Sept. 14, 2011
UVU Volleyball Match Notes
OREM, Utah -- The Utah Valley women's volleyball team will look to improve on its best-ever Division I start this weekend when it heads to Moraga, Calif., to play in Saint Mary's Tournament. There the 8-3 Wolverines will play three teams in three different days for the first time in host Saint Mary's Thursday at 8 p.m., Kansas State Friday at 6 p.m. and Sacramento State Saturday at 5 p.m.
Live stats and live video for all three matches will be streamed live online at SMCGaels.com.
The Wolverines are coming off of a 4-1 clip a week ago that included wins over the Big East's Syracuse and the Mountain West's Air Force. UVU also placed second at the Falcon Invitational in Colorado Springs, Colo., this past weekend by going 2-1. The Wolverines lone setback was a narrow 3-2 loss to Northern Arizona.
UVU's Erica Nish and Sarah Clement were named to the Falcon Invitational All-Tournament Team after Nish totaled with 31 kills, hit .393 and added 17 block assists and two solo blocks for the tournament while Clement had 20 kills, hit .372 and added five block assists. Nish also became the first player in Great West Conference history to take home both the offensive and defensive player of the week accolades.
On the season Lindsay Barker and Chelsey Heaps lead the Wolverines in kills with 111 and 106 respectively.
About Saint Mary's
The Gaels will enter Thursday's match against UVU with a 4-5 record and are coming off of a 1-2 outing at the Veritas Players Challenge that was hosted by Nebraska. There SMC defeated Weber State before falling to No. 11 Nebraska and Creighton. Saint Mary's is currently receiving votes to the AVCA top-25 poll and has a win over a top-25 ranked opponent in No. 18 Duke earlier this year in Palo Alto, Calif. The West Coast Conference Gaels are led offensively by Lauren Corp and her 122 kills and her 3.59 kill per set average.
About Kansas State
The Wildcats are 8-3 on the year and will come to the Bay Area having won four in a row and eight of their last nine. Kansas State's three losses have come from BYU, Louisville and Georgia Tech. The Big 12 member Wildcats are led offensively by Kaitlynn Pelger and her 195 kills and her 4.76 kill per set average.
About Sacramento State
Sac State is 5-5 on the year and is a member of the Big Sky. Sacramento State went 2-1 last weekend with wins over Georgetown and Nevada before falling to No. 1-ranked Cal at the Cal Tournament in Berkeley, Calif. Sac State also played UC Davis Tuesday night and fell in five sets. The Hornets are led offensively by Eryn Kirby and her 101 kills and her 2.66 kill per set average.
Next up for the Wolverines
UVU will travel north on I-15 to Ogden, Utah, to take on in-state rival Weber State on Sept. 20. On Sept. 24, UVU will then head to Pocatello, Idaho, to face Idaho State.
