PROVO -- The No. 17 BYU women's volleyball team (7-3, 1-1) will step out of Mountain West Conference play this week to face Weber State on Tuesday night in Ogden, Utah, before taking on MWC-rival Colorado State on Saturday night at home.
"This will be another challenging week for us," said BYU head coach Jason Watson. "We need to continue to improve our preparation for road matches so Weber State will be a good challenge for us on the road. We're then excited to host a very good Colorado State team on Saturday."
The Cougars recorded their 1,000th all-time victory last Saturday with an incredible five-game comeback win at San Diego State. The win puts BYU in elite company with UCLA, Nebraska and Missouri State as the only programs in NCAA history to reach the 1,000-victory mark. Senior Chelsea Goodman continues to lead the way for BYU as she ranks fourth in the MWC with 4.39 kills per game. Junior middle blocker Rachel Dyer currently ranks second in the league and 13th in the nation with a .438 hitting percentage.
BYU will begin the week at Weber State on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in an in-state matchup. The Wildcats are 4-5 so far this season including losses against Wyoming and Utah Valley, both of whom the Cougars will face later this season. Sophomore outside hitter Micah Lines, a transfer from Wyoming, paces Weber State with 3.47 kills per game while fellow sophomore Chelsea Bair is not far behind at 3.42 kpg. BYU is 55-0 all-time against the Wildcats, including a 49-0 mark once Weber State transitioned to Division I.
The Smith Fieldhouse will then play host to a battle of MWC titans on Saturday at 7 p.m. as the Cougars, picked as the preseason league favorites, take on Colorado State, who was picked to finish second in the conference. The Rams are off to a 7-3 start this season including a 2-0 mark in Mountain West Conference play with three-game wins over TCU and New Mexico last weekend to run their win streak to seven games. Colorado State currently boasts the league's best hitting (.291) and kills per game (16.84) marks while tying for first in blocks per contest (3.41). Junior middle blocker Mekana Barnes paces the conference with a .494 hitting efficiency and 1.66 blocks per game while ranking seventh in the MWC with 3.95 kills per game. She has twice been named the conference Player of the Week and received National Player of the Week honors on Sept. 3.
BYU's match against the Wildcats can be followed with a live Internet audio stream from Swenson Gym. A live video stream can also be purchased for $4.95 through Big Sky TV. Links to both can be found on the BYU women's volleyball homepage at www.byucougars.com/volleyball_w. The Colorado State match will be available live online for BYU All-Access subscribers in addition to having live stats.