PROVO, Utah — No. 14 BYU women's volleyball begins Big 12 play this week, hosting a pair of Conference matches beginning with Colorado on Thursday night.
The Cougars (12-0, 0-0 Big 12) will also welcome Iowa State to the Smith Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon before hitting the road next week.
| No. 14 BYU vs. Colorado | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Time | Stream | Live Stats |
| Thursday, Sept. 25 | 6 p.m. MDT | ESPN+ | Stat Broadcast |
BYU moved up two spots in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll from No. 16 to No. 14. The Cougars have gone up at least one spot in each of the last three weeks.
Going 3-0 with a trio of in-state matches, BYU swept Weber State in Provo and Utah State in Logan before beating Utah Valley in four sets in Orem. Completing an undefeated non-conference slate, the Cougars' 12-0 start to the 2025 season is their best since 2018, when they won 27-straight to begin the year before dropping a regular season finale prior to a trip to the Final Four.
One of eight remaining unbeaten teams in the country, BYU is joined by West Virginia as the only other Big 12 team yet to drop a match. The Cougars and Mountaineers are joined by Clemson, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Hofstra and Texas as undefeated teams.
12 wins is the fifth-best start to a BYU campaign in the NCAA era, where three sets are required to win. The top four starts in program history are 27 (2018), 20 (2005), 15 (2012) and 13 (1987). A win on Thursday night would tie the Cougars' fourth-best start to the year.
BYU also tied the eighth-longest streak of consecutive sets won in rally-scoring era history on Saturday with its opening set win at UVU, taking 20-straight sets dating back to the fourth set of the Wichita State match.
The Cougars were led by Claire Little Chambers, who averaged 4.9 kills per set, last week, followed by Suli Davis' 38 kills, Brielle Kemavor's 26 (hitting .400) and Sophia Callahan's 19. Alex Bower averaged 12.3 assists per set and Emma Barbero posted 3.8 digs per set.
Abby Hoybjerg, making her first career starts, finished with nine kills on a .316 clip and 13 total blocks, including a career-high seven against the Wolverines.
After a month of non-conference play, BYU ranks No. 9 nationally in assissts per set (13.44), No. 11 in kills per set (14.46) and No. 16 in hitting percentage. The Cougars are second in the Big 12 in assists and kills per set, sitting behind Saturday's opponent, Iowa State.
Individually, Bower is sixth in the country in assists per set (11.22) and 10th in total assists (460). Little Chambers is 30th in points per set (4.93) and 31st in kills per set (4.35). Bower leads the Big 12 in both statistical categories, while Little Chambers paces the Conference in total points.
Beginning Big 12 play at home for the third-consecutive season, BYU also opens Conference play against Colorado for the second-straight year.
Colorado (9-2, 0-0 Big 12)
- The Buffaloes dropped a pair of matches to Colorado State last week, 3-0 in Fort Collins and 3-1 at home.
- Prior to those losses, CU had won nine in a row to open the year, including a four-set win over Arkansas.
- Jesse Mahoney is in his 10th season in Boulder. He is 150-128 (.540) at Colorado since 2016, and 330-207 (.615) in his career.
- BYU leads the all-time series, 8-1, and is 4-1 against the Buffaloes in Provo. The Cougars took both matchups last season in four sets, hosting Colorado on Sept. 26, 2024 before visiting the Buffaloes on Oct. 25.
Continuing Big 12 action, BYU will host Iowa State on Saturday, Sept. 27 at noon MDT. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.