No. 12 BYU Hosts Gonzaga in Home Opener

PROVO, Utah – No. 12 BYU women’s volleyball will host Gonzaga for a two-match series Feb. 9-10, at the Smith Fieldhouse.

The first matchup of the series is set to start at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 9, while the second match is scheduled for 4 p.m. the following day, Wednesday, Feb. 10. Both matches will be broadcast on BYUtv and the BYUtv App.

BYU Match Notes

No. 12 BYU Cougars (3-0, 2-0 WCC)

BYU moved up to No. 12 in the AVCA poll, the second-straight week the Cougars have moved up two spots in the weekly poll
The Cougars moved to 3-0 on the season after defeating Utah Valley 3-1, their only scheduled non-conference match of the season
Averaging 14.00 assists per set, BYU ranks No. 5 in the NCAA Division I
The Cougars rank 14th nationally in hitting percentage (.305), 15th in aces per set (2.30), and 21st in kills per set (14.30)
Sophomore setter Whitney Bower is currently averaging 11.30 assists per set, ranking 18th in the nation
Senior outside hitter Taylen Ballard-Nixon is No. 26 in points per set (5.10) and No. 35 in aces per set (0.70)

Series Information

BYU is 21-1 all-time against Gonzaga, including 10-1 at home
Under head coach Heather Olmstead, the Cougars are 10-0 in the series

Gonzaga Bulldogs (1-1, 1-1 WCC)

After having its first four matches canceled or postponed, Gonzaga split its series against Pacific last week to open its season
The Bulldogs returned their top five point scorers from 2019, including three-time all-conference outside hitter Sarah Penner and fellow seniors Chapin Gray (outside hitter) and Katelyn Oppio (middle blocker), who all combined to generate 0ver 1,000 points
Gonzaga leads the WCC in blocks per set with 3.22, ranking No. 6 nationally
Middle blocker Alyssa Hughes is currently second in the conference with 1.22 blocks per set
The Bulldogs rank 27th in the nation with an average of 17.89 digs per set

Broadcast Information – February 9