PROVO, Utah — No. 16 BYU women’s volleyball makes its second trip to the Eastern time zone this season, visiting West Virginia for a Wednesday night matchup at 6 p.m. EST.
No. 16 BYU @ West Virginia
The Cougars look to bounce back after their four-set loss to then-No. 17 Kansas on senior night last week. BYU dropped three spots to No. 16 in the AVCA poll this week. The Cougars have been ranked in the Top 25 for 165-consecutive weeks, with 156-straight polls inside the top 18.
BYU hit .255 on the night against the Jayhawks, and had three Cougars in double-figures hitting: outside hitter Erin Livingston (21 kills) and middle blockers Mia Lee and Whitney McEwan-Llarenas, with 11 kills each, a career high for Lee.
Despite the offensive output, and out-blocking Kansas, 10 to eight, nine service errors and a .284 hitting percentage by the Jayhawks proved to be the difference in the match.
Setter Whitney Bower’s 48 assists were the most in a four-set match this season. The senior was one dig shy of her seventh double-double on the year. Libero Kamaile Hiapo posted 12 digs, her 20th match with double-digit digs.
On the season, BYU has four hitters with clips of .280 or better: Bower (.357), McEwan-Llarenas (.352), Lee (.313), and Livingston (.282), with Elyse Stowell just outside at .240.
Livingston ranks No. 25 nationally in kills per set (4.19) and No. 30 in points per set (4.73). She ranks third in conference in both total points (444.5) and points per set.
With two games left in Big 12 play, the Cougars lead the league in opponent hitting percentage (.167) and are second in aces per set (1.66), blocks per set (2.64) and total service aces (158).
Nationally, BYU ranks No. 20 in blocks per set, No. 27 in opponent hitting percentage and No. 30 in team hitting percentage.
Going 6-5 on the road this season, the Cougars looks to improve their 3-4 record in Big 12 matches away from Provo with a matchup against the Mountaineers.
West Virginia (9-20, 2-14 Big 12)
- The Mountaineers are on an eight-match losing streak, with their last win coming against Cincinnati in five sets on Oct. 19.
- West Virginia’s other Big 12 win also came in five sets, a 3-2 victory at home over TCU.
- Head coach Reed Sunahara is in his ninth season at WVU. He is 106-154 (.408) at the helm in Morgantown, and 431-318 (.575) in his 24-year career.
- BYU leads the all-time series, 2-0. The two teams last met in Provo on Aug. 30, 2018, a 3-0 Cougar sweep as part of the BYU Nike Invitational. The Cougars last visited the Mountaineers in Morgantown in 2014, also a 3-0 BYU sweep.
Following the Cougars’ penultimate match at West Virginia, they will then travel down to Fort Worth, Texas, concluding the regular season at TCU on Saturday, Nov. 25.