GAME NOTES: Wildcats Head Out for Tournament in Texas

THE MATCHES

Thursday, September 7 | 11 AM vs Prairie View A&M
TV Stream: N/A
Live Stats: https://goislanders.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary

Friday, September 8 | 4 PM at Texas A&M – Corpus Christi
TV Stream: ESPN+
Live Stats: https://goislanders.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary

Saturday, September 9 | 11 AM vs Tulane
TV Stream: N/A
Live Stats: https://goislanders.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary

After a dramatic five-set win against UNLV, Weber State volleyball takes to the road for a three-match tournament in Corpus Christi, Texas.

THE MATCHES
• This week's tournament will be hosted on the campus of Texas A&M – Corpus Christi.

• The Wildcats have never played Prairie View A&M or Tulane and have played Texas A&M – Corpus Christi just one time back in 2006 which resulted in a Wildcat victory.

• Weber State went 1-2 last weekend – one if its most competitive stretches of the 2023 schedule – including a five-set victory over the 2022 Mountain West Conference champion UNLV Rebels.

QUICK HITS
• For the fourth consecutive season, Weber State finished in at least second place in the Big Sky Conference and made its fourth postseason appearance in a row. The Wildcats return all-conference performers Dani Richins and Makayla Sorensen from last season's squad.

• Richins is Weber State's lone two-time All-American. She was the recipient of the 2021 Big Sky Conference MVP award and is a four-time First Team All-Big Sky performer.

• Sorensen enters her senior year on pace to become the school's all-time leader in digs. Sorensen has been a major reason why the Wildcats held opponents to a low hitting percentage in 2022 (.165).

• The 2022 Wildcat defense led the Big Sky Conference in opponent hitting percentage (.165), digging (16.22/set), blocking (2.71/set) and opponent service aces (1.23/set)

RICHINS RECORD WATCH
• Richins currently has 173 career service aces and is tied for the most aces in a career in Weber State history.

• With her performances last week, Richins surpassed the 1,500-kill plateau and is just the third in program history to reach that milestone. She needs 140 more kills to become the program's all-time kills leader in the rally-scoring era.

• Richins is just 37 attacks away from surpassing Chelsea Bair (2005-09) for third most attacks in program history. She needs 61 attacks to pass Kim Benesh (1985-88) for second most in school history.

DOMINANT DEFENSE
• The Wildcat block picked up right where it left off last season. With 2.68 blocks per set through the season's first two weekends, Weber State leads the Big Sky Conference in blocking and is ranked 34^th in the nation. At 2.71 blocks per set in 2022, the Wildcat front line ranked ninth best in the country in blocking last season.

• Saane Katoa is currently ranked third in the nation with a 1.82 blocks per set average.

• The 2022 Wildcats ranked 17th in the nation for opponent hitting percentage, and held their foes to a paltry .165.

•Weber State's back line was impressive last season and averaged 16.22 digs per set - the most in the Big Sky Conference and 34th in the country.

NEW FACES
• Weber State's recruiting class was heavy on pin hitting, as the Wildcats brought in two new outside hitters in Ioana Asiata and Ali Wiest, as well as Rylee Parkinson who plays opposite.

• The 'Cats also brought in two transfers. Stacia Barker, a middle blocker from Evanston, WY, joins the team following a redshirt season at Montana State. Outside hitter Mia Peterson, a native of Pleasant Grove, UT, comes to Ogden following a pair of seasons at New Mexico State.

GAME NOTES: Wildcats Head Out for Tournament in Texas

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Players Mentioned

Ioana Asiata

Stacia Barker

Saane Munyer

Rylee Parkinson

Mia Peterson

Dani Richins

Makayla Sorensen

Ali Wiest

Weber State University Athletics