Friday, September 16
Phoenix
3:30 PM
California Baptist University
vs
Cal State Fullerton
Photo by: Ella DuPree
VB Preview: CBU Takes Winning Streak Into Big West/WAC Match-Up
9/13/2022 9:30:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
PHOENIX – California Baptist University volleyball will ride a wave of momentum into its final two non-conference matches of the season at the Big West/WAC Match-Up at Grand Canyon this weekend.
Winners of three of their last four, the Lancers will face off against Cal State Fullerton and UC Irvine on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 16-17 in the GCU Arena. CBU brings a 4-5 record into the matchup and has won its last two matches of the CBU-UCR Tournament over Air Force and UC Riverside on Saturday, Sept. 10.
Cal State Fullerton comes in with a 4-2 record and has won three-straight matches. The Titans have already defeated two WAC opponents in Abilene Christian and Southern Utah but was swept by Utah Tech (formerly Dixie State) this year.
After dropping its first two matches of the season, UC Irvine has won six-straight matches to sit at 6-2. The Anteaters lost a four-set match to Stephen F. Austin in their only other match versus a WAC foe this year.
A LOOK AT THE LANCERS
Paige Johnstone has proven to be one of the best servers in the country this season. She ranks 28th in all of NCAA Division I with 17 aces through nine matches, while her 0.50 per set average ranked 65th. The senior libero is also averaging nearly four digs a set (134 overall, 3.94 average).
The offense continued to be led by Christine Graf and Mia Jerue. Graf ranks first on the team with 116 kills (3.41 a set) on a .339 hitting percentage and has 27 blocks (0.79). Jerue is second for CBU with 78 kills (3.25).
Chandler Gorman has been the constant in the middle for the Lancers, as she averaged a block a set with 34 overall. Both Anna Jackson and Ashlyn Nevrla broke into the rotation to great success last week. Jackson averaged 2.43 kills a set and Nevrla logged 1.13 blocks a set.
SERIES NOTES
CBU faced both UC Irvine and Cal State Fullerton in Irvine last season, with the Big West winning both matches. Cal State Fullerton won last year's match in four sets (18-25, 25-22, 25-21, 26-24), as the series has been evenly split after the Lancers won the first meeting with the Titans in 2018. UCI swept last year's contest with CBU (28-26, 25-20, 25-21).
PREVIEWING THE OPPOSITION
Cal State Fullerton has been dangerous under second-year Head Coach Nicole Polster. The Titans rank fourth in NCAA Division I with 39.65 attacks per set and sixth with 17.52 digs per set. Lyla Taylor (3.26, 3.00) and Julia Crawford (3.13, 3.13) both average more than three kills and digs a set for CSUF. Elizabeth Schuster is the primary setter who averages 9.22 assists a set, while Nadia Koanui anchors the defense with 4.61 digs a set.
UC Irvine has proven to be one of the top teams in NCAA Division I this year. The Anteaters rank top-20 in the country in five categories and are the overall leader with 13.96 assists per set and second with 15.08 kills per set. UCI also ranks 11th in opposing hitting percentage (.133), 15th in digs per set (17.04) and 20th in hitting percentage (.282). Onye Ofoegbu has been dominant for the Anteaters and ranks third in Division I in hitting percentage (.474), 13th in blocks per set (1.56), 14th in points per set (5.20) and 29th in kills per set (4.20). Campbell Jensen also ranks 31st in the NCAA with 4.96 digs per set.
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Opponents: Cal State Fullerton & UC Irvine
Dates: Friday-Saturday, September 16-17
Times: September 16: Cal State Fullerton @ 3:30 p.m. | September 17: UC Irvine @ 3:30 p.m.
Location: Phoenix (GCU Arena)
Live Stats: Statbroadcast: Cal State Fullerton | UC Irvine
Winners of three of their last four, the Lancers will face off against Cal State Fullerton and UC Irvine on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 16-17 in the GCU Arena. CBU brings a 4-5 record into the matchup and has won its last two matches of the CBU-UCR Tournament over Air Force and UC Riverside on Saturday, Sept. 10.
Is there anything better than a #CrosstownShowdown victory❓ #LanceUp⚔️ | #BeatUCR pic.twitter.com/iOB8OxdkVJ
— California Baptist Volleyball (@CBUvolleyball) September 11, 2022
Cal State Fullerton comes in with a 4-2 record and has won three-straight matches. The Titans have already defeated two WAC opponents in Abilene Christian and Southern Utah but was swept by Utah Tech (formerly Dixie State) this year.
After dropping its first two matches of the season, UC Irvine has won six-straight matches to sit at 6-2. The Anteaters lost a four-set match to Stephen F. Austin in their only other match versus a WAC foe this year.
A LOOK AT THE LANCERS
Paige Johnstone has proven to be one of the best servers in the country this season. She ranks 28th in all of NCAA Division I with 17 aces through nine matches, while her 0.50 per set average ranked 65th. The senior libero is also averaging nearly four digs a set (134 overall, 3.94 average).
The offense continued to be led by Christine Graf and Mia Jerue. Graf ranks first on the team with 116 kills (3.41 a set) on a .339 hitting percentage and has 27 blocks (0.79). Jerue is second for CBU with 78 kills (3.25).
Chandler Gorman has been the constant in the middle for the Lancers, as she averaged a block a set with 34 overall. Both Anna Jackson and Ashlyn Nevrla broke into the rotation to great success last week. Jackson averaged 2.43 kills a set and Nevrla logged 1.13 blocks a set.
SERIES NOTES
CBU faced both UC Irvine and Cal State Fullerton in Irvine last season, with the Big West winning both matches. Cal State Fullerton won last year's match in four sets (18-25, 25-22, 25-21, 26-24), as the series has been evenly split after the Lancers won the first meeting with the Titans in 2018. UCI swept last year's contest with CBU (28-26, 25-20, 25-21).
PREVIEWING THE OPPOSITION
Cal State Fullerton has been dangerous under second-year Head Coach Nicole Polster. The Titans rank fourth in NCAA Division I with 39.65 attacks per set and sixth with 17.52 digs per set. Lyla Taylor (3.26, 3.00) and Julia Crawford (3.13, 3.13) both average more than three kills and digs a set for CSUF. Elizabeth Schuster is the primary setter who averages 9.22 assists a set, while Nadia Koanui anchors the defense with 4.61 digs a set.
UC Irvine has proven to be one of the top teams in NCAA Division I this year. The Anteaters rank top-20 in the country in five categories and are the overall leader with 13.96 assists per set and second with 15.08 kills per set. UCI also ranks 11th in opposing hitting percentage (.133), 15th in digs per set (17.04) and 20th in hitting percentage (.282). Onye Ofoegbu has been dominant for the Anteaters and ranks third in Division I in hitting percentage (.474), 13th in blocks per set (1.56), 14th in points per set (5.20) and 29th in kills per set (4.20). Campbell Jensen also ranks 31st in the NCAA with 4.96 digs per set.
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Opponents: Cal State Fullerton & UC Irvine
Dates: Friday-Saturday, September 16-17
Times: September 16: Cal State Fullerton @ 3:30 p.m. | September 17: UC Irvine @ 3:30 p.m.
Location: Phoenix (GCU Arena)
Live Stats: Statbroadcast: Cal State Fullerton | UC Irvine
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
L
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
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