Thursday, November 11
Orem, Utah
3 PM
California Baptist University
at
Utah Valley
Photo by: Zac Zeman zaczeman.com
VB Preview: CBU Looks To Finish Strong with WAC West Division Title Still on the Line
11/10/2021 8:50:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
OREM AND ST. GEORGE – It all comes down to the final week of the season in the Western Athletic Conference West Division, as four teams are still in the hunt for the regular-season championship with just four losses.
California Baptist University volleyball is currently tied for third place in the WAC West Division with a 13-9 overall and 8-4 conference record. NM State and Grand Canyon are both tied for the lead with 9-4 WAC marks and have just one match left in the regular season at home against Chicago State, which is tied for third in the West with CBU at 8-4.
The Lancers are still in control of their own destiny, despite a five-set loss at Chicago State last week. A pair of wins this week will mean CBU can match a best-case scenario 10-4 conference record from NMSU, GCU, or CSU.
CBU will be looking for some revenge this week at Utah Valley and Dixie State after it dropped its first matches with both teams at home this year.
SERIES NOTES
CBU has won four of seven matches in the series with Utah Valley since the series began in 2018. The season set was split in 2018 and 2021, while the Lancers won both in 2019. Three of the seven matches in the series have gone five sets, although the Wolverines swept CBU earlier this season (25-18, 25-20, 25-20).
Last season ended a four-year hiatus in the series between CBU and Dixie State. The Lancers and Trailblazers were conference opponents in the PacWest from 2011-17 and are now pitted against each other again in the WAC. Before the PacWest, CBU and DSU first met in 2006. The Lancers won the first six matches in the series before the Trailblazers won back-to-back matches in 2013-14. The Lancers then won six of the next seven matches, including four in a row dating back to 2016, but DSU has won the last three matches between these two, including a 26-24, 18-25, 25-17, 25-20 win in the CBU Events Center this year.
IN THE BALANCE
Depth and balance have been the name of the game for CBU this season. Nine different players have started at least five matches this season. Offensively, the Lancers have four players averaging 2.19 kills a set or more: Tesa Oaks (2.83), Christine Graf (2.77), Scherine Dahoue (2.63) and Anouk van Noord (2.19). It's just the second time in the last 15 years the Lancers can say that. Leah Pease and Hana Okuhara split time at setter.
COMING ON STRONG
Scherine Dahoue has come on strong as of late and is leading CBU's offense with 73 kills (3.04 a set) on a .337 hitting percentage (73-18-163) over the last six matches in which the Lancers have gone 5-1. She's had at least nine kills in every match, including a season-high 19 at Chicago State last week.
DEFENSIVE LEADERS
Defense has been a strength of CBU, as it has gone 6-1 over its last seven matches. Middle blocker Chandler Gorman has spearheaded the defense at the net and libero Paige Johnstone has anchored the backline.
Gorman has a team-high 1.24 blocks per set and 83 in all, which rank second and seventh in the WAC this year. In conference play alone, she ranks fourth in total blocks (55) and blocks per set (1.31). She has at least one block in 18 of her 20 matches this year, multiple blocks 17 times and nine matches with at least five, including a season-high nine at Chicago State last week.
Johnstone has a team-high 323 digs (4.14 a set). She was named the WAC Defender of the Week four weeks ago after she averaged 5.83 digs a set (35 overall). The junior has 16 double-digit dig performances this season and has six matches with at least 20. Overall, Johnstone's 4.14 digs per set this season rank fourth and her 323 digs are 10th in CBU's single-season history in the NCAA era. For her career, she ranks second in the Lancers' NCAA era with 3.50 digs a set and fifth in total digs (654).
ALL SET
Setters Leah Pease and Hana Okuhara have orchestrated CBU's 6-2 offense to perfection this season, as offensive efficiency has been a key strength for the Lancers. Pease has started 17 of 22 matches this year and leads the way with 420 assists (5.38) to go along with 21 aces and 2.19 digs a set. Okuhara is not far off with 394 assists (5.05), 24 aces and 2.22 digs. Okuhara has eight double-doubles on the year, while Pease has seven.
MATCH INFORMATION
Opponents: Utah Valley and Dixie State
Dates/Times: Nov. 11 at 3 p.m. and Nov. 13 at 11 a.m.
Location: Orem, Utah (Lockhart Arena) & St. George, Utah (Burns Arena)
Live Stats: Utah Valley | Dixie State
Video: ESPN+ & WAC Digital Network (international viewers only): Utah Valley | Dixie State
California Baptist University volleyball is currently tied for third place in the WAC West Division with a 13-9 overall and 8-4 conference record. NM State and Grand Canyon are both tied for the lead with 9-4 WAC marks and have just one match left in the regular season at home against Chicago State, which is tied for third in the West with CBU at 8-4.
The Lancers are still in control of their own destiny, despite a five-set loss at Chicago State last week. A pair of wins this week will mean CBU can match a best-case scenario 10-4 conference record from NMSU, GCU, or CSU.
CBU will be looking for some revenge this week at Utah Valley and Dixie State after it dropped its first matches with both teams at home this year.
SERIES NOTES
CBU has won four of seven matches in the series with Utah Valley since the series began in 2018. The season set was split in 2018 and 2021, while the Lancers won both in 2019. Three of the seven matches in the series have gone five sets, although the Wolverines swept CBU earlier this season (25-18, 25-20, 25-20).
Last season ended a four-year hiatus in the series between CBU and Dixie State. The Lancers and Trailblazers were conference opponents in the PacWest from 2011-17 and are now pitted against each other again in the WAC. Before the PacWest, CBU and DSU first met in 2006. The Lancers won the first six matches in the series before the Trailblazers won back-to-back matches in 2013-14. The Lancers then won six of the next seven matches, including four in a row dating back to 2016, but DSU has won the last three matches between these two, including a 26-24, 18-25, 25-17, 25-20 win in the CBU Events Center this year.
IN THE BALANCE
Depth and balance have been the name of the game for CBU this season. Nine different players have started at least five matches this season. Offensively, the Lancers have four players averaging 2.19 kills a set or more: Tesa Oaks (2.83), Christine Graf (2.77), Scherine Dahoue (2.63) and Anouk van Noord (2.19). It's just the second time in the last 15 years the Lancers can say that. Leah Pease and Hana Okuhara split time at setter.
COMING ON STRONG
Scherine Dahoue has come on strong as of late and is leading CBU's offense with 73 kills (3.04 a set) on a .337 hitting percentage (73-18-163) over the last six matches in which the Lancers have gone 5-1. She's had at least nine kills in every match, including a season-high 19 at Chicago State last week.
DEFENSIVE LEADERS
Defense has been a strength of CBU, as it has gone 6-1 over its last seven matches. Middle blocker Chandler Gorman has spearheaded the defense at the net and libero Paige Johnstone has anchored the backline.
Gorman has a team-high 1.24 blocks per set and 83 in all, which rank second and seventh in the WAC this year. In conference play alone, she ranks fourth in total blocks (55) and blocks per set (1.31). She has at least one block in 18 of her 20 matches this year, multiple blocks 17 times and nine matches with at least five, including a season-high nine at Chicago State last week.
Johnstone has a team-high 323 digs (4.14 a set). She was named the WAC Defender of the Week four weeks ago after she averaged 5.83 digs a set (35 overall). The junior has 16 double-digit dig performances this season and has six matches with at least 20. Overall, Johnstone's 4.14 digs per set this season rank fourth and her 323 digs are 10th in CBU's single-season history in the NCAA era. For her career, she ranks second in the Lancers' NCAA era with 3.50 digs a set and fifth in total digs (654).
ALL SET
Setters Leah Pease and Hana Okuhara have orchestrated CBU's 6-2 offense to perfection this season, as offensive efficiency has been a key strength for the Lancers. Pease has started 17 of 22 matches this year and leads the way with 420 assists (5.38) to go along with 21 aces and 2.19 digs a set. Okuhara is not far off with 394 assists (5.05), 24 aces and 2.22 digs. Okuhara has eight double-doubles on the year, while Pease has seven.
MATCH INFORMATION
Opponents: Utah Valley and Dixie State
Dates/Times: Nov. 11 at 3 p.m. and Nov. 13 at 11 a.m.
Location: Orem, Utah (Lockhart Arena) & St. George, Utah (Burns Arena)
Live Stats: Utah Valley | Dixie State
Video: ESPN+ & WAC Digital Network (international viewers only): Utah Valley | Dixie State
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
L
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
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