'Dogs host Rams Saturday in clash of MW unbeatens

Colorado State (11-4, 3-0 MW) at Fresno State (10-5, 2-0 MW)
Sept. 29, 2018 • 1:00 PM PT • Save Mart Center (3,333) • Fresno, Calif.
Watch: MW Network (Matt Norville)
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

Complete Weekly Release (PDF)

Bulldog Bones
• Fresno State is 4-1 at home in 2018 and has won 13 of its last 17 home matches dating back to 2016
• The Bulldogs opened MW play with a 3-0 win at San Diego State, the team's first win at SDSU since 1999
• Fresno State defeated Wyoming, which was picked second in the MW preseason, 3-1 on Thursday night
• Fresno State is one of just four NCAA Div. I schools in Calif. averaging more than 1,000 fans per match
• Colorado State has won the MW 14 times and eight of the last nine years, made the NCAA 2nd round in 2017

Scouting Colorado State (11-4, 3-0 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. The Rams won the MW with a 17-1 conference record last season.
• Colorado State dropped the first set at San Diego State on Thursday but totaled 18 blocks to come back for a 3-1 win. Last week, the squad won 3-1 at Nevada and had a home sweep of San Jose State.
• Reigning MW Player of the Year Katie Oleksak leads the league and is 22nd nationally averaging 11.16 assists per set and the Rams are second in the MW hitting .263 with 13.25 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.

Unbeatens
• Fresno State and Colorado State are two of three remaining unbeaten teams in MW play.
• The only other undefeated team is Air Force, which is 1-0 and hosts UNLV on Friday night.

Best MW Start
• Fresno State has opened MW conference play 2-0 for the first time since joining the conference in 2012.
• The last time the Bulldogs began conference play 2-0 was in 2011, the last year the school was a member of the WAC.

Winning Ways vs. Wyoming
• On Thursday night the Bulldogs defeated Wyoming for the third straight meeting, topping the Cowgirls 3-1 in the Save Mart Center for the second consecutive year.
• The 'Dogs held the Cowgirls to .173 hitting, well below their season hitting percentage of .259 entering the match, and had a 3-0 edge in aces and 80-63 advantage in digs.
• Four Bulldogs had double-digit kills, with Taylor Slover recording her eight double-double of the season with 14 kills and 19 digs, and Madelyn Halteman had 51 assists and nine digs in the win.

Home Cooking
• Dating back to the 2016 season the Bulldogs have won 13 of their last 17 home matches.
• Fresno State was 7-3 at home last season and is 4-1 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.

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.

Better Blocking
• Fresno State has had the same or more blocks than its opponent in 11 of 15 matches this year, averaging 2.23 blocks per set while allowing only 1.88 opponent blocks per set.
• The Bulldogs are 9-2 this year when having the same or more blocks than their opponent and 1-3 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 1,035 fans through five home matches this year with a season-high crowd of 1,583 for Fresno State's home opener vs. Fresno Pacific.

On Service
• The service game has been a big factor in Fresno State's success this year as the team is 7-0 when leading in aces but 3-5 when trailing its opponent in aces.
• The 'Dogs are averaging 1.61 aces per set in their nine wins but just 1.11 aces per set in the five losses.

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'Dogs host Rams Saturday in clash of MW unbeatens

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Players Mentioned

Madelyn Halteman

Taylor Slover

Fresno State Athletics