Rested Cougars Ready for Weekend Slate

PROVO -- After falling in back-to-back matches against No. 4 Pepperdine last weekend, BYU head coach Carl McGown decided it was time to give his team a break. After taking three days off, the Cougars were back in the gym on Wednesday, making preparations for a pair of non-conference matches this weekend.

"We've been working hard for a long time," McGown said on Saturday. "After spending the month of February on the road, we're a little tired and could use a couple days off."

The results of the three-day break won't be known until the Cougars hit the court against Concordia (Friday) and Lewis (Saturday), but preliminary indications suggest the coach-imposed break is paying off.

"It's been awesome," middle blocker Chris Gorny said of the break. "I was starting to not like playing volleyball very much. Now, I'm ready to get back out there and play. It's fun again. It has given us some time to heal up and get back to full speed."

"This has been the best thing," outside hitter Luka Slabe said. "We were all pretty tired and just needed a little break. I think Pepperdine is a really good team, but we just didn't have enough to beat them. I think the time off has really helped us. We'll be ready to go this weekend."

The Cougars (11-5, 9-5) will take on Concordia (New York) on Friday in the Smith Fieldhouse, beginning at 7 p.m. (MST). On Saturday, BYU will play host to No. 9 Lewis (12-5). Due to a scheduling conflict, Saturday's match will begin at 1 p.m. (MST).