PROVO, Utah — No. 17 BYU women's volleyball heads to the West Coast this week for a pair of matches against San Diego and No. 12 Oregon.
The Cougars (4-1, 0-0 Big 12) will take on a former conference foe in the Toreros on Thursday night before facing Oregon in their second Top 25 matchup this season on Friday night.
| Match Information | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match | Date | Time | Stream | Live Stats |
| No. 17 BYU @ San Diego | Thursday, Sept. 12 | 7 p.m. PDT | ESPN+ | Stat Broadcast |
| No. 17 BYU vs. No. 12 Oregon | Friday, Sept. 13 | 7 p.m. PDT | N/A | Stat Broadcast |
BYU dropped three spots from No. 14 to No. 17 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll this week, marking 170-consecutive polls that it has been ranked in the Top 25 and 161-straight in the top 18.
The Cougars went 1-1 in their BYU Nike Invitational this past week, picking up a four-set win against Lipscomb before falling in five to then-No. 19 Georgia Tech. Outside hitter Claire Little and setter Alex Bower were both named to the all-tournament team following the Invitational.
Little led the way offensively for the second week in a row, downing 35 kills on a .448 clip, including a career-high 22 against the Yellow Jackets on Saturday night. Outside hitter Elli Mortensen added 21 kills of her own on the week, while middle blocker Kjersti Strong had 19. Outside hitter Blaykli Bobik saw the floor for the first time this season, setting career highs in kills, assists, digs and blocks.
Setter Alex Bower paced BYU to a .296 hitting percentage across its two matches. She finished with 75 assists, averaging 8.33 per set. Liberos Lulu Uluave and Hannah Billeter posted 26 and 19 digs, respectively, while middle blocker Brielle Kemavor tallied a team-high 11 total blocks, including a career-high six against Georgia Tech.
Cougar head coach Heather Olmstead fell to 29-26 against ranked opponents in the five-set loss to the Yellow Jackets. She is 5-6 in Top 25 matchups played at neutral sites. With 12th-ranked Oregon on deck, the Ducks will mark BYU's first Top 25 neutral site match since playing then-No. 5 Pitt on opening day last season, a 3-1 win in Missoula, Montana.
After leading the nation in hitting percentage through opening weekend, the Cougars' .357 clip still remains atop the country through the first two weeks of the season. As a team, BYU also ranks No. 49 in blocks per set, averaging 2.58. Individually, Little ranks 17th in hitting percentage, boasting a .466 clip, and No. 48 in points per set, averaging 4.74.
Returning to USD after a year away, the Cougars get set for their 27th all-time meeting with the Toreros, and the 13th all-time against the Ducks, including the ninth meeting at a neutral site.
San Diego (1-4, 0-0 WCC)
- The Toreros picked up a five-set win against UC Santa Barbara last weekend, their first of the season after losses to SMU, at Hawai'i and against St. John's and Arizona State.
- Head coach Jen Petrie is in her 24th season at USD. She is 495-179 (.734) in her career.
- BYU leads the all-time series between the two teams, 14-12. The Cougars are 6-8 against the Toreros at Jenny Craig Pavilion.
No. 12 Oregon (4-1, 0-0 Big Ten)
- After dropping their season opener to now then-No. 4 and now No. 1 Pitt, the Ducks have won four straight.
- Head coach Matt Ulmer is in year eight with Oregon, going 146-70 (.676) in his career.
- BYU leads the all-time series, 10-2. The Cougars are 7-1 against the Ducks in neutral-site matchups. No. 5-seed Oregon took the last neutral site meeting, a 3-1 NCAA Tournament win in Omaha, Nebraska on Dec. 7, 2012.
Following its trip out to San Diego, BYU will return to the state of Utah for a trio of in-state games, with matches against Utah State and Utah Valley at home, and Weber State on the road.