Fresno State Athletics
'Dogs Make Final WAC Trips to SJSU & UH
9/27/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 27, 2011
FRESNO, Calif. - The Fresno State volleyball team visits San Jose State on Thursday and No. 11 Hawai'i on Saturday to complete a three-match Western Athletic Conference opening road stretch.
The Bulldogs (6-7, 1-0 WAC) opened WAC action by winning a 3-2 road thriller at Nevada last Saturday.
Fresno State: Weekly Notes (SJSU/UH) 
Fresno State All-Time Record vs. Upcoming Opponents (Last Meeting)
• San Jose State: San Jose State leads 47-25 (Nov. 18, 2010: W, 3-0)
• No. 11 Hawai'i: Hawai'i leads 49-0 (Nov. 11, 2010: L, 3-0)
About the Spartans
San Jose State (5-9, 0-2 WAC) opened conference play with 3-0 losses at Utah State and Idaho, but own 3-1 wins at Arizona State and Pacific on its non-conference resume. The Spartans are led by Savanah Leaf (2.81 kps) and Taylor Japhet (2.55 kps). Fresno State is 4-2 against SJSU under Netherby-Sewell, including wins in each of the past four matches.
About the Rainbow Wahine
Hawai'i (12-1, 2-0 WAC) is ranked No. 11 in the most recent AVCA national coaches poll and opened conference play with 3-1 road victories at Idaho and Utah State. The Rainbow Wahine are 4-1 against ranked teams, with their lone loss versus then-No. 12 UCLA (3-1). UH is led by preseason WAC Player of the Year Kanani Danielson (4.21 kps/2.90 dps). The Fresno State volleyball team has never beaten Hawai'i in program history.
Resilient Bulldogs Beat Nevada in Five, Down Bakersfield in Four
The Bulldogs' fighting spirit helped fuel a 3-1 victory over CSU Bakersfield and a 3-2 road win at Nevada in Fresno State's first two matches without junior outsider hitter Marissa Brand due to injury. Sophomore team captain Korrin Wild moved to the outside where she earned her first career double-double (13 kills and 12 digs) versus CSUB and landed a career-high 23 kills, and added eight digs and five blocks, in the five-set victory over the Pack. The WAC-opening win at Nevada marked Fresno State's first in Reno since 2003.
FROM THE START: Fresno State Focused on Opening Stronger
A point of emphasis for the Bulldogs as they battle against Western Athletic Conference opponents is to start strong right from the first serve. With a combination of aggressive serving, passing and attacking, head coach Lauren Netherby-Sewell hopes to build on this mentality for the rest of the year. Through the first 13 matches this season, Fresno State is:
• 4-9 in opening sets
• 3-1 in matches when they win the opening set
• 3-6 in matches when they lose the opening set
'Dogs Pacing WAC in Multiple Categories
Fresno State leads the Western Athletic Conference in service aces (1.45) this season. In WAC only matches, the team is tops in hitting percentage (.289) while middle blockers Brianna Clarke (.562 hp) and Maci Murdock (1.6 bps) lead their respective categories.
Fresno State Continues to Perform as the Premier WAC's Program
With its strong commitment to premier athletic competition and academic performance, Fresno State finished second in last two Western Athletic Conference Commissioner's Cup standings and remained the top program throughout the nine years of the award. The `Dogs rank first among the current WAC institutions, ahead of Nevada and Hawai'i as the top three WAC schools. Fresno State is also one of two repeat Cup winners (2007-08 & 2008-09), along with Rice University (2003-04 & 2004-05) and Boise State University (2009-10 & 2010-11).
"We Are Your Team!" - Stay connected with Fresno State Athletics on Facebook and Twitter (@FSAthletics). The next chance to see the 'Dogs at home is Oct. 6 when they take on Louisiana Tech.
