Monday, February 8
Riverside, Calif.
5 PM
California Baptist University
vs
Utah Valley
Photo by: Zac Zeman
VB PREVIEW: Lancers Ride Three-Match Winning Streak Into WAC Home Opener With Utah Valley
2/5/2021 11:30:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
RIVERSIDE – California Baptist University volleyball rides a three-match winning streak into its home Western Athletic Conference debut against Utah Valley next week.
The Lancers were originally scheduled to face Chicago State, but that series has been postponed to a date yet to be determined. It gave CBU the perfect opportunity to make up its previously-scheduled series with UVU.
Both teams are undefeated so far. The Lancers secured the series sweep at Tarleton State earlier this week, with a sweep (25-22, 25-19, 25-23) and four-set win (25-16, 25-21, 23-25, 25-20) on the Texans' home floor.
It puts CBU in a four-way tie for first place in the WAC, with Grand Canyon, NM State and Utah Valley.
CBU AT A GLANCE
The Lancers have been balanced on offense and tough from the service line so far. They average 2.1 aces a set and give up just 0.7. CBU has also put down 14.9 kills a set on a .293 percentage (164-52-382) and given up just 10.1 kills to its opponents.
Four Lancers are averaging more than two kills a set, with University of Iowa graduate student transfer Calissa Hoy leading the way. Hoye has 49 kills (4.9 a set) on a .385 percentage and has at least 14 kills in every match so far.
There's balance there, though, as Tesa Oaks (33, 3.00); Christine Graf (29, 2.64) and Sydney Marks (24, 2.18) each average more than two kills a set. Leah Pease and Hana Okuhara have split time at setter, with Pease averaging 6.55 assists a set (72 total) and Okuhara checking in at 5.36 (59).
Sophomore Paige Johnstone has shined in her debut season at libero. She is averaging 5.00 digs a set, with 55 in all, which is 30 more than the next Lancer. She has at least 15 digs in each match, with a career-high 24 coming against Tarleton State last time out.
Oaks and Johnstone are also leading the team's service attack. Oaks has eight aces (0.73 a set) to her credit, while Johnston has five (0.45). Four other Lancers have at least two.
SERIES NOTES
CBU swept the series set with Utah Valley in 2019 after splitting the first two meetings back in 2018. Two of the four matches in the series have gone five sets, with both coming in Orem, Utah.
It's tied 1-1 between both sides in the Van Dyne Gym, as the Wolverines swept the first match here on Nov. 1, 2018 (25-23, 25-20, 29-27). CBU got some revenge with a four-set win in Riverside on Nov. 16, 2019 -- the last time the two met (23-25, 25-20, 25-21, 25-20).
MATCH INFORMATION
Opponent: Utah Valley
Date: Feb. 8-9
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)
UTAH VALLEY AT A GLANCE
The Wolverines are off to a 2-1 start to the WAC season, as it swept its conference series opener at home versus Seattle U earlier this week. UVU suffered its first loss of the season Thursday in a crosstown clash with 14th-ranked BYU (25-17, 22-25, 25-20, 25-20).
Utah Valley was picked to finish fifth in the conference's preseason poll after it extended its streak of advancing to at least the semifinals of the WAC tournament in 2019, as it reached the semifinals for the fourth straight season in 2019.
UVU returns nine letterwinners but just two starters from last season, but they're both key players. Both Kazna Tanuvasa and Seren Jardine earned Preseason All-WAC honors. Tanuvasa led the entire WAC in points (4.34) and kills per (3.81) per set averages last season. She is one of four returning first-team All-WAC players from 2019. Jardine led the Wolverines in digs for the third-straight season in 2019.
NOTABLE NOTES
The Lancers were originally scheduled to face Chicago State, but that series has been postponed to a date yet to be determined. It gave CBU the perfect opportunity to make up its previously-scheduled series with UVU.
Both teams are undefeated so far. The Lancers secured the series sweep at Tarleton State earlier this week, with a sweep (25-22, 25-19, 25-23) and four-set win (25-16, 25-21, 23-25, 25-20) on the Texans' home floor.
It puts CBU in a four-way tie for first place in the WAC, with Grand Canyon, NM State and Utah Valley.
CBU AT A GLANCE
The Lancers have been balanced on offense and tough from the service line so far. They average 2.1 aces a set and give up just 0.7. CBU has also put down 14.9 kills a set on a .293 percentage (164-52-382) and given up just 10.1 kills to its opponents.
Four Lancers are averaging more than two kills a set, with University of Iowa graduate student transfer Calissa Hoy leading the way. Hoye has 49 kills (4.9 a set) on a .385 percentage and has at least 14 kills in every match so far.
There's balance there, though, as Tesa Oaks (33, 3.00); Christine Graf (29, 2.64) and Sydney Marks (24, 2.18) each average more than two kills a set. Leah Pease and Hana Okuhara have split time at setter, with Pease averaging 6.55 assists a set (72 total) and Okuhara checking in at 5.36 (59).
Sophomore Paige Johnstone has shined in her debut season at libero. She is averaging 5.00 digs a set, with 55 in all, which is 30 more than the next Lancer. She has at least 15 digs in each match, with a career-high 24 coming against Tarleton State last time out.
Oaks and Johnstone are also leading the team's service attack. Oaks has eight aces (0.73 a set) to her credit, while Johnston has five (0.45). Four other Lancers have at least two.
SERIES NOTES
CBU swept the series set with Utah Valley in 2019 after splitting the first two meetings back in 2018. Two of the four matches in the series have gone five sets, with both coming in Orem, Utah.
It's tied 1-1 between both sides in the Van Dyne Gym, as the Wolverines swept the first match here on Nov. 1, 2018 (25-23, 25-20, 29-27). CBU got some revenge with a four-set win in Riverside on Nov. 16, 2019 -- the last time the two met (23-25, 25-20, 25-21, 25-20).
MATCH INFORMATION
Opponent: Utah Valley
Date: Feb. 8-9
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)
UTAH VALLEY AT A GLANCE
The Wolverines are off to a 2-1 start to the WAC season, as it swept its conference series opener at home versus Seattle U earlier this week. UVU suffered its first loss of the season Thursday in a crosstown clash with 14th-ranked BYU (25-17, 22-25, 25-20, 25-20).
Utah Valley was picked to finish fifth in the conference's preseason poll after it extended its streak of advancing to at least the semifinals of the WAC tournament in 2019, as it reached the semifinals for the fourth straight season in 2019.
UVU returns nine letterwinners but just two starters from last season, but they're both key players. Both Kazna Tanuvasa and Seren Jardine earned Preseason All-WAC honors. Tanuvasa led the entire WAC in points (4.34) and kills per (3.81) per set averages last season. She is one of four returning first-team All-WAC players from 2019. Jardine led the Wolverines in digs for the third-straight season in 2019.
NOTABLE NOTES
- UVU has been strongest when it comes to serving and blocking this season. Going into their match with BYU, the Wolverines had 17 aces in three matches for a 2.4 ace per set average, while giving up just six (0.9 a set) to their opponents. They also averaged 3.1 blocks per set (22 in all), while their opponents put up 1.9 a set (13 overall).
- Utah Valley brings a ton of balance into this season, with five players averaging more than two kills per set. Tori Dorius and Tanuvasa lead the Wolverines with 34 kills each. Kendra Nock (23, 2.09); Kristen Bell (22, 2.20) and Sadie Hamson (13, 2.17) all have hit double-digit kills so far.
- Bryton Bishop and setter Jaysa Funk Stratton lead the team with six and five aces, respectively, to this point, while Abbie Miller and Tanuvasa also have at least three. Nock leads the defense with 15 blocks this year (1.36 a set), but four other players have at least five.
- The Wolverines run a 6-2 offense, with Miller and Stratton splitting time at setter and each logging at least 57 assists and averaging more than 5.1 per set.
- Jardine, the Preseason All-WAC selection, continues to lead UVU in digs for the fourth year in a row, with 41 (3.73) in all.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
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