PROVO, Utah — No. 17 BYU women's volleyball kicks off conference play this week, hosting Big 12 newcomer Colorado at the Smith Fieldhouse on Thursday night.
The Cougars (7-3, 0-0 Big 12) look to build upon their three-game win streak as they host the Buffaloes before welcoming Texas Tech back to town on Saturday.
| No. 17 BYU vs. Colorado | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Time | Stream | Live Stats |
| Thursday, Sept. 26 | 7 p.m. MDT | ESPN+ | Stat Broadcast |
BYU moved up two spots from No. 19 to No. 17 in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll, marking 172-straight polls that BYU has been ranked in the Top 25. All 10 of head coach Heather Olmstead's seasons have been spent inside the top-19, where the Cougars have also been for 163-conseuctive polls.
Going 3-0 last week in its in-state slate, BYU beat Utah State in five before sweeping Weber State on the road and Utah Valley at home. The Cougars recorded a season-high 19 blocks against the Aggies and followed that up with 14 against the Wolverines later in the week.
Led offensively by Elli Mortensen and Claire Little, who tallied 38 and 34 kills, respectively, BYU also saw double-digit kills from Kjersti Strong (24, hitting .477), Brielle Kemavor (20, hitting .350) and Blaykli Bobik (18). Alex Bower recorded 109 assists, averaging 9.91 assists per set on the week.
Lulu Uluave posted 28 digs across the Cougars' three matches, and was joined by Bower (21), Little (20), Mortensen (20) and Billeter (19) with double-digit digs. Kemavor had a team-high 21 total blocks, with Strong (17), Bobik (14), Bower (11) and Little (10) all totaling double-digit blocks as well.
Kemavor set a career high with 10 blocks against Utah State and followed that up with a double-double in the match against Utah Valley, setting a career high with 10 kills and tying her recently set career high with 10 blocks. The middle blocker's 68 kills are tied for third-most on the team while her .340 hitting percentage is second. She leads the team with 53 blocks.
Heading into week one of Big 12 play, BYU leads the league with 2.73 blocks per set and 109 total blocks. It is also fourth in opponent hitting percentage (.149) and fifth in team hitting percentage (.287). Kemavor's total block tally rank No. 1 in the Big 12, while her blocks per set average is good for second. Little ranks No. 2 in points per set (4.44) and No. 3 in kills per set (3.85).
Getting set for conference play in the second Big 12 season, the Cougars prepare for their first matchup with the Buffaloes since 2001.
Colorado (7-5, 0-0 Big 12)
- The Buffaloes split a home-and-home series with in-state rival Colorado State last week, beating that Rams on the road in four before falling in four at home.
- Head coach Jesse Mahoney is in year nine at CU. He is 135-114 (.542) in Boulder and 315-193 (.620) in his career.
- BYU leads the all-time series, 6-1. The Cougars are 3-1 against the Buffaloes in Provo. BYU took the last matchup between the two teams, a five-set win in Provo.
The Cougars will continue conference play on Saturday, Sept. 28 against Texas Tech. The 1pm MDT match will be streamed on ESPN+.