Cougars head to Ohio for season opener

PROVO, Utah – In its third season under head coach Shawn Olmstead, BYU women’s volleyball heads to Bowling Green, Ohio, for the Hampton Inn Invitational.

The Cougars face No. 25 Creighton in their season opener Friday at 4:30 p.m. CDT. This will be the first ever match between the two schools.

In 2012, Creighton went 29-4 overall, 17-1 in Missouri Valley Conference play and finished the season ranked No. 24 after losing to Minnesota in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

The Bluejays return four starters plus their libero, including Honorable Mention All-American Kelli Browning at middle blocker. Browning averaged 2.82 kills and 1.65 blocks per set last season.

On Saturday the Cougars will continue play with a match against Marquette at 12:30 p.m CDT.

The Golden Eagles went 27-7 overall and 13-2 in Big East conference play in 2012. Their season ended with a loss to invitational opponent Creighton in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

BYU leads the series with Marquette 1-0, with the Cougars winning in 2007.

The Cougars will face tournament host Bowling Green on Saturday at 7 p.m. CDT to finish out the invitational.

In 2012, the Falcons went 22-11 overall and 13-3 in Mid-American Conference play before losing in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

BYU is 1-0 against Bowling Green after defeating the Falcons 3-0 last season at the BYU Invitational in the Smith Fieldhouse.

In 2012, BYU went 28-4 during the season, including 13-3 in the West Coast Conference to tie for first with San Diego. The Cougars advanced to the third round of the NCAA tournament before falling to Oregon 3-1. BYU returns three starters plus its libero for the 2013 season.

In the AVCA Preseason Coaches’ Poll, BYU is ranked No. 13.

Links to live stats can be found on the women’s volleyball schedule page. Live streaming is available for BYU's first two matches with a subscription purchase. BYU’s match against Bowling Green State will be streamed for free. Links to live streaming are available on the Bowling Green State women’s volleyball schedule page.