This Week in WAC Volleyball - March 11
This Week in WAC Volleyball - March 11
NM STATE'S LIPSCOMB AND GRAND CANYON'S ESKES NAMED WAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
NM State opposite hitter Shaney Lipscomb and Grand Canyon middle blocker Hannah Eskes have been named the Western Athletic Conference Offensive and Defensive Volleyball Players of the Week, respectively, for the week of March 3 through March 9.
Lipscomb, a junior from San Diego, Calif., put on a show against Seattle U on Wednesday as she helped lead the Aggies to a 3-1 record on the week. Against the Redhawks, Lipscomb turned in one of the best performances in NCAA history. She finished the match with an astounding 1.000 hitting percentage as she tallied 14 kills on 14 swings to set the school record for individual hitting percentage in a three-set match. On the week, Lipscomb averaged 3.14 kills per set on .386 hitting to lead the 11-win Aggies.
Eskes, a sophomore from Oceanside, Calif., posted a pair of impressive performances as she helped the Lopes to a sweep of California Baptist last week. On Monday, she nearly recorded a double-double with nine digs and a season-high nine blocks to average 2.25 blocks per set. Eskes backed up that performance with four blocks and four digs in a three-set win over the Lancers on Tuesday. On the season, Eskes ranks first in the WAC in blocks per set at 1.41.
Other offensive nominees included: Dixie State's Megan Treanor recorded her sixth double-double of the season as she tallied 16 kills and 11 digs to average 5.33 kills per set in the Trailblazers' 3-0 win over Tarleton… Grand Canyon's Yeny Murillo continued to dominate at the net, posting 5.14 kills per set on .325 hitting in the Lopes' series sweep of California Baptist... Seattle U's Julia Queiroz logged career-bests in kills (14) and hitting percentage (.600) as she led the Redhawks to a sweep of UT Rio Grande Valley on Monday... UT Rio Grande Valley's Victoire Nama posted a career-high 16 kills on .500 hitting to lead the Vaqueros to a 3-0 victory over Seattle U… Utah Valley's Kristen Bell notched a game-high 17 kills to lead the Wolverines to a 3-2 comeback win over NM State, ending the Aggies 30-match win streak in conference play.
Other defensive nominees included: Dixie State's Mykenna Nelson averaged 7.50 digs per set last week, including a 26-dig outing in the Trailblazers' sweep of Tarleton on Tuesday… NM State's Lia Mosher tallied 17 total blocks last week to average 1.21 blocks per set as the Aggies swept Seattle U and split their series with Utah Valley… Seattle U's Tijana Milojevic had a monster performance on Monday as she collected 17 digs to lead the Redhawks to a three-set win over UTRGV… UT Rio Grande Valley's Veronika Jandova helped the Vaqueros earn a four-set win over Seattle U as she notched a trio of blocks and a pair of digs.
WAC STAT LEADERS
Entering week five, unbeaten NM State continues to dominate at the net as they lead the WAC in hitting percentage (.307), opponent hitting percentage (.125) and kills (14.93). The Aggies also lead the conference in assists (13.83). Meanwhile, Utah Valley sits atop the league in blocks (2.63) and service aces (1.58) with Grand Canyon pacing the conference in digs (19.27).
Individually, Grand Canyon's Yeny Murillo leads the WAC in kills (4.79) and points per set (5.10). Fellow Lopes Klaire Mitchell and K.J. Adams have also been impressive as Mitchell records the most assists per set at 11.73 and Adams leads the conference in digs (5.27). GCU also had the league's top blocker in Hannah Eskes (1.41) while NM State's Lia Mosher holds the top hitting percentage (.407). Lastly, Dixie State's Megan Treanor notches the most service aces per set at 0.53.
AGGIE TEAMMATES REACH CAREER MARKS
A pair of NM State teammates reached career benchmarks over the week. Lia Mosher, a junior middle blocker, tallied the 250th block of her career with NM State. She recorded number 250 in the Aggies 3-0 sweep of Utah Valley on Tuesday as she notched four total blocks against the Wolverines.
Fellow Aggie, Savannah Davison recorded 38 total points last week to lead her squad and put her over 1,000 points in her three years at NM State. The redshirt junior now sits at 1,017 points for her impressive career.
WAC AMONG NATION'S BEST
Undefeated NM State ranks inside the top-10 among Division I schools in a trio of team categories. The Aggies rank second in assists per set (13.83), fifth in kills per set (14.93) and ninth in hitting percentage (.307).
Grand Canyon has also been among the best in the NCAA as they rank ninth in digs per set (19.27) and eighth in attacks per set (40.39).
Individually, the Lopes' Klaire Mitchell leads the GCU offense as she ranks fourth among DI players in assists per set (11.73). Mitchell's teammate Yeny Murillo ranks 9th in kills per set (4.79).
The Aggies' Shaney Lipscomb posted a perfect hitting percentage, making her one of only two players this season to finish with a 1.000 hitting percentage for a single match (min. 10 attempts).
Additionally, Tarleton's Ana Costas racked up 27 digs in the Texans' three-set win over Seattle U on Feb. 9. This season, only six DI players have recorded more digs in a three-set match.
KERSEY NAMED AVCA NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Tarleton's Lauren Kersey was named the Sports Imports/AVCA Division I Women's Player of the Week for the week of Feb. 24 through March 2. Kersey became just the fourth player in Texan volleyball history to win the award, and the first Division I program.
On the week, Kersey averaged 4.00 kills per set on .378 hitting as she led the Texans to a perfect 4-0 week. The junior posted double-digit kills in each of Tarleton's victories, highlighted by a season-high 17 kills on 30 swings in a three-set win over Chicago State on Monday.
HISTORIC DAY FOR LIPSCOMB, AGGIES
In NM State's impressive win over Seattle U, the Aggies set the school record for hitting percentage in a three-set match (.554). Shaney Lipscomb led the way as she set the program record for individual hitting percentage in a three-set match (1.000). Only two players in NCAA history have recorded better hitting days as The Aggies finished the day with 46 kills as Lipscomb claimed 14 kills of her own.
MILOJEVIC SCORES 100TH ACE
Seattle U's Tijana Milojevic notched her 100th ace last night in the Redhawks' road match with NM State. This season Milojevic currently ranks fifth in the WAC in service aces per set (0.40) and has recorded 13 aces this season, giving her 103 for her career.
MIKE JORDAN CAPTURES WIN NO. 500
NM State Head Coach Mike Jordan earned his 500th career win as the Aggies took down California Baptist in three sets on Feb. 22. The Aggies are currently 8-0 and are riding a 28-match win streak in conference play. Jordan has been at the helm for NM State since 1998 and has led the Aggies to five WAC regular-season titles and seven NCAA tournaments during his tenure.
MIKELS REACHES 2,000 ASSISTS
NM State's Natalie Mikels recorded her 2,000th career assist in an Aggie uniform on Feb. 16 against GCU. The senior setter from Jenks, Okla., posted 20 assists against the Lopes to join the 2,000-assist club. She currently has 167 assists on the year, giving her 2,037 assists for her career.
TANUVASA JOINS 1,000 KILL CLUB
Utah Valley's Kazna Tanuvasa placed herself among elite company as she tallied her 1,000th kill as a Wolverine. The junior outside hitter eclipsed the mark after recording 18 kills against No. 16 BYU, giving her 1,007 for her career. With 119 total kills on the season, she now sits at 1,092 in just her junior year at UVU.
DIXIE STATE, TARLETON SHINE IN DI DEBUTS
It was apparent that both Dixie State and Tarleton were ready for the jump as both squads dominated in their Division I debuts. The Trailblazers took down Southern Utah in straight sets, winning 25-18, 25-21, 26-24. Meanwhile, the Texans also won in three sets, taking down Louisiana Tech in just three sets (25-21, 25-23, 25-16) in their season opener.
SPRING 2021 WAC TOURNAMENT RELOCATED
The Spring 2021 WAC Volleyball Tournament is headed back to Orem, Utah.NM State was originally set to host, but it will be unable due to current COVID-19 restrictions in Doña Ana County.
Instead, Utah Valley will open its doors to Lockhart Arena to host the upcoming tournament after putting on the tournament one year ago. The tournament dates will remain the same with the first round of matches to be held on April 1 and the championship match set for April 3. All six eligible teams will participate in the 2020-21 WAC Volleyball Tournament.
2020 NCAA TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
The NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship 48-team bracket will be announced Sunday, April 4. The bracket will consist of 32 automatic qualifiers and 16 at-large teams. The final site of the 2020 NCAA Championship will be the CHI Health Center Omaha in Omaha, Neb. Semifinals will be held April 22 while the championship will be held on April 24.
NM STATE'S LIPSCOMB AND GRAND CANYON'S ESKES NAMED WAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
NM State opposite hitter Shaney Lipscomb and Grand Canyon middle blocker Hannah Eskes have been named the Western Athletic Conference Offensive and Defensive Volleyball Players of the Week, respectively, for the week of March 3 through March 9.
Lipscomb, a junior from San Diego, Calif., put on a show against Seattle U on Wednesday as she helped lead the Aggies to a 3-1 record on the week. Against the Redhawks, Lipscomb turned in one of the best performances in NCAA history. She finished the match with an astounding 1.000 hitting percentage as she tallied 14 kills on 14 swings to set the school record for individual hitting percentage in a three-set match. On the week, Lipscomb averaged 3.14 kills per set on .386 hitting to lead the 11-win Aggies.
Eskes, a sophomore from Oceanside, Calif., posted a pair of impressive performances as she helped the Lopes to a sweep of California Baptist last week. On Monday, she nearly recorded a double-double with nine digs and a season-high nine blocks to average 2.25 blocks per set. Eskes backed up that performance with four blocks and four digs in a three-set win over the Lancers on Tuesday. On the season, Eskes ranks first in the WAC in blocks per set at 1.41.
Other offensive nominees included: Dixie State's Megan Treanor recorded her sixth double-double of the season as she tallied 16 kills and 11 digs to average 5.33 kills per set in the Trailblazers' 3-0 win over Tarleton… Grand Canyon's Yeny Murillo continued to dominate at the net, posting 5.14 kills per set on .325 hitting in the Lopes' series sweep of California Baptist... Seattle U's Julia Queiroz logged career-bests in kills (14) and hitting percentage (.600) as she led the Redhawks to a sweep of UT Rio Grande Valley on Monday... UT Rio Grande Valley's Victoire Nama posted a career-high 16 kills on .500 hitting to lead the Vaqueros to a 3-0 victory over Seattle U… Utah Valley's Kristen Bell notched a game-high 17 kills to lead the Wolverines to a 3-2 comeback win over NM State, ending the Aggies 30-match win streak in conference play.
Other defensive nominees included: Dixie State's Mykenna Nelson averaged 7.50 digs per set last week, including a 26-dig outing in the Trailblazers' sweep of Tarleton on Tuesday… NM State's Lia Mosher tallied 17 total blocks last week to average 1.21 blocks per set as the Aggies swept Seattle U and split their series with Utah Valley… Seattle U's Tijana Milojevic had a monster performance on Monday as she collected 17 digs to lead the Redhawks to a three-set win over UTRGV… UT Rio Grande Valley's Veronika Jandova helped the Vaqueros earn a four-set win over Seattle U as she notched a trio of blocks and a pair of digs.
WAC STAT LEADERS
Entering week five, unbeaten NM State continues to dominate at the net as they lead the WAC in hitting percentage (.307), opponent hitting percentage (.125) and kills (14.93). The Aggies also lead the conference in assists (13.83). Meanwhile, Utah Valley sits atop the league in blocks (2.63) and service aces (1.58) with Grand Canyon pacing the conference in digs (19.27).
Individually, Grand Canyon's Yeny Murillo leads the WAC in kills (4.79) and points per set (5.10). Fellow Lopes Klaire Mitchell and K.J. Adams have also been impressive as Mitchell records the most assists per set at 11.73 and Adams leads the conference in digs (5.27). GCU also had the league's top blocker in Hannah Eskes (1.41) while NM State's Lia Mosher holds the top hitting percentage (.407). Lastly, Dixie State's Megan Treanor notches the most service aces per set at 0.53.
AGGIE TEAMMATES REACH CAREER MARKS
A pair of NM State teammates reached career benchmarks over the week. Lia Mosher, a junior middle blocker, tallied her 250th block of her career with NM State. She recorded number 250 in the Aggies 3-0 sweep of Utah Valley on Tuesday as she notched four total blocks against the Wolverines.
Fellow Aggie, Savannah Davison recorded 38 total points last week to lead her squad and put her over 1,000 points in her three years at NM State. The redshirt junior now sits at 1,017 points for her impressive career.
WAC AMONG NATION'S BEST
Undefeated NM State ranks inside the top-10 among Division I schools in a trio of team categories. The Aggies rank second in assists per set (13.83), fifth in kills per set (14.93) and ninth in hitting percentage (.307).
Grand Canyon has also been among the best in the NCAA as they rank ninth in digs per set (19.27) and eighth in attacks per set (40.39).
Individually, the Lopes' Klaire Mitchell leads the GCU offense as she ranks fourth among DI players in assists per set (11.73). Mitchell's teammate Yeny Murillo ranks 9th in kills per set (4.79).
The Aggies' Shaney Lipscomb posted a perfect hitting percentage, making her one of only two players this season to finish with a 1.000 hitting percentage for a single match (min. 10 attempts).
Additionally, Tarleton's Ana Costas racked up 27 digs in the Texans' three-set win over Seattle U on Feb. 9. This season, only six DI players have recorded more digs in a three-set match.
KERSEY NAMED AVCA NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Tarleton's Lauren Kersey was named the Sports Imports/AVCA Division I Women's Player of the Week for the week of Feb. 24 through March 2. Kersey became just the fourth player in Texan volleyball history to win the award, and the first Division I program.
On the week, Kersey averaged 4.00 kills per set on .378 hitting as she led the Texans to a perfect 4-0 week. The junior posted double-digit kills in each of Tarleton's victories, highlighted by a season-high 17 kills on 30 swings in a three-set win over Chicago State on Monday.
HISTORIC DAY FOR LIPSCOMB, AGGIES
In NM State's impressive win over Seattle U, the Aggies set the school record for hitting percentage in a three-set match (.554). Shaney Lipscomb led the way as she set the program record for individual hitting percentage in a three-set match (1.000). Only two players in NCAA history have recorded better hitting days as The Aggies finished the day with 46 kills as Lipscomb claimed 14 kills of her own.
MILOJEVIC SCORES 100TH ACE
Seattle U's Tijana Milojevic notched her 100th ace last night in the Redhawks' road match with NM State. This season Milojevic currently ranks fifth in the WAC in service aces per set (0.40) and has recorded 13 aces this season, giving her 103 for her career.
MIKE JORDAN CAPTURES WIN NO. 500
NM State Head Coach Mike Jordan earned his 500th career win as the Aggies took down California Baptist in three sets on Feb. 22. The Aggies are currently 8-0 and are riding a 28-match win streak in conference play. Jordan has been at the helm for NM State since 1998 and has led the Aggies to five WAC regular-season titles and seven NCAA tournaments during his tenure.
MIKELS REACHES 2,000 ASSISTS
NM State's Natalie Mikels recorded her 2,000th career assist in an Aggie uniform on Feb. 16 against GCU. The senior setter from Jenks, Okla., posted 20 assists against the Lopes to join the 2,000-assist club. She currently has 167 assists on the year, giving her 2,037 assists for her career.
TANUVASA JOINS 1,000 KILL CLUB
Utah Valley's Kazna Tanuvasa placed herself among elite company as she tallied her 1,000th kill as a Wolverine. The junior outside hitter eclipsed the mark after recording 18 kills against No. 16 BYU, giving her 1,007 for her career. With 119 total kills on the season, she now sits at 1,092 in just her junior year at UVU.
DIXIE STATE, TARLETON SHINE IN DI DEBUTS
It was apparent that both Dixie State and Tarleton were ready for the jump as both squads dominated in their Division I debuts. The Trailblazers took down Southern Utah in straight sets, winning 25-18, 25-21, 26-24. Meanwhile, the Texans also won in three sets, taking down Louisiana Tech in just three sets (25-21, 25-23, 25-16) in their season opener.
NM STATE FAVORED IN WAC PRESEASON POLL
The WAC volleyball coaches selected NM State to win the WAC regular-season crown this spring. Coming off back-to-back WAC Tournament Championships, the Aggies received eight of the nine first-place votes and 64 total points to earn the top spot in the poll. Grand Canyon earned the remaining first-place vote to finish in second place with 55 points, followed by UT Rio Grande Valley which slid into third with 48 points. California Baptist picked up 42 points as they were selected fourth while UT Rio Grande Valley finished closely behind with 40 points to claim fifth. Dixie State, Tarleton and Seattle U each collected 21 points to form a three-way tie for sixth while Chicago State rounded out the poll with 12 points.
PRESEASON ALL-WAC
NM State and Grand Canyon had the most players named to the preseason All-WAC team as both squads garnered three spots. Joining NM State's Savannah Davison on the preseason team are fellow Aggies Julianna Salanoa and Lia Mosher, Grand Canyon's Kaira Moss, Klaire Mitchell and Annabelle Kubinski, Utah Valley's Kazna Tarawhiti and Seren Jardine, UT Rio Grande Valley's Sarah Cruz and Samaret Caraballo, California Baptist's Sydney Marks and Christine Graf and Seattle U's Eve Kerschenbaum and Tijana Milojevic.
RETURNING ALL-CONFERENCE PLAYERS
Of the seven First Team All-WAC players in 2019, four return for the season – spring 2021 Preseason Player of the Year Savannah Davison of NM State and teammate Julianna Salanoa along with Utah Valley's Kazna Tarawhiti and Grand Canyon's Kaira Moss.
Just two of the seven second team honorees return as GCU teammates Annabelle Kubinski and Klaire Mitchell are back.
Four of the six All-Freshman Team honorees from a year ago return – Grand Canyon teammates Hannah Eskes and Mitchell, California Baptist's Christine Graf and Victoire Nama of UT Rio Grande Valley.
SPRING 2021 WAC TOURNAMENT
The Spring 2021 WAC Volleyball Tournament will be held April 1-3 at the Pan American Center in Las Cruces, N.M. and will include all six eligible teams.
2020 NCAA TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
The NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship 48-team bracket will be announced Sunday, April 4. The bracket will consist of 32 automatic qualifiers and 16 at-large teams. The final site of the 2020 NCAA Championship will be the CHI Health Center Omaha in Omaha, Neb. Semifinals will be held April 22 while the championship will be held on April 24.