Wednesday, September 19
Morgantown, W.Va.
6:00 p.m.
West Virginia University
vs
Iowa State
Photo by: Katie MacCrory
West Virginia Opens Big 12 Play
September 18, 2018 05:14 PM | Volleyball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Riding a four-match win streak into league play, the West Virginia University volleyball team opens the 2018 Big 12 Conference season on Wednesday, Sept. 19, when Iowa State comes to the WVU Coliseum for a 6 p.m. match.
It is Winning Wednesday, as WVU fans will receive an opportunity to win multiple prizes at the match. Fans can purchase tickets by visiting WVUGAME.com, calling 1-800-WVUGAME or at the Mountaineer Ticket Office, located at the Gold Gate of the WVU Coliseum. All tickets are general admission.
When purchasing online, tickets are $5 each and $3 for groups of 10 or more. At the WVU Coliseum ticket window, tickets will be $7 for adults, $5 for youth and seniors and $3 for groups. The discounted online pricing will be available until first serve on game day. Fans are encouraged to order tickets in advance online at WVUGAME.com to avoid lines at the gate.
Tickets for WVU students are free with a valid student I.D.
"We are excited," fourth-year coach Reed Sunahara said. "I thought we had a decent preseason, and we are looking forward to welcoming Iowa State to the Coliseum on Wednesday. We have to play with confidence. Iowa State is really good, and they have been good historically. It is going to be a challenge for us, but I hope we compete hard."
The Mountaineers (7-5, 0-0) and the Cyclones (7-6, 0-0) meet for the 16th time overall on Wednesday and the 13th time in league play since WVU joined the Big 12 in 2012. ISU owns a 14-1 all-time series advantage, as the Cyclones picked up a 3-0 win over the Mountaineers in their most recent meeting on Nov. 8, 2017, held inside the WVU Coliseum, in Morgantown.
The Mountaineers are currently 5-1 at the WVU Coliseum this season and is 314-230 at home all-time. West Virginia's lone loss at home came to Wright State on Aug. 25, 2018, at the WVU Invitational.
West Virginia is coming off a 3-0 performance at the Mountaineer Classic last weekend. WVU came back from two sets down, winning a five-set thriller over Morehead State in its opening match of the two-day tournament on Friday evening. The team wrapped things up on Saturday, claiming a 3-0 sweep over Penn and a 3-1 win over Wake Forest. Junior outside hitter Katelyn Evans earned MVP honors for leading the team offensively, while sophomore middle blocker Katie DeMeo led WVU's blocking efforts to join her on the all-tournament team.
For their efforts, Evans was named the WVU Student-Athlete of the Week, while DeMeo was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career. Evans leads the team with 2.79 kills per set, while DeMeo has developed into one of the league's premier blockers. The Troy, Ohio, native ranks second in the Big 12, with 1.61 blocks per set, totaling 61 on the season. She also ranks fifth among all NCAA Division I players in blocks per set.
Additionally, the Mountaineers rank second in the Big 12, averaging 2.70 blocks per set, and are 18th in the nation. WVU is outblocking its opponents, 119.0-82.5.
ISU finished nonconference play with the Cyclone Classic, posting a 1-2 record at home last weekend. Iowa State swept Wyoming on Thursday night before falling to Iowa in four sets on Friday and Syracuse in five on Sunday. Jess Schaben leads the Cyclones with 3.52 kills per set. Schaben is a two-time American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Honorable Mention All-American, AVCA Midwest All-Region and All-Big 12 First Team honoree. Hali Hillegas, the 2017 Big 12 Libero of the Year, paces the Cyclones on the defensive side of the court with 5.60 digs per set and ranks No. 1 in the conference.
Of note, the Mountaineers are five wins away from collecting their 700th win in program history. West Virginia currently holds a 695-727 all-time record since its inaugural season in 1974.
Looking ahead, the Mountaineers will travel to Lubbock, Texas, on Saturday, Sept. 22, for a match against Texas Tech (11-3), at 2 p.m.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUVolleyball on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
It is Winning Wednesday, as WVU fans will receive an opportunity to win multiple prizes at the match. Fans can purchase tickets by visiting WVUGAME.com, calling 1-800-WVUGAME or at the Mountaineer Ticket Office, located at the Gold Gate of the WVU Coliseum. All tickets are general admission.
When purchasing online, tickets are $5 each and $3 for groups of 10 or more. At the WVU Coliseum ticket window, tickets will be $7 for adults, $5 for youth and seniors and $3 for groups. The discounted online pricing will be available until first serve on game day. Fans are encouraged to order tickets in advance online at WVUGAME.com to avoid lines at the gate.
Tickets for WVU students are free with a valid student I.D.
"We are excited," fourth-year coach Reed Sunahara said. "I thought we had a decent preseason, and we are looking forward to welcoming Iowa State to the Coliseum on Wednesday. We have to play with confidence. Iowa State is really good, and they have been good historically. It is going to be a challenge for us, but I hope we compete hard."
The Mountaineers (7-5, 0-0) and the Cyclones (7-6, 0-0) meet for the 16th time overall on Wednesday and the 13th time in league play since WVU joined the Big 12 in 2012. ISU owns a 14-1 all-time series advantage, as the Cyclones picked up a 3-0 win over the Mountaineers in their most recent meeting on Nov. 8, 2017, held inside the WVU Coliseum, in Morgantown.
The Mountaineers are currently 5-1 at the WVU Coliseum this season and is 314-230 at home all-time. West Virginia's lone loss at home came to Wright State on Aug. 25, 2018, at the WVU Invitational.
West Virginia is coming off a 3-0 performance at the Mountaineer Classic last weekend. WVU came back from two sets down, winning a five-set thriller over Morehead State in its opening match of the two-day tournament on Friday evening. The team wrapped things up on Saturday, claiming a 3-0 sweep over Penn and a 3-1 win over Wake Forest. Junior outside hitter Katelyn Evans earned MVP honors for leading the team offensively, while sophomore middle blocker Katie DeMeo led WVU's blocking efforts to join her on the all-tournament team.
For their efforts, Evans was named the WVU Student-Athlete of the Week, while DeMeo was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career. Evans leads the team with 2.79 kills per set, while DeMeo has developed into one of the league's premier blockers. The Troy, Ohio, native ranks second in the Big 12, with 1.61 blocks per set, totaling 61 on the season. She also ranks fifth among all NCAA Division I players in blocks per set.
Additionally, the Mountaineers rank second in the Big 12, averaging 2.70 blocks per set, and are 18th in the nation. WVU is outblocking its opponents, 119.0-82.5.
ISU finished nonconference play with the Cyclone Classic, posting a 1-2 record at home last weekend. Iowa State swept Wyoming on Thursday night before falling to Iowa in four sets on Friday and Syracuse in five on Sunday. Jess Schaben leads the Cyclones with 3.52 kills per set. Schaben is a two-time American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Honorable Mention All-American, AVCA Midwest All-Region and All-Big 12 First Team honoree. Hali Hillegas, the 2017 Big 12 Libero of the Year, paces the Cyclones on the defensive side of the court with 5.60 digs per set and ranks No. 1 in the conference.
Of note, the Mountaineers are five wins away from collecting their 700th win in program history. West Virginia currently holds a 695-727 all-time record since its inaugural season in 1974.
Looking ahead, the Mountaineers will travel to Lubbock, Texas, on Saturday, Sept. 22, for a match against Texas Tech (11-3), at 2 p.m.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUVolleyball on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
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