Thursday, October 14
Riverside, Calif.
7 PM
California Baptist University
vs
Seattle U
Photo by: Zac Zeman zaczeman.com
VB Preview: Lancers Prepare for Second Half of the WAC Season With Home-and-Away With Seattle U This Week
10/12/2021 9:55:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
RIVERSIDE – The second half of the Western Athletic Conference volleyball season officially begins this week, and California Baptist University will play back-to-back matches against Seattle U.
The Redhawks will first visit the Van Dyne Gym on Thursday – to close out CBU's three-match homestand – before the Lancers head to the Redhawk Center on Saturday. Seattle U has dropped six-straight matches and is still winless in WAC play, while California Baptist is looking to bounce back from a pair of losses last week.
Both teams will look to sweep both matches and move out of the bottom two of the WAC West Division standings. There's been a ton parity in the division this year, with no winless teams left. NM State leads the way at 4-1 in conference, with its one less coming to CBU, while Grand Canyon, Utah Valley and Dixie State are all tied for second at 3-2. Chicago State is right behind that trio in fifth place at 3-3. California Baptist (7-8 overall, 2-3 in WAC) and Seattle U (3-13, 0-5) round out the West Division standings.
SERIES NOTES
CBU currently holds a 3-1 advantage in the series, as it won the first three matches with Seattle U since the Lancers joined the WAC in 2018. The Redhawks won the last time out, though, with a three-set win in Riverside (25-18, 25-22, 25-21) on Nov. 17, 2019 before the 2020 matches were canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Lancers have won both matches in Seattle, with a 25-19, 25-20, 25-23 win on Oct. 14, 2019 and a four-set win back on Oct. 11, 2018 (25-17, 25-18, 13-25, 26-24).
GRAF ATTACK
Christine Graf is putting together a career year, as the junior outside hitter is putting up season bests with 2.88 kills per set on a .290 hitting percentage. She hit her 500th career kill in her 57th match against Chicago State three weeks ago. The 2019 WAC All-Freshman Team member has eclipsed double-digit kills eight times this season, with a season-high 16 against Southern Utah on Sept. 11. Her career-high 22 kills came when she was a freshman in just three sets against the Thunderbirds on Sept. 20, 2019.
ON OAKS
Tesa Oaks has returned to strong form this season, as the senior outside hitter ranks second on the team with 2.78 kills a set. The 2018 All-WAC First Teamer has six matches with double-digit kills this season and five more with at least seven. She had a season-high 18 kills against Southern Utah on Sept. 11.
SETTING THE STAGE
This is the second year in a row CBU has run a 6-2 offense with setters Leah Pease and Hana Okuhara. Pease is the usual starter and leads the team with 267 assists (5.24 a set). Okuhara is not far off, though, with 231 assists (4.53). Okuhara is also the Lancers' leading double-double threat, with six so far this year. She hit a season-high 20 assists twice and logged a career-high 21 digs against Cal State Fullerton. Pease had three double-doubles to her credit this year and hit a season-high 28 assists versus NM State and 16 digs on two occasions.
ON A RUN
Anouk van Noord has come on strong for CBU over the last two weeks. The senior opposite hitter and transfer from UMBC has been averaging 2.41 kills a set on a .267 hitting percentage and 0.53 blocks a set over the last five matches. She's posted at least eight kills three times in that span and hit double-digits twice, including a season-high 13 at NM State. She also had 10 kills and five blocks against Dixie State last week.
REDHAWKS AT A GLANCE
Seattle U is in its second season under Head Coach Michelle Cole. The Redhawks have wins over Air Force, UC San Diego and Southeastern Louisiana this year, and are coming off one of their best performances in the WAC after taking Utah Valley to five sets on Thursday, Oct. 7.
Three Seattle players have eclipsed 100 kills this year: Eve Kerschenbaum (143, 2.51 a set), Sierra Bartley (135, 2.33) and Julia Queiroz (101, 2.02). Darian Goins (5.24) and Ezgi Ozkan (4.74) split time at setter and both average more than 4.50 assists a set.
Defensively, Katlyn Sipes leads the backline with 174 digs (3.28 a set). Queiroz (36, 0.72) and Lauren McCabe (32, 0.55) are the leading blockers for the Redhawks.
MATCH INFORMATION
Opponent: Seattle U
Dates: October 14 & 16
Times: 7 p.m. & 1 p.m.
Location: Riverside, Calif. (Van Dyne Gym) & Seattle (Redhawk Center)
Live Stats: Statbroadcast: Thursday | Saturday
Video: ESPN+ & WAC Digital Network (international viewers only): Thursday | Saturday
The Redhawks will first visit the Van Dyne Gym on Thursday – to close out CBU's three-match homestand – before the Lancers head to the Redhawk Center on Saturday. Seattle U has dropped six-straight matches and is still winless in WAC play, while California Baptist is looking to bounce back from a pair of losses last week.
Both teams will look to sweep both matches and move out of the bottom two of the WAC West Division standings. There's been a ton parity in the division this year, with no winless teams left. NM State leads the way at 4-1 in conference, with its one less coming to CBU, while Grand Canyon, Utah Valley and Dixie State are all tied for second at 3-2. Chicago State is right behind that trio in fifth place at 3-3. California Baptist (7-8 overall, 2-3 in WAC) and Seattle U (3-13, 0-5) round out the West Division standings.
SERIES NOTES
CBU currently holds a 3-1 advantage in the series, as it won the first three matches with Seattle U since the Lancers joined the WAC in 2018. The Redhawks won the last time out, though, with a three-set win in Riverside (25-18, 25-22, 25-21) on Nov. 17, 2019 before the 2020 matches were canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Lancers have won both matches in Seattle, with a 25-19, 25-20, 25-23 win on Oct. 14, 2019 and a four-set win back on Oct. 11, 2018 (25-17, 25-18, 13-25, 26-24).
GRAF ATTACK
Christine Graf is putting together a career year, as the junior outside hitter is putting up season bests with 2.88 kills per set on a .290 hitting percentage. She hit her 500th career kill in her 57th match against Chicago State three weeks ago. The 2019 WAC All-Freshman Team member has eclipsed double-digit kills eight times this season, with a season-high 16 against Southern Utah on Sept. 11. Her career-high 22 kills came when she was a freshman in just three sets against the Thunderbirds on Sept. 20, 2019.
ON OAKS
Tesa Oaks has returned to strong form this season, as the senior outside hitter ranks second on the team with 2.78 kills a set. The 2018 All-WAC First Teamer has six matches with double-digit kills this season and five more with at least seven. She had a season-high 18 kills against Southern Utah on Sept. 11.
SETTING THE STAGE
This is the second year in a row CBU has run a 6-2 offense with setters Leah Pease and Hana Okuhara. Pease is the usual starter and leads the team with 267 assists (5.24 a set). Okuhara is not far off, though, with 231 assists (4.53). Okuhara is also the Lancers' leading double-double threat, with six so far this year. She hit a season-high 20 assists twice and logged a career-high 21 digs against Cal State Fullerton. Pease had three double-doubles to her credit this year and hit a season-high 28 assists versus NM State and 16 digs on two occasions.
ON A RUN
Anouk van Noord has come on strong for CBU over the last two weeks. The senior opposite hitter and transfer from UMBC has been averaging 2.41 kills a set on a .267 hitting percentage and 0.53 blocks a set over the last five matches. She's posted at least eight kills three times in that span and hit double-digits twice, including a season-high 13 at NM State. She also had 10 kills and five blocks against Dixie State last week.
REDHAWKS AT A GLANCE
Seattle U is in its second season under Head Coach Michelle Cole. The Redhawks have wins over Air Force, UC San Diego and Southeastern Louisiana this year, and are coming off one of their best performances in the WAC after taking Utah Valley to five sets on Thursday, Oct. 7.
Three Seattle players have eclipsed 100 kills this year: Eve Kerschenbaum (143, 2.51 a set), Sierra Bartley (135, 2.33) and Julia Queiroz (101, 2.02). Darian Goins (5.24) and Ezgi Ozkan (4.74) split time at setter and both average more than 4.50 assists a set.
Defensively, Katlyn Sipes leads the backline with 174 digs (3.28 a set). Queiroz (36, 0.72) and Lauren McCabe (32, 0.55) are the leading blockers for the Redhawks.
MATCH INFORMATION
Opponent: Seattle U
Dates: October 14 & 16
Times: 7 p.m. & 1 p.m.
Location: Riverside, Calif. (Van Dyne Gym) & Seattle (Redhawk Center)
Live Stats: Statbroadcast: Thursday | Saturday
Video: ESPN+ & WAC Digital Network (international viewers only): Thursday | Saturday
Players Mentioned
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