'Dogs to honor seniors vs. Nevada Saturday, host Air Force in home finale Monday

Saturday, November 17

Fresno, Calif.

1 P.M. PT

Fresno State

Nevada

'Dogs to honor seniors vs. Nevada Saturday, host Air Force in home finale Monday

11/16/2018 1:37:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

By: Andrew Tomsky / Assistant Director of Communications

Nevada (8-20, 1-16 MW) at Fresno State (20-9, 12-4 MW)
Nov. 17, 2018 • 1:00 PM PT • Save Mart Center (3,333) • Fresno, Calif.
Watch: MW Network
Live: Live Stats • Live Updates on Twitter (@FresnoStateVB)
Series History • Streak: Nevada leads 27-26 • FS W 1
Promotions:

Senior Day Ceremony Pregame
Watch parents start off the match with the first serve to their senior Student-Athletes
Breakdancing performance by DJ Nayte's breakdancing group at intermission
Team of the Game: Figarden Elementary School
Senior citizens (55 years and older) get in FREE

Air Force (15-15, 5-11 MW) at Fresno State (20-9, 12-4 MW)
Nov. 19, 2018 • 6:00 PM PT • Save Mart Center (3,333) • Fresno, Calif.
Watch: Stadium / MW Network
Live: Live Stats • Live Updates on Twitter (@FresnoStateVB)
Series History • Streak: Fresno State leads 9-6 • AF W 3
Promotions:

Salute to Services
Veterans and active military members get in FREE
Help honor and thank those who served and continue to serve our nation
Team of the Game: Computech Middle School
Final home match of 2018

Complete Updated Weekly Release (PDF)

Bulldog Bones

Fresno State has clinched second place in the MW, its best finish since joining the league in 2012
The Bulldogs have secured a bid to the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC)
With 20 total wins the 'Dogs have their most victories in a season since the 2003 team finished 21-7
Reagan Leonard has 536 digs this year, just 37 shy of the single-season program record of 573
Fresno State beat Nevada in Reno on Oct. 18 and will be facing Air Force for the first time this year

Scouting Nevada (8-20, 1-16 MW)

After starting the year 7-2 Nevada is 1-18 over its last 19 matches, with its only win a 3-2 home victory over Utah State. The Wolf Pack have lost 13 straight matches since that win on Sept. 29.
Nevada does have four 5-set losses in MW play but is 1-12 on the road this year, 0-8 MW.
In conference play the Wolf Pack rank third in the MW averaging 14.51 digs per set but rank second to last in the league in hitting percentage and blocks and ninth in kills and assists.
The Wolf Pack took the first set against the Bulldogs on Oct. 18 in Reno but the 'Dogs had a 13-6 edge in blocks in the match and held Nevada to a .168 hitting percentage in a 3-1 win.
Fresno State can even its all-time series with Nevada at 27-27 with a win on Saturday.

Scouting Air Force (15-15, 5-11 MW)

Air Force's 15 wins this year are second most in its Div. I history, trailing only the 17 wins registered by the 1999 team in the program's only winning season since going D-I in 1996.
The Falcons earned a 5-set home win over Boise State on Thursday and also have league wins over UNLV, New Mexico, and Nevada (2). Air Force is 2-9 on the road this year, 1-7 in road MW.
In conference matches Air Force ranks fifth in the league in service aces (1.28) and assists (11.63) per set. Abigail Miksch and Elizabeth Pennington both average over three kills per set.
The meeting between the 'Dogs and Falcons will be the first this season. Air Force has won three straight matches against Fresno State after the Bulldogs held a 9-3 all-time advantage.

Best MW Season

At 12-4 in MW play, Fresno State trails only Colorado State (15-2) for the conference lead as has clinched a second place finish in the conference standings, the best in program history and the first second place or better conference finish since the 2003 team was second in the WAC West division.
Since joining the MW in 2012 the highest the 'Dogs had ever finished in the league was 4th place. The team finished in eighth place or lower in each of the last four seasons and was picked seventh in the 2018 preseason MW Coaches' Poll.
Fresno State has also broken the program record for conference wins in any league, as the team had never won more than 11 matches as a member of any conference.

NIVCing You?

In securing second place in the MW the Bulldogs have clinched an automatic bid to the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) should the team not earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The NIVC is a 32-40 team single elimination bracketed tournament, with the field to be announced on Nov. 25 following the NCAA Tournament selections. First round games will be played Nov. 29 or 30 and second round games will be Dec. 1 or 2 with four teams all at the same host school site. Quarterfinals and semifinals will be the following week and the championship match is scheduled for Dec. 11.
The NIVC is in its second year of rebirth after previously taking place from 1989-1996. Fresno State has competed in the event three times before in 1992, 1994, and 1995.

Primed for the Postseason

With the NIVC bid clinched the Bulldogs will be playing in the postseason for the first time since the 2002 team qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
The 'Dogs will make their eighth all-time postseason appearance as an NCAA program and will be the second postseason team this century.

Racking Up the Wins

With a 20-9 overall record Fresno State has its most wins in 15 years, since the 2003 team finished the year 21-7. Fresno State won 23 matches in 2002 but hasn't won more than that since the 1997 team was 24-9.
Fresno State's 8-win improvement over last season, in which the team finished 12-18, is the biggest increase since the 2009 team won eight more matches than in 2008.

Fantastic First Year

Jonathan Winder is one of just three first year coaches in NCAA Div. I to have recorded 20 wins this season, joining Tennessee's Eve Rackham and Navy's Paco Labrador, who have 22 and 21 wins, respectively.
Winder is one win shy of the Fresno State record for wins by a coach in his or her first season with the program. Lindy Vivas won 21 matches in her first season in 1991.

Big Dig Season

Reagan Leonard has totaled 536 digs this year, the second most in a season in program history and just 37 digs shy of the single-season program record of 573 digs set by current Fresno State assistant coach Maggie Eppright in 2015.
Leonard's current 4.70 digs per set average is second best in the MW and would be the third best in a season in program history.
In just her second career start at libero, Leonard broke the single-match program record with 38 digs in the 'Dogs 3-1 win at Eastern Illinois.

Home Cooking

Dating back to the 2016 season the Bulldogs have won 17 of their last 23 home matches.
Fresno State is 8-3 in the Save Mart Center this year, playing three straight home matches to close the regular season.
The squad has clinched a winning home record for the third straight year and the sixth time in the last seven seasons.

Third Set Rocks

Fresno State was undefeated (17-0) on the year when winning the third set before winning the third and losing the match against San Jose State on Thursday. The 'Dogs had an 11-0 mark when winning the third set in matches that went at least four sets.
Fresno State has played at least four sets in 20 of 29 matches this season with seven 5-set matches. The team is playing just under four sets per match on average.

Super Support

Fresno State is one of just four NCAA Div. I schools in California averaging more than 1,000 fans per match and ranks second in the MW in average attendance, trailing only 14-time MW champion Colorado State.
The team has topped 1,000 fans in eight of 11 home matches this year. By comparison, the 'Dogs have played only one road match this season (of 12) in which the opponent had more than 1,000 fans (at Colorado State).
The 'Dogs have a higher average home attendance than Pac-12 schools Cal and Washington State.

Block Party

Seniors Jessica Gilbert and Haile Watson have been a formidable pair at middle blocker as the 'Dogs ranks third in the league with 2.67 blocks per set in MW matches.
Gilbert had a career-high and team season-high 11 blocks in the win at UNLV, just two blocks shy of the 4-set program record, and has 36 blocks in the last eight matches.
In MW play, Watson is third in the league averaging 1.39 blocks per set and has tallied at least four blocks in 14 of 16 matches.

All-Around Star

Senior Taylor Slover has recorded double-doubles in eight MW matches and is third in the league with 14 double-doubles this year, the most by a Bulldog since Zana Bowens had 15 double-doubles in the 2014 season.
Slover is leading the 'Dogs in kills per set (3.77) and points per set (4.36) for the second straight season and this year she is also leads the team with 33 service aces and is second on the team with 2.57 digs per set.
She has recorded double-digit kills in 26 of 29 matches and has led the team in kills in every MW match.

Better Blocking

Fresno State has had the same or more blocks than its opponent in 21 of 29 matches this year.
The Bulldogs are 19-2 this season when having the same or more blocks than their opponent but 1-7 when trailing in blocks.

First Set Success

The 'Dogs won the first set in each of their first seven MW matches and in 18 of 29 total matches this year
Fresno State is 16-2 this year when winning the first set and 4-7 when losing it.

Winning on the Road

The Bulldogs are 9-3 in true road matches this season and broke the program record for road MW wins going 7-2.
The 'Dogs won seven MW road matches after the 2016 and 2017 teams combined to go 2-16 in road MW (both were 1-8).
Fresno State will end the season with a winning road record for the first time since 2013.

Central Valley Stars

Five of Fresno State's seven starters (six + libero) in conference play are local products from the Central Valley.
Madelyn Halteman (Turlock), Taylor Slover (Visalia), Jessica Gilbert (Modesto), Jocelyn Rodriguez (Clovis) and Emily Dzubak (Stockton) have led the Bulldog resurgence this season. Brielle Hefner (Madera) is out due to injury but is also a local player that has been a starter during her career.

"Just the Ticket to Build Our Community" – The Bulldog Scholarship Fund gives Bulldog alumni, fans and friends the opportunity to support Fresno State Athletics and the student-athletes who inspire them. For information about how you can support the Bulldog Scholarship Fund, please visit www.bulldogscholarshipfund.com or call 559-278-7160.

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