PROVO, Utah — No. 16 BYU women's volleyball kicks off its 2024 campaign, hosting the dōTERRA Classic with a trio of matches against NCAA Tournament teams from a season ago on Friday and Saturday, August 30-31.
| dōTERRA Classic Match Information | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match | Date | Time | Stream | Live Stats |
| Fairfield vs. High Point | Friday, August 30 | 10 a.m. MDT | BYU Cougars YouTube Live Stream | Stat Broadcast |
| SLU vs. No. 16 BYU | Friday, August 30 | Noon MDT | ESPN+ | Stat Broadcast |
| High Point vs. SLU | Friday, August 30 | 4:30 p.m. MDT | BYU Cougars YouTube Live Stream | Stat Broadcast |
| Fairfield vs. No. 16 BYU | Friday, August 30 | 7 p.m. MDT | ESPN+ | Stat Broadcast |
| SLU vs. Fairfield | Saturday, August 31 | 4 p.m. MDT | BYU Cougars YouTube Live Stream | Stat Broadcast |
| High Point vs. No. 16 BYU | Saturday, August 31 | 7 p.m. MDT | ESPN+ | Stat Broadcast |
The Cougars open up year two in the Big 12 ranked No. 16 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll and were picked to finish second in the league for the second-straight season, with opposite hitter/middle blocker Kate Prior and middle blocker/opposite hitter Mia Lee both named to the Big 12 Preseason Team.
BYU has been ranked in the AVCA poll for 168-consecutive polls, including 159-straight polls inside the top-18, dating back to the final AVCA poll of the 2013 season.
Head coach Heather Olmstead enters her 10th season at the helm, posting a 238-36 record since 2015. Her .869 win percentage is the highest among all NCAA DI head coaches. Olmstead is also the fastest DI coach to reach 200 career wins, achieving the milestone in just 225 games.
Debuting their 2024 roster this fall, the Cougars return 11 players from a season ago, while also welcoming eight newcomers to Provo, including five freshmen and three transfers.
BYU's three dōTERRA Classic opponents are Southeastern Louisiana, Fairfield and High Point. All three teams won their respective conferences in 2023 and played an NCAA Tournament match. The Cougars and Lions will meet for the first time in series history on Friday. BYU is 1-3 against SLU all-time across all sports.
The Cougars' lone matchup against Fairfield was on Sept. 9, 2000, a 3-0 BYU win over the Stags. BYU also holds a 1-0 series lead over High Point, with the Cougars' only previous meeting against the Panthers a neutral site matchup on Sept. 11, 2021, also a 3-0 BYU sweep.
Southeastern Louisiana (2023: 28-5, 17-1 Southland)
- The Lions won their second-straight Southland Conference tournament last season before falling to No. 6 Oregon in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament.
- SLU reeled off 22-consecutive wins before dropping its contest against the Ducks in the postseason.
- Head coach Jeremy White is in his sixth season with the Lions. He is 87-53 (.621) at SLU and 124-78 (.614) in his coaching career.
Fairfield (2023: 22-7, 16-2 MAAC)
- The Stags won the MACC regular season title for the 22nd time in 28 seasons, as well as a MAAC-leading 13th conference title before dropping an NCAA Tournament First Round matchup at No. 12 Purdue.
- Head coach Nanvy Somera enters her second season at Fairfield. She is 22-7 (.759) with the Stags, and 317-179 (.639) in her career.
- BYU leads the all-time series, 1-0.
High Point (2023: 23-8, 14-0 Big South)
- The Panthers won their second-straight Big South tournament title last season before falling at No. 10 Tennesee in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament.
- Head coach Ryan Meek heads into year seven at High Point. He is 120-49 (.725) with the Panthers and 110-64 (.632) in his career.
- BYU leads the all-time series, 1-0.
Following the Cougars' opening weekend, they will host another tournament in week two, welcoming Lipscomb and No. 14 Georgia Tech to Provo for the the BYU Nike Invitational.