Cougars Primed for Non-Conference Clash
PROVO, Utah -- The eighth-ranked BYU men's volleyball team will take on tenth-ranked Lewis on Saturday, beginning at 7 p.m. (MST). The Cougars (2-0) are coming off a two-match sweep over LaVerne last weekend, while Lewis (1-2) enters Saturday's match following a four-game victory over Rutgers-Newark on Jan. 19. Saturday's match will mark the fourth meeting between the two teams. BYU owns a 3-0 lead in the series, dating back to the 1997 season. The Cougars and Flyers met last season in Provo, with BYU winning both contests, 3-0.
LEADER OF THE PACK
BYU head coach Carl McGown enters his 12th season at the helm of the BYU men's volleyball program. The 1999 AVCA National Coach of the Year has posted a career mark of 161-120 over the past 11 seasons, including a record 30-1 season in 1999. Since the 1997 campaign, McGown has averaged over 21 wins per year, recording a mark of 86-21 (.804). McGown led BYU to its first-ever National Championship in 1999 and has served as coach and as an advisor for the United States Olympic and National teams in various Olympic and international competitions.
HE'S BACK
BYU senior setter Hector Lebron has returned to the BYU lineup after redshirting the 2000 season. Lebron, a 1999 All-American and starting setter for the Cougars' National Championship team, currently ranks third on the BYU all-time career assist list with 3,229 assists. Lebron needs 504 assists to move into second place, passing Chris Pitzak. The current career record is held by Jason Watson, who recorded 4,649 assists from 1991-94. In addition, Lebron averages 1.34 blocks per game, ranking fourth among BYU's career blocks-per-game leaders. In 2001, Lebron has averaged 1.0 blocks and 14.3 assists per game.
HOME SWEET HOME
Already off to a 2-0 record in the Smith Fieldhouse, the Cougars have posted an impressive 42-3 (.933) record in Provo since the 1998 season and a 55-5 (.917) overall mark at home since the 1997 campaign. As one of the most popular sporting events on campus, over 136,000 fans have packed the Smith Fieldhouse and Marriott Center to watch the Cougars. BYU has averaged 3,178 fans per match since the 1997 season, including a record 4,748 fans per match in 1999. On Feb. 19, 1999, BYU defeated Hawai'i, 3-1, in front of 14, 156 fans in the Marriott Center to set the NCAA single-match attendance record.
ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL
Junior outside hitter Mike Wall leads the BYU roster with 21 kills on the season, averaging 5.25 kills per game. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound junior led the Cougars with three 30-kill performances as a sophomore, including a career-high 42-kill performance against UCLA on March 1. The Santa Barbara, Calif., native has produced 23 matches with 10 or more kills and 10 matches with 20 or more kills over his career.
TEAM INTERNATIONAL
The 2001 BYU roster is highlighted with players from around the world, including five players from Puerto Rico. The Cougars also have one player, Fernando Pessoa, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and one player, Luka Slabe, from Ljubljana, Slovenia. All-American setter Hector Lebron, All-MPSF performer Joaquin Acosta and Jaime Mayol welcome Puerto Rican newcomers Angel Perez and Omar Olmeda to the 2001 roster.
