Thursday, September 22
Riverside, Calif.
6 PM
California Baptist University
vs
Southern Utah
Photo by: Alexi Monnier
VB Preview: CBU Opens WAC Season at Home Versus Southern Utah on Thursday at 6PM
9/19/2022 7:47:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
RIVERSIDE – Coming off one of its best wins of the NCAA Division I era, California Baptist University is ready to start Western Athletic Conference play, with a home-and-away against Southern Utah and NM State this week.
The Lancers split their last two non-conference matches of the season at the Big West/WAC Match-Up at Grand Canyon last week. CBU dropped a four-set match to Cal State Fullerton on Friday, Sept. 16 (25-23, 25-21, 15-25, 25-20) and rebounded with a five-set win over UC Irvine (25-19, 21-25, 20-25, 25-20, 15-12) to snap the Anteaters' seven-match winning streak.
CBU put together a 5-6 record through non-conference play and has won three of its last four matches. Southern Utah comes in a 1-8 record and is coming off its first win of the year, with a five-set home victory over Idaho State (25-21, 24-26, 23-25, 25-20, 15-6) – a team that defeated the Lancers in five sets in Riverside (25-23, 21-25, 25-16, 20-25, 15-13). NM State comes in at 7-4 after it competed at the Trojan Invitational last week where it took on the likes of USC and San Jose State.
LANCERS AT A GLANCE
Paige Johnstone has proven to be one of the best servers in the country this season. She ranks 15th in all NCAA Division I with 25 aces and 25th with 0.58 aces a set. She is one of four Lancers to start all 11 matches this season, along with Christine Graf, Chandler Gorman and Leah Pease.
Graf continues to be the team's top offensive threat with 3.21 kills per set (138 overall) on a .297 hitting percentage and also puts down 0.84 blocks a set. Scherine Dahoue (3.17) and Mia Jerue (3.04) also average over three kills a set, while Anna Jackson and Cassidy Dennison have come on strong lately to average 2.38 and 2.35 kills, respectively.
Pease and fellow setter Reese Reed continue to be double-double threats each match. Pease averages 5.63 assists and 2.09 digs a set, while Reed follows with 4.37 assists and 1.80 digs a set. Defensively, Johnstone averages a team-high 3.93 digs a set and Gorman posts 1.05 blocks a set.
OPPONENTS AT A GLANCE
Southern Utah has several go-to players on its roster. Makenzie Templeton is the go-to hitter, as she averages a team-high 2.29 kills a set and Molly McDermott ranks second with 62 kills (1.77). Macy Short is the team's primary setter (6.11 assists) and leads the team in aces (12) and ranks second with 2.37 digs a set.
Calli Johnson averages a team-high 3.63 digs a set in limited action. Raegan Beeson (24) and Carissa Richie (20) give the Thunderbirds two players with at least 20 blocks.
NM State, the reigning WAC West Division champion, is another formidable team in the conference. The Aggies appear to strongest defensively as it ranks No. 73 in Division I with an opposing hitting percentage of .178.
Katie Birtcil ranks 42nd in Division I with 10.79 attacks per set and has 3.42 kills a set to show for it. Molly Johnson (2.21) and Ryleigh Whitekettle (2.13) also average over two kills a set.
Rylee Fay, the setter, is one of the top servers in the country, as well, and ranks top-30 in the NCAA with 22 aces and 0.58 a set along with her 5.71 assists a set. Darian Markham ranks No. 61 with 4.45 digs per set, while Lia Mosher averages 1.11 blocks a set.
MATCH INFORMATION
Opponent: Southern Utah & NM State
Dates: September 22 & 24
Times: 6 p.m. & 1 p.m.
Location: Riverside, Calif. (Van Dyne Gym) & Las Cruces, N.M. (Pan American Center)
Live Stats: Statbroadcast: Southern Utah | NM State
Video: ESPN+: Southern Utah | WAC International TV: NM State
The Lancers split their last two non-conference matches of the season at the Big West/WAC Match-Up at Grand Canyon last week. CBU dropped a four-set match to Cal State Fullerton on Friday, Sept. 16 (25-23, 25-21, 15-25, 25-20) and rebounded with a five-set win over UC Irvine (25-19, 21-25, 20-25, 25-20, 15-12) to snap the Anteaters' seven-match winning streak.
CBU put together a 5-6 record through non-conference play and has won three of its last four matches. Southern Utah comes in a 1-8 record and is coming off its first win of the year, with a five-set home victory over Idaho State (25-21, 24-26, 23-25, 25-20, 15-6) – a team that defeated the Lancers in five sets in Riverside (25-23, 21-25, 25-16, 20-25, 15-13). NM State comes in at 7-4 after it competed at the Trojan Invitational last week where it took on the likes of USC and San Jose State.
LANCERS AT A GLANCE
Paige Johnstone has proven to be one of the best servers in the country this season. She ranks 15th in all NCAA Division I with 25 aces and 25th with 0.58 aces a set. She is one of four Lancers to start all 11 matches this season, along with Christine Graf, Chandler Gorman and Leah Pease.
Graf continues to be the team's top offensive threat with 3.21 kills per set (138 overall) on a .297 hitting percentage and also puts down 0.84 blocks a set. Scherine Dahoue (3.17) and Mia Jerue (3.04) also average over three kills a set, while Anna Jackson and Cassidy Dennison have come on strong lately to average 2.38 and 2.35 kills, respectively.
Pease and fellow setter Reese Reed continue to be double-double threats each match. Pease averages 5.63 assists and 2.09 digs a set, while Reed follows with 4.37 assists and 1.80 digs a set. Defensively, Johnstone averages a team-high 3.93 digs a set and Gorman posts 1.05 blocks a set.
OPPONENTS AT A GLANCE
Southern Utah has several go-to players on its roster. Makenzie Templeton is the go-to hitter, as she averages a team-high 2.29 kills a set and Molly McDermott ranks second with 62 kills (1.77). Macy Short is the team's primary setter (6.11 assists) and leads the team in aces (12) and ranks second with 2.37 digs a set.
Calli Johnson averages a team-high 3.63 digs a set in limited action. Raegan Beeson (24) and Carissa Richie (20) give the Thunderbirds two players with at least 20 blocks.
NM State, the reigning WAC West Division champion, is another formidable team in the conference. The Aggies appear to strongest defensively as it ranks No. 73 in Division I with an opposing hitting percentage of .178.
Katie Birtcil ranks 42nd in Division I with 10.79 attacks per set and has 3.42 kills a set to show for it. Molly Johnson (2.21) and Ryleigh Whitekettle (2.13) also average over two kills a set.
Rylee Fay, the setter, is one of the top servers in the country, as well, and ranks top-30 in the NCAA with 22 aces and 0.58 a set along with her 5.71 assists a set. Darian Markham ranks No. 61 with 4.45 digs per set, while Lia Mosher averages 1.11 blocks a set.
MATCH INFORMATION
Opponent: Southern Utah & NM State
Dates: September 22 & 24
Times: 6 p.m. & 1 p.m.
Location: Riverside, Calif. (Van Dyne Gym) & Las Cruces, N.M. (Pan American Center)
Live Stats: Statbroadcast: Southern Utah | NM State
Video: ESPN+: Southern Utah | WAC International TV: NM State
Players Mentioned
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