PROVO, Utah — No. 18 BYU women's volleyball will host a tournament for the second-straight weekend, welcoming Northern Colorado, Wichita State and Incarnate Word to the Smith Fieldhouse for the BYU Nike Invitational.
| BYU Nike Invitational | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match | Date | Time | Stream | Live Stats |
| No. 18 BYU vs. Northern Colorado | Thursday, Sept. 4 | 6 p.m. MDT | ESPN+ | Stat Broadcast |
| Wichita State vs. Incarnate Word | Friday, Sept. 5 | 10 a.m. MDT | ESPN+ | Stat Broadcast |
| Incarnate Word vs. Northern Colorado | Friday, Sept. 5 | 3:30 p.m. MDT | ESPN+ | Stat Broadcast |
| No. 18 BYU vs. Wichita State | Friday, Sept. 5 | 6 p.m. MDT | ESPN+ | Stat Broadcast |
| Wichita State vs. Northern Colorado | Saturday, Sept. 6 | 1 p.m. MDT | ESPN+ | Stat Broadcast |
| No. 18 BYU vs. Incarnate Word | Saturday, Sept. 6 | 6 p.m. MDT | ESPN+ | Stat Broadcast |
The Cougars (3-0, 0-0 Big 12) moved up a spot to No. 18 in this weeks AVCA poll after winning their dōTERRA Classic last weekend, dropping just one set with wins against FDU, Central Michigan and High Point.
BYU hit .288 as a team while holding its opponents to a .091 clip, out-blocking them 28-20 and recording 19 more aces than them, at 28-nine. Outside hitters Claire Little Chambers and Suli Davis led the way with 38 kills apiece, hitting .419 and .305, respectively. Opposite hitter Sophia Callahan had 21 kills on a .311 clip, while middle blocker Brielle Kemavor had 18, hitting .387.
Setter Alex Bower tallied 106 assists on the weekend, finishing with a 35 assist-12 dig double-double against High Point on Saturday. The Nampa, Idaho native had 11 double-doubles last season. Bower totaled 25 digs across the trio of matches, while libero Emma Barbero had 23.
Kemavor paced the Cougars at the net with 14 blocks. Fellow middle Mia Lee added 13, with Bower also contributing nine. Callahan and Little Chambers both downed seven aces. Libero Hannah Billeter, Bower, Barbero and Lee each posted three.
After opening weekend, BYU ranks in the top 15 nationally in three statistical categories: aces per set (No. 9, 2.80), total service aces (No. 12, 28) and opponent hitting percentage (No. 12, .087).
Individually, Bower's 10.6 assists per set rank 31st in the country, with Callahan and Little Chambers aces at 46th and aces per set at 47th. Kemavor averaged 1.5 blocks per set, which ranks 49th.
Concluding a six-match homestand to open the season, the Cougars will meet Northern Colorado and Incarnate Word for the first time and Wichita State for the first time since 2019.
Northern Colorado (2-1, 0-0 Big Sky)
- The Bears split their opening weekend matches, beating Washington in five sets before being swept by Colgate.
- UNC beat Colorado State, also in five sets, on Tuesday night.
- Head coach Lyndsey Oates is in her 21st season in Greeley. She is 377-235 (.616) since 2005.
- This is the first matchup all-time between the two teams.
Wichita State (1-1, 0-0 AAC)
- The Shockers were swept by Kennesaw State to open the year before beating Arkansas in five sets.
- WSU will play Incarnate Word on Friday morning before its Friday night meeting with BYU.
- Chris Lamb is in his 26th season as head coach at Wichita State. He is 527-251 (.677) since 2000.
- BYU leads the all-time series between the two teams, 3-1. They are 1-1 against the Shockers in Provo, and have won the last three matches nine sets to three.
Incarnate Word (2-1, 0-0 Southland)
- The Cardinals lost to Oklahoma to open the season before picking up wins over Abilene Christian and Missouri State, 3-2 and 3-1.
- IUW plays Wichita State and Northern Colorado on Friday before facing BYU in the concluding match of the tournament.
- Head coach Gabryel Ording is in year three in San Antonio. She is 34-28 (.548) since 2023.
- This is the first matchup all-time between the two teams.
The Cougars will head to Los Angeles next week for the LMU Invitational. BYU will face No. 22 USC, former WCC-foe LMU and Western Michigan at the tournament.