Volleyball Welcomes LMU, USF to Fieldhouse

PROVO, Utah—Returning to the Smith Fieldhouse after securing the No. 3 position in the West Coast Conference, the BYU women’s volleyball team is set to take on Loyola Marymount Thursday and San Francisco Saturday.

“This is an exciting week for BYU Volleyball,” BYU head coach Shawn Olmstead said.  “Both LMU and San Francisco are quality opponents and we hope to follow up a great road trip with a strong home stand. “

The Cougars (18-7, 7-4) come off back-to-back wins against USF (13-11, 5-6) and Santa Clara. BYU defeated SCU 3-1 when the teams met in Santa Clara, Calif. and shutdown USF 3-1 in San Francisco.

The last time BYU faced LMU (13-11, 6-5), the Cougars came away with a 3-2 win in their only five-set match of the season.

Jennifer Hamson and Nicole Warner continue to dominate the WCC statistics list, Hamson leading in kills with 4.00 kills per set and Warner leading in blocks with 1.49 blocks per set. Senior Christie Carpenter takes second on the team with 2.87 kills per set and Kathryn LeCheminant helps out at the net with 1.16 blocks per set. LeCheminant passed 100 season blocks in the match against Santa Clara and currently totals 102.

Libero Kendalyn Hartsock set a career high of 31 digs against USF, which also broke the team’s season high of 25 digs in a match. Hartsock has 4.36 digs per set. Freshman defensive specialist Tia Withers helps out with 2.10 digs per set and set her own career record with 17 digs against USF.

LMU ranks just behind the Cougars at No. 4 in the WCC after wins against Gonzaga and Portland last week. Betsi Metter leads the league in digs with 4.80 per set.

USF boasts a win against nationally ranked San Diego in the first round of WCC play, but currently resides at the No. 6 position in the conference. The Dons are on a five-match losing streak that began with a loss to Pepperdine Oct. 15.

Vendula Strakova leads the Dons’ offense with 3.33 per set and is aided by Valentina Zaloznik’s 2.61 kills per set. Rebecca Kopilovitch earns 4.35 digs per set.

The matches will both be televised on BYUtv and simulcast on BYU radio. For links to online streaming and live stats, click HERE. Both matched begin at 7 p.m.

Thursday is 3-for-3 Night. If fans mention the offer at the ticket office, they will receive admission for $1, a small popcorn for $1 and a small flavor pop for $1. Saturday is this season's Y. Game, where members of other BYU teams will come out to support the volleyball team. Admission is $1 for those who bring a can of food to the match.

BYU vs. LMU Notes

BYU vs. USF Notes