Monday, February 22
Riverside, Calif.
5 PM
California Baptist University
vs
NM State
Photo by: Reagan Lee
VB Preview: CBU Preps for Series with WAC Favorite NM State
2/19/2021 9:59:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
RIVERSIDE – California Baptist University volleyball will welcome NM State, the top team in the Western Athletic Conference, into the Van Dyne Gym for a back-to-back series on Monday and Tuesday.
The Lancers are looking to bounce back from three-straight losses, while the Aggies are still undefeated at 6-0 in the Western Athletic Conference and overall. In fact, NMSU has won 26-straight matches in the WAC, with its last league loss coming in 2018.
In their first-ever meeting, CBU knocked off the overwhelming favorite Aggies in five sets when they visited Riverside on Sept. 20, 2018. NM State has won the next three matches, with two four-set wins and a five-set victory the last time they met on Oct. 28, 2019 in Las Cruces.
ON THE ATTACK
Calissa Hoye surpassed 100 kills on the season last time out at Dixie State. She has now reached eight kills or more in all seven matches this year, hitting double-digit kills six times and two 20-kill performances. Her 101 kills this season are 33 more than the next Lancer for a 3.88 per set average. Hoye also has four double-doubles on the year, with 62 digs (2.38 a set).
Christine Graf has emerged as the No. 2 attacker for the Lancers, as the right side has 68 kills (2.52 a set) on a team-high .298 percentage (68-20-161). The sophomore has seven kills in every match and three double-digit outings, with a season-high 15.
STRONG IN THE MIDDLE
Ellie Voss and Chandler Gorman have been dual threats for the Lancers at middle blocker. Gorman leads the team with 17 blocks (12 assists, five solo) for a 0.65 a set average and also has 22 kills and three aces on the year.
Voss has 15 blocks (12 assists, three solo) for a 0.56 average and 17 digs. On offense, she has 38 kills (1.41 a set) on a .283 hitting percentage and two aces.
The Lancers' block has come alive of late, with 22 of their 36 blocks this season coming in the last four matches. CBU has had at least six blocks in three of its last four outings, with a season-high eight against Utah Valley on Feb. 8.
WAC LEADERS
Five Lancers rank top-10 in the WAC in a number of statistics, while CBU sits as a top-three force in several categories as a team.
As a team, the Lancers rank first in the WAC in aces (41); second in the WAC in assists (335) and third in kills (353), hitting percentage (.230), assists per set (12.41), aces per set (1.52) and digs (384).
Hoye ranks second in the entire WAC in total kills (101) and kills per set (3.88). Paige Johnstone ranks fourth in the conference in total digs (105) and fifth in digs per set (4.20). Tesa Oaks ranks second in the entire WAC with 0.53 aces per set and third with 10 aces this year, despite not playing in most of the last three matches.
Leah Pease and Hana Okuhara both rank top-10 in the WAC in assists to this point. Pease ranks fourth in total assists (153) and eighth in assists per set (5.67). Okuhara is eighth in total assists (131) and 10th in per set average (4.85).
MATCH INFORMATION
Opponent: NM State
Date: Feb. 22-23
Time: Match 1 @ 5 p.m. | Match 2 @ 12 p.m. (PST)
Location: Riverside, Calif. (Van Dyne Gym)
Video Match 1 (Feb. 8): WAC Digital Network
Video Match 2 (Feb. 9): WAC Digital Network
Live Stats: Statbroadcast – (Match 1) / (Match 2)
NM STATE AT A GLANCE
As usual, the Aggies have been dominant thus far in the WAC. They have lost just three sets and have been yet to be pushed to a fifth set this year. NMSU own big advantages over its opponents in a number of areas.
NM State Coach Mike Jordan comes into this week sitting on his 499th career win. The Aggies average 14.8 kills per set, as opposed to just 10 for their opponents, and are putting down 2.6 blocks a set while their opponents manage just 1.4. They also average nearly two more digs per set than their opponents (14.3-12.4).
Savannah Davison, the Preseason WAC Player of the Year, leads NMSU with 71 kills (3.38 per set) on a .247 percentage. The Aggies have four other players logging more than two kills a set, though: Victoria Barrett (58, 3.05); Shaney Lipscomb (55, 2.62); Katie Birtcil (46, 2.19) and Lia Mosher (45, 2.14).
Natalie Mikels and Carly Aigner-Swesey hold the reins of the offense, as the setters each have more than 100 assists to their credit. Mikels has a team-high 132 (6.29) and Aigner-Swesey follows with 119 (5.67). Mikels is the top server with nine aces (0.43).
Darian Markham has a team-high 71 digs (3.38), while Davison follows with 66 (3.14). Mosher (22, 1.05), Lindsay Blakey (20, 1.11) and Lipscomb (19, 0.90) headline the blocking defense, as each nearly average a block a set.
The Lancers are looking to bounce back from three-straight losses, while the Aggies are still undefeated at 6-0 in the Western Athletic Conference and overall. In fact, NMSU has won 26-straight matches in the WAC, with its last league loss coming in 2018.
In their first-ever meeting, CBU knocked off the overwhelming favorite Aggies in five sets when they visited Riverside on Sept. 20, 2018. NM State has won the next three matches, with two four-set wins and a five-set victory the last time they met on Oct. 28, 2019 in Las Cruces.
ON THE ATTACK
Calissa Hoye surpassed 100 kills on the season last time out at Dixie State. She has now reached eight kills or more in all seven matches this year, hitting double-digit kills six times and two 20-kill performances. Her 101 kills this season are 33 more than the next Lancer for a 3.88 per set average. Hoye also has four double-doubles on the year, with 62 digs (2.38 a set).
Christine Graf has emerged as the No. 2 attacker for the Lancers, as the right side has 68 kills (2.52 a set) on a team-high .298 percentage (68-20-161). The sophomore has seven kills in every match and three double-digit outings, with a season-high 15.
STRONG IN THE MIDDLE
Ellie Voss and Chandler Gorman have been dual threats for the Lancers at middle blocker. Gorman leads the team with 17 blocks (12 assists, five solo) for a 0.65 a set average and also has 22 kills and three aces on the year.
Voss has 15 blocks (12 assists, three solo) for a 0.56 average and 17 digs. On offense, she has 38 kills (1.41 a set) on a .283 hitting percentage and two aces.
The Lancers' block has come alive of late, with 22 of their 36 blocks this season coming in the last four matches. CBU has had at least six blocks in three of its last four outings, with a season-high eight against Utah Valley on Feb. 8.
WAC LEADERS
Five Lancers rank top-10 in the WAC in a number of statistics, while CBU sits as a top-three force in several categories as a team.
As a team, the Lancers rank first in the WAC in aces (41); second in the WAC in assists (335) and third in kills (353), hitting percentage (.230), assists per set (12.41), aces per set (1.52) and digs (384).
Hoye ranks second in the entire WAC in total kills (101) and kills per set (3.88). Paige Johnstone ranks fourth in the conference in total digs (105) and fifth in digs per set (4.20). Tesa Oaks ranks second in the entire WAC with 0.53 aces per set and third with 10 aces this year, despite not playing in most of the last three matches.
Leah Pease and Hana Okuhara both rank top-10 in the WAC in assists to this point. Pease ranks fourth in total assists (153) and eighth in assists per set (5.67). Okuhara is eighth in total assists (131) and 10th in per set average (4.85).
MATCH INFORMATION
Opponent: NM State
Date: Feb. 22-23
Time: Match 1 @ 5 p.m. | Match 2 @ 12 p.m. (PST)
Location: Riverside, Calif. (Van Dyne Gym)
Video Match 1 (Feb. 8): WAC Digital Network
Video Match 2 (Feb. 9): WAC Digital Network
Live Stats: Statbroadcast – (Match 1) / (Match 2)
NM STATE AT A GLANCE
As usual, the Aggies have been dominant thus far in the WAC. They have lost just three sets and have been yet to be pushed to a fifth set this year. NMSU own big advantages over its opponents in a number of areas.
NM State Coach Mike Jordan comes into this week sitting on his 499th career win. The Aggies average 14.8 kills per set, as opposed to just 10 for their opponents, and are putting down 2.6 blocks a set while their opponents manage just 1.4. They also average nearly two more digs per set than their opponents (14.3-12.4).
Savannah Davison, the Preseason WAC Player of the Year, leads NMSU with 71 kills (3.38 per set) on a .247 percentage. The Aggies have four other players logging more than two kills a set, though: Victoria Barrett (58, 3.05); Shaney Lipscomb (55, 2.62); Katie Birtcil (46, 2.19) and Lia Mosher (45, 2.14).
Natalie Mikels and Carly Aigner-Swesey hold the reins of the offense, as the setters each have more than 100 assists to their credit. Mikels has a team-high 132 (6.29) and Aigner-Swesey follows with 119 (5.67). Mikels is the top server with nine aces (0.43).
Darian Markham has a team-high 71 digs (3.38), while Davison follows with 66 (3.14). Mosher (22, 1.05), Lindsay Blakey (20, 1.11) and Lipscomb (19, 0.90) headline the blocking defense, as each nearly average a block a set.
- The Aggies were picked to win their third-straight WAC title in the conference's Preseason Coaches Poll. Davison was named the Preseason Player of the Year, with Julianna Salanoa and Mosher were both named to the Preseason All-WAC Team, as well.
- NMSU is coming off a 27-4 season with a perfect 16-0 conference record. Last season saw the Aggies make their second-straight NCAA Tournament appearance after not dropping a single set at the WAC Tournament to cap off back-to-back conference championships.
- Overall, the Aggies have made 10 NCAA Tournament appearances under Coach Jordan. They have won 11 WAC titles in their history, with regular-season crowns and five more tournament titles.
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
MB
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