team hopes to continue making its journey toward the NCAA championships in the spring here at Stanford.

Support the Card as they take on Hawaii on Jan. 15 in Maples Pavilion and Jan. 16 in Burnham Pavilion. First serves are at 7 p.m.

This weekend, however, the team will be playing in an alumni match on Saturday in Maples Pavilion that will feature graduates from 1990 to 2009. The match will commence at 8 p.m.

It’s Meryl Streep’s resemblance to a ruffled mess of soiled sheets that’s made the double Oscar-winner one of the most critically-acclaimed actresses of our time.

Sounds pretty bitchy, but Sharon Stone actually meant it as a compliment.

“I think that’s why Meryl Streep is working so much, because she looks like a woman we can all relate to,” Sharon told Tatler Magazine’s Feb. issue. “I look at her and I think, ‘I’m chasing my kids, I’ve moved my parents in with me, I’m coping with food spills – that looks like me in real life.’ Meryl looks like an unmade bed, and that’s what I look like. To me, that looks true.”

Sharon, 51, says she not only admires Meryl’s talent on the silver screen but also the 60-year-old star’s dedication to aging naturally without the help of cosemetic surgery– a trait Sharon says both women share.

With Jenson Button moving to McLaren Mercedes in 2010, one knew this will stir up plenty of negative comments from around the F1 paddock, all directed at the reigning world champion. Most argue that the 29-year old Englishman will not stand a chance ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton next year, while everyone agrees Button will have ten times tougher the year he had in 2009.

The latest criticism came from former Ferrari and Januar racer Eddie Irvine, who told ESPNF1 recently that Bu… (read more)

We made a big batch of enchiladas over the weekend, but somehow we still have about a dozen corn tortillas leftover. Have any suggestions for what to do with them?

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The 2010 Dodge Nitro lineup has been revised here and there by American manufacturer Chrysler and even got its three models renamed into Heat, Detonator and Shock. The most exciting features of the 2010 Nitro lineup is the 4.0l overhead cam V6 engine, which develops 260 horsepower and 359 Nm of torque.

The Nitro Heat thus produces 23 percent more horsepower and 12 percent more torque than the previous entry-level model. It received 20-inch painted Mopar aluminum wheels and body-co… (read more)

Eco Factor: Zero-emission car powered by electricity.

Geely has unveiled its all-electric five-seat family car that will go on sale in Europe this spring. The vehicle was demonstrated at the COP15 climate talks and is expected to hit the US and Asia later this year or in 2011.

(more…)

A MEETING to discuss the business case for investing in on-farm renewable energy technologies will be held next week. On Wednesday farmers and land managers will gather in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, to debate whether renewable energy generation …

By Zoran Basich, Editor, Dow Jones VentureWire

“Earthquake!”

“Did you all feel that?”

“What the f— was that?”

“OMG, an earthquake!”

Okay, so no one said the nearly instantaneous Twitter-sphere reactions to the medium-sized temblor that struck the San Francisco Bay Area Thursday morning were going to be full of insight and analysis. But it was another example of a tectonic shift in media – how quickly so many people have grown accustomed to turning to the service before anything else, before CNN or local radio or, don’t be silly, newspapers, to confirm our observations or just connect with others when a shared experience strikes.

Within seconds of the quake, which caused the San Francisco bureau of VentureWire to sway and jolt for a few brief seconds, up on the 10th floor above California Street, thousands of Tweets had already been posted. But one couldn’t help noticing what a massive opportunity awaits the famously non-revenue-generating Twitter when it finally figures out its business model.

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By Lewis Wallace, Contributor, Wired.com, Underwire

After surprisingly intense voting, 4chan founder moot walked away with top honors in Wired.com’s 2009 Sexy Geeks competition.

Hundreds of thousands of votes were cast in this year’s edition of the annual competition. More than 500 nominees made the list before submissions were closed at the appointed hour, including many geeks with sexy brains to go with their fetching photos — scientists, coders, mathematicians and the like.

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By Nick Bilton, Lead Blogger, Bits Blog, New York Times

As chips and sensors become smaller and more advanced, mobile phones are beginning to swallow and adopt any number of new functions. As a result, they are quickly replacing other single-serving devices, including GPS units and cameras.

The first big shift took place a few years ago when mobile phones added headphone jacks and consumers began leaving their dedicated music players at home to conveniently play music directly from the phone.

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By David Sarno, Internet Culture and Online Entertainment Writer, L.A. Times

Three national authors groups comprising more than 4,000 writers and journalists today decried the controversial agreement between Google (GOOG) and author-publisher groups that would allow the tech giant to sell access to millions of books online.

In a letter to Congress, the three groups — the National Writers Union, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America — pointed to what they saw as the overly confusing and ultimately unfair rules that would govern what Google could do with the books if the settlement were to be approved in federal court.

In language by turns wry and outraged, the writer groups accuse Google of inadequately explaining the terms of the agreement to the many authors it could affect, and the Authors Guild and publishing industry of fashioning a deal that favors current authors, while leaving less lucrative out-of-print authors behind.

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Dodge’s Ram 2500 and 3500 might not be as acclaimed as the their little brother, the 1500 model, but they still managed to get some important awards like Motor Trend’s 2010 Truck of the Year, Four Wheeler’s Pickup Truck of the Year and the Texas Auto Writers (TAWA) Heavy Duty Pickup Truck of Texas during the past year.

For 2010, Ram Heavy Duty is available for the first time in a crew-size cab model, and the truck’s coil-spring suspension up front and multi-leaf spring suspension … (read more)