Natalie Orr | Posted: 16 Nov 2021 | Updated: 30 Nov 2021

No. 4 BYU prepares to face Pacific, Saint Mary's in final stretch of regular season

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No. 4

PROVO, Utah — No. 4 BYU women’s volleyball heads to California to face West Coach Conference opponents Pacific and Saint Mary’s on Nov. 18 and Nov. 20, respectively, as the Cougars are in the final stretch of regular season play with just three matches remaining.

The No. 4 ranking is BYU’s highest since 2018. The team is boasting a 25-1 overall record and is undefeated in the WCC, 15-0. If BYU wins its last three WCC matches, this will be its first undefeated conference record since 1993.

On Thursday, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m. PST, the Cougars will face the Tigers for the second time this season. The teams last faced in the Smith Fieldhouse where BYU walked away with a sweep. The current all-time record between the opponents is 19-7, favoring BYU.

On Saturday, Nov. 20, at 1 p.m. PST, BYU will face Saint Mary’s. Back in September, the Cougars posted a sweep over the Gaels in the Smith Fieldhouse. BYU holds a 20-6 all-time record against the WCC foe.

No. 4 Brigham Young University Cougars (25-1, 15-0 West Coast Conference)

  • The Cougars are on an 18-match winning streak
  • This is head coach Heather Olmstead’s sixth season with 20+ wins
  • BYU has achieved a .300 hitting percentage or higher in each of the last 11 matches
  • On Monday, the WCC announced graduate opposite hitter Kenzie Koeber as Defensive Player of the Week 
  • Graduate middle blocker Kennedy Eschenberg is a Senior CLASS Award finalist 
  • Junior middle blocker Heather Gneiting ranks No. 2 in the NCAA for hitting percentage, holding a .469 clip
  • As a team, BYU ranks No. 1 in the NCAA in hitting percentage (.347), No. 1 in opponent hitting percentage (.113), No. 2 in match winning percentage (.962), No. 6 in kills per set (14.38), No. 11 in assists per set (13.07) and No. 20 in aces per set (1.83). BYU leads the WCC in all these categories.

University of the Pacific Tigers (12-14, 9-6 West Coast Conference)

  • Last week, the Tigers hosted Saint Mary’s and posted a 3-1 victory
  • Jadyen Tubbs ranks No. 1 in the WCC for digs per set (4.35) and total digs (418)
  • Alexa Edwards ranks No. 2 in the WCC for attacks per set (10.75) and total attacks (1,032)
  • In the WCC, Pacific ranks No. 1 in digs per set (14.61), team attacks per set (35.48), team digs (1,403) and team total attacks (3,406)

Saint Mary’s College Gaels (14-10, 8-7 West Coast Conference)

  • Last week, the Gaels faced the Tigers in Stockton, California and suffered a 3-1 loss
  • In the WCC, Jennifer Laird ranks No. 3 in blocks per set (1.10) and total blocks (98)
  • Saint Mary’s holds an average clip of .219 for the season. The team averages 11.8 kills per set, 12.3 digs per set and 2.2 blocks per set.

BROADCAST INFORMATION – Nov. 18

BROADCAST INFORMATION – Nov. 20

TICKET INFORMATION

Purchase tickets online for Pacific here and for Saint Mary’s here. Both venues require masks at all times. The University Credit Union Pavilion also requires proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test for guests over the age of 11.