PROVO, Utah — No. 9 BYU women’s volleyball welcomes McNeese and UC Davis to Provo for the dōTERRA Classic this week, hosting the Cowgirls on Thursday, Aug. 31 and the Aggies on Saturday, Sept. 2.
| dōTERRA Classic Match Information | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match | Date | Time | Stream | Live Stats |
| McNeese @ No. 9 BYU | Thursday, Aug. 31 | 8 p.m. MDT | Big 12 Now on ESPN+ | Stat Broadcast |
| McNeese vs. UC Davis | Friday, Sept. 1 | 7 p.m. MDT | BYU Cougars YouTube | Stat Broadcast |
| UC Davis @ No. 9 BYU | Saturday, Sept. 2 | 5 p.m. MDT | Big 12 Now on ESPN+ | Stat Broadcast |
The Cougars (4-0, 0-0 Big 12) swept former WCC foe Loyola Marymount in their home opener last night, hitting .258 on the match, led by Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week Erin Livingston’s game-high 12 kills and career-high three service aces.
Fellow Big 12 honoree, Rookie of the Week Mia Lee tallied a game-high five blocks to go along with four kills, two assists and two digs. BYU also received seven kills from Kate Prior and five each from Whitney McEwan-Llarenas and Eden Bower.
Whitney Bower finished with 22 assists, while Kamaile Hiapo recorded seven assists and a game-high nine digs. Hannah Billeter made it four-straight matches with at least one ace, landed a pair of aces on the night.
Through four matches, the Cougars rank second in the nation in total blocks, with 47, and No. 8 in kills, with 183. BYU also sits at No. 13 in assists (170) and No. 17 in blocks per set (3.13).
The Cougars’ pair of Big 12 awardees also rank in the top-five of two statistical categories. Livingston’s 64 total kills and Lee’s 23 blocks both stand at No. 5 in the country.
Billeter ranks ninth in service aces, with nine, while Whitney McEwan-Llarenas’ 19 blocks are good for 18th nationwide. With 128 assists thus far, Whitney Bower ranks No. 19.
Looking to build upon its 4-0 start, BYU prepares for its first-ever matchup with McNeese in volleyball, and its first meeting with UC Davis in over 45 years.
McNeese (0-4, 0-0 Southland)
- The Cowgirls dropped their first four matches at Auburn’s War Eagle Invitational, including to Big 12 opponent, then-No. 19 Houston
- McNeese went 18-16 (13-5 Southland) last season, falling to Southeastern in its second match of the Southland Conference Tournament
- Sasha Karelov is in her second season with the Cowgirls, posting an 18-20 (.474) record thus far
- BYU and McNeese have never played previously in volleyball. The Cougars have only played the Cowboys/Cowgirls six times in three other sports between 1977 and 2018.
UC Davis (2-1, 0-0 Big West)
- The Aggies opened their 2023 campaign 2-1 after wins at Arizona and against North Carolina before dropping a four-setter at Pacific
- UC Davis finished (15-15, 10-10 Big West) in 2022, going 5-9 away from Davis, California
- Dan Conners is in his ninth season as head coach of the Aggies, going 121-119 (.504)
- BYU and UC Davis have met just three times in women’s volleyball, with the last matchup coming on Nov. 5, 1977, a 2-0 Cougar win
Heading to Washington State for the Cougar Classic next week, BYU will face Towson, UC Irvine and No. 17 Wazzu on Thursday, Sept. 7 and Friday, Sept. 8.