Weber State University Athletics
Thursday, October 7
Ogden
6:00 p.m.
Weber State University
11-5,6-0Big Sky
3
vs
0
Northern Colorado
12-4,4-1Big Sky
1
2
3
F
Northern Colo.
16
17
6
0
Weber St.
25
25
25
3
Photo by: Robert Casey
Wildcats Sit Alone Atop Big Sky, Sweep Northern Colorado
10/7/2021 8:41:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
In front of a raucous crowd who was decked out in its finest black, the Weber State Wildcats went wire-to-wire and swept the formerly unbeaten Northern Colorado Bears 3-0 (25-16, 25-17, 25-6). The win improves WSU's record to 11-5 (6-0) on the season.
The eyes of the Big Sky Conference were on Ogden, Utah tonight as its two undefeated teams squared off against each other in a battle for conference supremacy. With the spotlight placed squarely on Swenson Gym, the 'Cats didn't disappoint.
Weber State opened the match with a fire and focus the likes of which are usually seen in a volleyball match between two teams of this caliber. The 'Cats pounced out to a 2-0 lead in the first set and held onto the lead for the entire match. Rylin Adams, Baylee Bodily, Dani Nay, and Sam Schiess all had two kills in the first set. Pair the near flawless offense with six combined service aces between Adams, Makayla Sorensen, and Kate Standifird, and the Wildcats dominated the opening phase of the match, 25-16.
Ashlyn Power spread the ball around even more in the second set, keeping UNC on its heels. With 12 more assists in the second set alone, the offense was purring, and Northern Colorado didn't have any answers through two sets. Weber State took the set 25-17.
In what was ultimately the final set of the night, Weber State played some of the best volleyball that's ever graced the city of Ogden. With five more service aces and behind a beautiful blocking scheme, Weber State bounced the Bears who were previously undefeated in Big Sky play, running away with the third set 25-6.
"I liked our focus from beginning to end," beamed head coach Jeremiah Larsen. "We executed our gamplan and competed at a high level. We are really aware of the effect that (Rachel) Hickman has for UNC, but it doesn't take away the fact that we had a good night."
Hickman, one of Northern Colorado's top players, didn't make an appearance on the evening.
A stout block has always been a hallmark of Larsen's teams at Weber State, and it seems that the Wildcats have rebuilt the Great Wall of Weber at the right time. Led by former high school teammates Bodily and Mangum, Weber State once again out blocked its opponent 7.0 total team blocks to 4.0. "It's something we've been working hard at," Larsen mentioned. "It's nice to see some fruit of our labors."
WSU also had one of its best hitting nights in recent memory. The Wildcats hit a blistering .321 as a team compared to UNC's .037, and seemed to only get stronger as the match wore on. When asked how the 'Cats had such a hot hitting night, Larsen said, "I thought we handled Northern Colorado's serve really well, and they're a good serving team. We were able to be in system and our outside hitters attacked the block the way that we train them."
Statistically, WSU was led by Nay who had ten kills, followed by Adams and Mangum who each had seven. Bodily and Schiess had identical offensive numbers with five kills on nine swings, and Bodily led the 'Cats in blocks with six block assists. Power proved her understanding of the offense once again with 24 assists on what ended up being a short night for both teams.
Having wrapped up rivalry week, Weber State will next be in action on the road as it heads south for a tough to Cedar City and then to Flagstaff. The Wildcats will face off against Southern Utah on Thursday, October 14th at 6:00, then against the Lumberjacks of Northern Arizona on Saturday, October 16th at 7:00 p.m. mountain time.
Weber State returns home to Swenson Gym for a homestand on October 21st and 23rd against Idaho and Eastern Washington respectively. All conference matches can be watched on ESPN+, tickets to home matches can be purchased online or by calling the Weber State ticket office at 801-626-8500.
Follow Weber State Volleyball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to stay up to date on everything happening with the Wildcats.
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The eyes of the Big Sky Conference were on Ogden, Utah tonight as its two undefeated teams squared off against each other in a battle for conference supremacy. With the spotlight placed squarely on Swenson Gym, the 'Cats didn't disappoint.
Weber State opened the match with a fire and focus the likes of which are usually seen in a volleyball match between two teams of this caliber. The 'Cats pounced out to a 2-0 lead in the first set and held onto the lead for the entire match. Rylin Adams, Baylee Bodily, Dani Nay, and Sam Schiess all had two kills in the first set. Pair the near flawless offense with six combined service aces between Adams, Makayla Sorensen, and Kate Standifird, and the Wildcats dominated the opening phase of the match, 25-16.
Ashlyn Power spread the ball around even more in the second set, keeping UNC on its heels. With 12 more assists in the second set alone, the offense was purring, and Northern Colorado didn't have any answers through two sets. Weber State took the set 25-17.
In what was ultimately the final set of the night, Weber State played some of the best volleyball that's ever graced the city of Ogden. With five more service aces and behind a beautiful blocking scheme, Weber State bounced the Bears who were previously undefeated in Big Sky play, running away with the third set 25-6.
"I liked our focus from beginning to end," beamed head coach Jeremiah Larsen. "We executed our gamplan and competed at a high level. We are really aware of the effect that (Rachel) Hickman has for UNC, but it doesn't take away the fact that we had a good night."
Hickman, one of Northern Colorado's top players, didn't make an appearance on the evening.
A stout block has always been a hallmark of Larsen's teams at Weber State, and it seems that the Wildcats have rebuilt the Great Wall of Weber at the right time. Led by former high school teammates Bodily and Mangum, Weber State once again out blocked its opponent 7.0 total team blocks to 4.0. "It's something we've been working hard at," Larsen mentioned. "It's nice to see some fruit of our labors."
WSU also had one of its best hitting nights in recent memory. The Wildcats hit a blistering .321 as a team compared to UNC's .037, and seemed to only get stronger as the match wore on. When asked how the 'Cats had such a hot hitting night, Larsen said, "I thought we handled Northern Colorado's serve really well, and they're a good serving team. We were able to be in system and our outside hitters attacked the block the way that we train them."
Statistically, WSU was led by Nay who had ten kills, followed by Adams and Mangum who each had seven. Bodily and Schiess had identical offensive numbers with five kills on nine swings, and Bodily led the 'Cats in blocks with six block assists. Power proved her understanding of the offense once again with 24 assists on what ended up being a short night for both teams.
Having wrapped up rivalry week, Weber State will next be in action on the road as it heads south for a tough to Cedar City and then to Flagstaff. The Wildcats will face off against Southern Utah on Thursday, October 14th at 6:00, then against the Lumberjacks of Northern Arizona on Saturday, October 16th at 7:00 p.m. mountain time.
Weber State returns home to Swenson Gym for a homestand on October 21st and 23rd against Idaho and Eastern Washington respectively. All conference matches can be watched on ESPN+, tickets to home matches can be purchased online or by calling the Weber State ticket office at 801-626-8500.
Follow Weber State Volleyball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to stay up to date on everything happening with the Wildcats.
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Team Stats
UNC
Weber
Kills
22
37
Errors
19
11
Attempts
80
81
Hitting %
.038
.321
Points
28
56
Assists
22
31
Aces
2
12
Blocks
4
7
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
7
Aces
4
Blocks
0
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
5
Kills
5
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Players Mentioned
OH/L
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's Volleyball
L/OH
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