Fresno State Athletics
Thursday, September 27
Fresno, Calif.
7 P.M. PT
Fresno State
vs
Wyoming
‘Dogs host top MW foes Wyoming Thursday and Colorado State Saturday
9/25/2018 2:56:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Wyoming (10-4, 2-0 MW) at Fresno State (9-5, 1-0 MW)
Sept. 27, 2018 • 7:00 PM PT • Save Mart Center (3,333) • Fresno, Calif.
Watch: MW Network
Live: Live Stats • Live Updates on Twitter (@FresnoStateVB)
Series History • Streak: Wyoming leads 16-12 • FS W 2
Promotions:
Sept. 29, 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: Colorado State leads 14-8 • CS W 9
Promotions:
Bulldog Bones
• Fresno State is 3-1 at home in 2018 and has won 12 of its last 16 home matches dating back to 2016
• The Bulldogs opened MW with a 3-0 win at San Diego State, the team's first win at SDSU since 1999
• Fresno State is one of just four NCAA Div. I schools in Calif. averaging more than 1,000 fans/game
• Colorado State and Wyoming were picked first and second, respectively in the MW Coaches' Poll
• Fresno State beat Wyoming, 3-1, at home last season. The Cowgirls finished second in the MW
Scouting Wyoming (10-4, 2-0 MW)
• Wyoming has received votes in the AVCA Coaches Poll this season and started the year 8-1, including a home win over No. 15 Colorado. The Cowgirls had three straight losses to end non-conference before sweeps at San Jose State and home against Nevada to open MW play.
• Reed Copeland leads NCAA Div. I averaging 1.92 blocks per set and as a team the Cowgirls are second in the nation with 3.09 blocks pet set. They also rank third in the MW hitting .259.
• The Cowgirls are just 1-2 in true road matches. Nine of their 14 matches have gone three sets.
• The Bulldogs played Wyoming just once last year, beating the Cowgirls 3-1 in the Save Mart Center before Wyoming went on to finish second in the MW and play in the NIVC Tournament.
Scouting Colorado State (10-4, 2-0 MW)
• Colorado State was picked to win the MW for the fifth consecutive season in the preseason Coaches' Poll. The Rams began the year ranked No. 25 and are still receiving votes this week.
• Three of the four Ram losses this year have come against teams that have been nationally ranked. Last week, Colorado State won 3-1 at Nevada before a home sweep of San Jose State.
• Reigning MW Player of the Year Katie Oleksak leads the league and is 17th nationally averaging 11.27 assists per set and the Rams are second in the MW hitting .261 with 13.39 kills per set.
• The Rams swept the Bulldogs in Fort Collins last year in their lone meeting. The 'Dogs have lost nine straight matches vs. Colorado State since a 3-2 home victory on Oct. 11, 2012.
Party like its 1999
• Fresno State opened MW conference play last Friday with a 3-0 sweep of San Diego State, the first Bulldog road win over the Aztecs since Sept. 24, 1999.
• The 'Dogs had lost six straight matches in Peterson Gym and were winless at SDSU since joining the Mountain West. The win also gave the 'Dogs a victory in their MW opener for the first time since 2013.
Home Cooking
• Dating back to the 2016 season the Bulldogs have won 12 of their last 16 home matches.
• Fresno State was 7-3 at home last season and is 3-1 in the Save Mart Center so far this year.
• The squad has had a winning home record in each of the last two years and in five of the last six seasons.
Better Blocking
• Fresno State has had the same or more blocks than its opponent in 11 of 14 matches this year, averaging 2.27 blocks per set while allowing only 1.82 opponent blocks per set.
• The Bulldogs are 9-2 this year when having the same or more blocks than their opponent and 0-3 when trailing in blocks.
• The 'Dogs tallied 12.0 blocks in just three sets (and allowed just 3.0) in the MW opener at San Diego State and have had at least six blocks in every match this season.
Opening with the Best
• The Bulldogs open MW play playing the top teams in the league as their first three matchups are against the top three teams in the preseason MW poll.
• San Diego State was tied for third in the preseason poll while Colorado State and Wyoming were picked first and second, respectively. Including a contest with Boise State (T-3rd) next week, four of Fresno State's first five league opponents were picked to finish in the top four by the MW Coaches.
Super Support
• Fresno State is one of just four NCAA Div. I schools in California that is averaging more than 1,000 fans per match and has a higher average home attendance than UCLA, Cal, and three more Pac-12 schools, among others.
• The 'Dogs have averaged 1,037 fans through four home matches this year with a season-high crowd of 1,583 for Fresno State's home opener vs. Fresno Pacific.
She Can Dig It
• Sophomore Reagan Leonard leads the MW averaging 4.91 digs per set this season while her 275 total digs are 32nd most in NCAA Div. I. Her current digs per set average would be the second best in a season in program history as she has totaled double-digit digs in every match this year with seven 20+ dig matches.
• 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. Her total was one dig better than the previous record of 37 digs, set by Mounia Nihipali vs. San Jose State in 2004.
Conference Strong
• Fresno State was one of eight MW teams to begin conference play with a winning record. Seven MW teams still hold overall winning records this year.
• As a conference, the 11 MW teams totaled an impressive 72-57 record this year against non-conference opponents.
All-Around Star
• For the second consecutive season senior Taylor Slover is leading the 'Dogs in kills per set (3.61) and points per set (4.20), and this year she also leads the team with 18 service aces and is second with 2.45 digs per set.
• Slover has recorded double-digit kills in 12 of 14 matches and leads the team with seven double-doubles. She has tallied at least five digs in every match and has also contributed 25 blocks.
Spectacular Start
• Fresno State opened a season 7-1 for the first time since 2002. That team was the last Bulldog squad to make the NCAA Tournament.
• Fresno State's 8-3 start was the program's best record through 11 matches since the 2016 team began 9-2.
New Kid on the Block
• Shifting to middle blocker this season, redshirt sophomore Montez Uigaese leads the team, ranks fifth in the MW, and is 57th in NCAA Div. I with 62 total blocks.
• Uigaese has had multiple blocks in all but two matches this season and has tallied 26 blocks in the last six matches.
• Uigaese has also hit well recently with a .400 or better hitting percentage in six of the last seven matches.
Arms on Fire
• Fresno State hit .371 in its 3-1 win over Southern Utah, tallying 66 kills and just 13 errors for the team's best hitting percentage in a match in more than two years - since hitting .455 against Texas Southern.
• Haile Watson had nine kills and no errors in 10 swings for a .900 hitting percentage while Taylor Slover hit .404 with 23 kills and Jessica Gilbert hit .375 with 14 kills. Setter Madelyn Halteman had 48 assists and also had a career-high five kills in just 10 swings in the victory.
'Dogs Picked Seventh
• The Bulldogs were picked seventh in the preseason MW Coaches' Poll. The 'Dogs received 39 points in the poll to be picked ahead of Utah State, Air Force, Nevada, and UNLV in the 11-team league. Colorado State earned 10 first-place votes and was picked to repeat as conference champion.
• The 7th-place pick was three spots higher than the 'Dogs were voted last season when the coaches picked Fresno State to finish 10th. The Bulldogs finished tied for eighth in the league in 2017.
On Service
• The service game has been a big factor in Fresno State's success this year as the team is 6-0 when leading in aces but 3-5 when trailing its opponent in aces.
• The 'Dogs are averaging 1.70 aces per set in their nine wins but just 1.11 aces per set in the five losses.
Going Long
• Fresno State has played at least four sets in nine of 14 matches this season with five 5-set matches. The team is playing 4.0 sets per match on average.
• The Bulldogs have played 56 sets this year, tied for the 2nd most in the MW. Furthermore, the 'Dogs have played eight sets that have gone into extra points.
Top Attacker
• Senior Haile Watson ranks second in the MW this season with a .378 hitting percentage.
• Watson had a career-high 19 kills and just one error in 25 attacks vs. Saint Mary's to hit .720. At the time it was the best single-match hitting percentage in NCAA Div. I this season (min. 20 attacks) and it now ranks fourth best.
• Watson's only attack error against the Gaels came late in the fourth set as she nearly broke the program hitting percentage record of .792, achieved by Shauna McQuaid with 20 kills and one error against UALR in 2001.
The Comeback
• Down 1-0 in sets and trailing 24-17 in the second set against American on Aug. 31, Fresno State needed to save seven set points to avoid trailing the match 2-0.
• An American service error gave the ball to the Bulldogs, and senior Taylor Slover would lead her team to another eight straight points as the 'Dogs ended the set on a 9-0 run to win it 26-24. Slover had three service aces during the run and the 'Dogs would eventually take the match in five sets.
Fantastic in Five
• The Bulldogs are 4-1 in 5-set matches this year. The 'Dogs played five sets in four of their first seven matches of the season and won all four.
• Fresno State was just 2-4 in 5-set matches last season and the 'Dogs already have as many five set wins as any previous team since the 2012 Bulldogs went 7-3 in 5-setters.
Breakout Star
• Senior Jessica Gilbert has moved into the starting lineup this season and ranks second on the team with 2.87 kills and 3.52 points per set while hitting .266 and adding 1.72 digs and 0.74 blocks per set.
• Gilbert has had at least 10 kills in eight matches and has hit .250 or better in all but four matches this year. She had a career high of 19 kills and 15 digs against Eastern Illinois to earn her first double-double and had 18 kills and 21 digs vs. San Francisco.
• In her first season with the 'Dogs in 2017 after transferring from Eastern Washington, Gilbert played in just 12 matches and 21 sets while totaling 22 kills.
"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.
Follow us on:
Twitter: @FresnoStateVB
Instagram: FresnoStatevball
Facebook: FresnoStateVB
Sept. 27, 2018 • 7:00 PM PT • Save Mart Center (3,333) • Fresno, Calif.
Watch: MW Network
Live: Live Stats • Live Updates on Twitter (@FresnoStateVB)
Series History • Streak: Wyoming leads 16-12 • FS W 2
Promotions:
- Abilities Night
- Help celebrate the different abilities that make our community so special
- Adaptive Sports Program - Valley Children's Hospital
- Wayfinders Program - Fresno State
- An athlete from the Valley Children's Hospital Adaptive Sports program will deliver the first serve
- In-game football ticket giveaway
- Team of the Game - Elite Beach Volleyball
Sept. 29, 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: Colorado State leads 14-8 • CS W 9
Promotions:
- 1000 Fan Challenge – If we hit 1000 fans in attendance, everyone will receive free admission to that evening's Fresno State Football game
- Volleyball Camp Reunion
- All Fresno State Volleyball Campers get free admission (excluding high schools)
- Watch one lucky Volleyball Camper start off the match with the first serve
Bulldog Bones
• Fresno State is 3-1 at home in 2018 and has won 12 of its last 16 home matches dating back to 2016
• The Bulldogs opened MW with a 3-0 win at San Diego State, the team's first win at SDSU since 1999
• Fresno State is one of just four NCAA Div. I schools in Calif. averaging more than 1,000 fans/game
• Colorado State and Wyoming were picked first and second, respectively in the MW Coaches' Poll
• Fresno State beat Wyoming, 3-1, at home last season. The Cowgirls finished second in the MW
Scouting Wyoming (10-4, 2-0 MW)
• Wyoming has received votes in the AVCA Coaches Poll this season and started the year 8-1, including a home win over No. 15 Colorado. The Cowgirls had three straight losses to end non-conference before sweeps at San Jose State and home against Nevada to open MW play.
• Reed Copeland leads NCAA Div. I averaging 1.92 blocks per set and as a team the Cowgirls are second in the nation with 3.09 blocks pet set. They also rank third in the MW hitting .259.
• The Cowgirls are just 1-2 in true road matches. Nine of their 14 matches have gone three sets.
• The Bulldogs played Wyoming just once last year, beating the Cowgirls 3-1 in the Save Mart Center before Wyoming went on to finish second in the MW and play in the NIVC Tournament.
Scouting Colorado State (10-4, 2-0 MW)
• Colorado State was picked to win the MW for the fifth consecutive season in the preseason Coaches' Poll. The Rams began the year ranked No. 25 and are still receiving votes this week.
• Three of the four Ram losses this year have come against teams that have been nationally ranked. Last week, Colorado State won 3-1 at Nevada before a home sweep of San Jose State.
• Reigning MW Player of the Year Katie Oleksak leads the league and is 17th nationally averaging 11.27 assists per set and the Rams are second in the MW hitting .261 with 13.39 kills per set.
• The Rams swept the Bulldogs in Fort Collins last year in their lone meeting. The 'Dogs have lost nine straight matches vs. Colorado State since a 3-2 home victory on Oct. 11, 2012.
Party like its 1999
• Fresno State opened MW conference play last Friday with a 3-0 sweep of San Diego State, the first Bulldog road win over the Aztecs since Sept. 24, 1999.
• The 'Dogs had lost six straight matches in Peterson Gym and were winless at SDSU since joining the Mountain West. The win also gave the 'Dogs a victory in their MW opener for the first time since 2013.
Home Cooking
• Dating back to the 2016 season the Bulldogs have won 12 of their last 16 home matches.
• Fresno State was 7-3 at home last season and is 3-1 in the Save Mart Center so far this year.
• The squad has had a winning home record in each of the last two years and in five of the last six seasons.
Better Blocking
• Fresno State has had the same or more blocks than its opponent in 11 of 14 matches this year, averaging 2.27 blocks per set while allowing only 1.82 opponent blocks per set.
• The Bulldogs are 9-2 this year when having the same or more blocks than their opponent and 0-3 when trailing in blocks.
• The 'Dogs tallied 12.0 blocks in just three sets (and allowed just 3.0) in the MW opener at San Diego State and have had at least six blocks in every match this season.
Opening with the Best
• The Bulldogs open MW play playing the top teams in the league as their first three matchups are against the top three teams in the preseason MW poll.
• San Diego State was tied for third in the preseason poll while Colorado State and Wyoming were picked first and second, respectively. Including a contest with Boise State (T-3rd) next week, four of Fresno State's first five league opponents were picked to finish in the top four by the MW Coaches.
Super Support
• Fresno State is one of just four NCAA Div. I schools in California that is averaging more than 1,000 fans per match and has a higher average home attendance than UCLA, Cal, and three more Pac-12 schools, among others.
• The 'Dogs have averaged 1,037 fans through four home matches this year with a season-high crowd of 1,583 for Fresno State's home opener vs. Fresno Pacific.
She Can Dig It
• Sophomore Reagan Leonard leads the MW averaging 4.91 digs per set this season while her 275 total digs are 32nd most in NCAA Div. I. Her current digs per set average would be the second best in a season in program history as she has totaled double-digit digs in every match this year with seven 20+ dig matches.
• 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. Her total was one dig better than the previous record of 37 digs, set by Mounia Nihipali vs. San Jose State in 2004.
Conference Strong
• Fresno State was one of eight MW teams to begin conference play with a winning record. Seven MW teams still hold overall winning records this year.
• As a conference, the 11 MW teams totaled an impressive 72-57 record this year against non-conference opponents.
All-Around Star
• For the second consecutive season senior Taylor Slover is leading the 'Dogs in kills per set (3.61) and points per set (4.20), and this year she also leads the team with 18 service aces and is second with 2.45 digs per set.
• Slover has recorded double-digit kills in 12 of 14 matches and leads the team with seven double-doubles. She has tallied at least five digs in every match and has also contributed 25 blocks.
Spectacular Start
• Fresno State opened a season 7-1 for the first time since 2002. That team was the last Bulldog squad to make the NCAA Tournament.
• Fresno State's 8-3 start was the program's best record through 11 matches since the 2016 team began 9-2.
New Kid on the Block
• Shifting to middle blocker this season, redshirt sophomore Montez Uigaese leads the team, ranks fifth in the MW, and is 57th in NCAA Div. I with 62 total blocks.
• Uigaese has had multiple blocks in all but two matches this season and has tallied 26 blocks in the last six matches.
• Uigaese has also hit well recently with a .400 or better hitting percentage in six of the last seven matches.
Arms on Fire
• Fresno State hit .371 in its 3-1 win over Southern Utah, tallying 66 kills and just 13 errors for the team's best hitting percentage in a match in more than two years - since hitting .455 against Texas Southern.
• Haile Watson had nine kills and no errors in 10 swings for a .900 hitting percentage while Taylor Slover hit .404 with 23 kills and Jessica Gilbert hit .375 with 14 kills. Setter Madelyn Halteman had 48 assists and also had a career-high five kills in just 10 swings in the victory.
'Dogs Picked Seventh
• The Bulldogs were picked seventh in the preseason MW Coaches' Poll. The 'Dogs received 39 points in the poll to be picked ahead of Utah State, Air Force, Nevada, and UNLV in the 11-team league. Colorado State earned 10 first-place votes and was picked to repeat as conference champion.
• The 7th-place pick was three spots higher than the 'Dogs were voted last season when the coaches picked Fresno State to finish 10th. The Bulldogs finished tied for eighth in the league in 2017.
On Service
• The service game has been a big factor in Fresno State's success this year as the team is 6-0 when leading in aces but 3-5 when trailing its opponent in aces.
• The 'Dogs are averaging 1.70 aces per set in their nine wins but just 1.11 aces per set in the five losses.
Going Long
• Fresno State has played at least four sets in nine of 14 matches this season with five 5-set matches. The team is playing 4.0 sets per match on average.
• The Bulldogs have played 56 sets this year, tied for the 2nd most in the MW. Furthermore, the 'Dogs have played eight sets that have gone into extra points.
Top Attacker
• Senior Haile Watson ranks second in the MW this season with a .378 hitting percentage.
• Watson had a career-high 19 kills and just one error in 25 attacks vs. Saint Mary's to hit .720. At the time it was the best single-match hitting percentage in NCAA Div. I this season (min. 20 attacks) and it now ranks fourth best.
• Watson's only attack error against the Gaels came late in the fourth set as she nearly broke the program hitting percentage record of .792, achieved by Shauna McQuaid with 20 kills and one error against UALR in 2001.
The Comeback
• Down 1-0 in sets and trailing 24-17 in the second set against American on Aug. 31, Fresno State needed to save seven set points to avoid trailing the match 2-0.
• An American service error gave the ball to the Bulldogs, and senior Taylor Slover would lead her team to another eight straight points as the 'Dogs ended the set on a 9-0 run to win it 26-24. Slover had three service aces during the run and the 'Dogs would eventually take the match in five sets.
Fantastic in Five
• The Bulldogs are 4-1 in 5-set matches this year. The 'Dogs played five sets in four of their first seven matches of the season and won all four.
• Fresno State was just 2-4 in 5-set matches last season and the 'Dogs already have as many five set wins as any previous team since the 2012 Bulldogs went 7-3 in 5-setters.
Breakout Star
• Senior Jessica Gilbert has moved into the starting lineup this season and ranks second on the team with 2.87 kills and 3.52 points per set while hitting .266 and adding 1.72 digs and 0.74 blocks per set.
• Gilbert has had at least 10 kills in eight matches and has hit .250 or better in all but four matches this year. She had a career high of 19 kills and 15 digs against Eastern Illinois to earn her first double-double and had 18 kills and 21 digs vs. San Francisco.
• In her first season with the 'Dogs in 2017 after transferring from Eastern Washington, Gilbert played in just 12 matches and 21 sets while totaling 22 kills.
"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.
Follow us on:
Twitter: @FresnoStateVB
Instagram: FresnoStatevball
Facebook: FresnoStateVB
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
MB/OH
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
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