PROVO, Utah — No. 12 BYU women’s volleyball is back in the Smith Fieldhouse this weekend, hosting Cincinnati in a two-game series on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 3-4.
| No. 12 BYU vs. Cincinnati | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Time | Television/Stream | Live Stats |
| Friday, Nov. 3 | 7 p.m. MDT | Big 12 Now on ESPN+ | Stat Broadcast |
| Saturday, Nov. 4 | 7 p.m. MDT | Big 12 Now on ESPN+ | Stat Broadcast |
The Cougars look to snap a two-game skid in the pair of matches against the Bearcats after falling at Kansas State twice last week.
Dropping four spots to No. 12 in the AVCA poll this week, BYU has been ranked in the Top 25 for 161-straight weeks, and inside the top 18 for 152-consecutive weeks.
Outside hitter Erin Livingston led the Cougars with 24 kills across the two matches against the Wildcats. Middle blocker Whitney McEwan-Llarenas posted 12 kills and opposite hitter Kate Prior added 10.
Setter Whitney Bower recorded 44 assists, averaging 7.33 per set, while libero Kamaile Hiapo tallied a team-high 24 digs. McEwan-Llarenas finished with seven total blocks.
On the season, BYU has four hitters with clips of .250 or better: Bower (.375), McEwan-Llarenas (.341), middle blocker Mia Lee (.288) and outside hitter Elyse Stowell (.265), with Livingston’s .249 just outside.
With seven games remaining in Big 12 play, the Cougars rank second in the conference in opponent hitting percentage (.163) and total blocks (215.5). BYU is also third in blocks per set, at 2.73, and service aces, with 122.
The Cougars rank 13th nationally in blocks per set, 25th in opponent hitting percentage, 35th in team hitting percentage (.258) and 41st in total blocks.
Individually, Lee ranks No. 47 nationally with 1.26 blocks per set. Livingston averages 3.86 kills per set, which sits at No. 51 in the country and fourth in league. McEwan-Llarenas’ 1.17 blocks per set average is good for 78th nationwide.
BYU is 10-0 in home matches this season, dropping just three sets at the Smith Fieldhouse in 2023, one to Utah and two in its only five-set match of the season against Texas Tech.
The Cougars prepare to face Cincinnati for just the second time in program history after the two teams met last season in the BYU Nike Invitational.
Cincinnati (11-10, 4-7 Big 12)
- The Bearcats swept Texas Tech before falling to No. 22 Houston last week.
- Cincy has earned series splits at West Virginia and TCU this season, also picking up a win at Kansas State.
- Head coach Molly Alvey has a 186-165 (.530) record at Cincinnati. She is 248-196 (.559) all-time.
- BYU leads the all-time series, 1-0. The two teams have met just once previously, a 3-1 Cougar win on Sept. 2, 2022.
Following BYU’s weekend set with Cincinnati, it will hit the road again for their last series of the season, two matches at UCF. The Cougars’ final three matches of the regular season will all be single game sets.