WSU Preview wsucougars.com/news/2021/9/8/volleyball-set-to-host-cougar-challenge.aspxHannah Pukis continues to rack up the assists for the Cougs, as she finished the Carolina Classic with 63 total in two matches. Pukis sees her career total up to 1,839 now and she is certainly on pace to crack the Washington State top ten in all-time assists. Currently sitting at No. 10 for WSU all-time is Renee Bordelon (2008-09) with 2,093 total assists.
Washington State is one of only 17 programs (14 from Power 5 Schools) in the nation, out of 334 total schools, to qualify for the NCAA Championship Tournament in 5 consecutive seasons (2016-20). - Others included are: Baylor, BYU, Creighton, Florida, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, San Diego, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin WSU has finished in the Top 5 in the Pac-12 standings, four out of the last five years.
WSU Volleyball was tabbed fifth in the Pac-12 Preseason Coaches Poll, which is also an all-time high for conference preseason rankings for the Cougs. Washington State also saw another program high, as three student-athletes were selected to the All-Pac-12 Preseason Team, the most in WSU history. Those individuals were Hannah Pukis, Magda Jehlářová, and Pia Timmer.
LBSU Preview longbeachstate.com/news/2021/9/8/womens-volleyball-beach-womens-volleyball-heads-to-the-cougar-challenge.aspx• Long Beach State enters the Cougar Challenge with a 3-3 overall record.
• The Beach hosted the LBSU Tournament last weekend and went 1-2 with a pair of losses to nationally-ranked UCLA (3-0) and Georgia Tech (3-1), before earning a 3-0 sweep of Portland State.
• Junior outside hitter
Kashauna Williams and freshman setter
Kasia Partyka were named to the All-Tournament Team.
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Williams also picked up Big West Conference Player of the Week honors for the second week in a row.
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Williams finished the tournament with 4.90 kills per set, 1.20 digs per set, 0.60 blocks per set, and a .277 attack percentage. On the year, Williams leads the Beach with 4.56 kills per set which leads the Big West and ranks 20th in the nation. Her 5.00 points per set average is good for 25th in the country.
Williams has earned two All-Tournament Team honors and a pair of Big West Conference Player of the Week awards. She is currently leading Long Beach State with 4.56 kills per set which leads the Big West and ranks her 20th in the nation. If that weren't enough, Williams also contributes 1.32 digs per set, 0.52 blocks per set, and has tallied four service aces.
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Partyka led the Beach to a .225 attack percentage at the LBSU Tournament as she distributed 79 assists to average 8.78 per set. She also added 1.44 digs per set, 0.89 kills per set, and 0.56 blocks per set, while hitting .273. This season, Partyka is averaging 8.73 assists per set which puts her fifth in the Big West.
• Freshman outside hitter
Erykah Lovett has continued her solid play as she is second on the team with 2.92 kills per set to rank eighth in the Big West. She has been dominant from the service line thus far, racking up a total of 14 aces to average 0.56 per set, which leads the league and ranks her in the top 50 in the nation.
• Sophomore libero
Nicole Hoff has led the Beach in digs in four of Long Beach State's six matches. She leads the squad with 3.76 digs per set and comes in sixth in the Big West Conference.
• Freshman middle blocker
Kameron Bacon turned in an excellent performance last week at the net as she posted 11 blocks to average 1.10 per set. Bacon registered a career-high seven blocks against Portland State to pace the Beach.
Long Beach State has two players who rank in the top 50 in the nation.
Kashauna Williams' 4.56 kills per set are good for 20th in the nation, while her 5.00 points per set rank her 25th.
Erykah Lovett's 0.56 aces per set rank her 49th in the country.
Long Beach State and Washington State will meet for just the fifth time in program history. The Beach lead the all-time series 3-1, however, the Cougars won the last meeting, 3-0, on September 3, 2016 in Long Beach, Calif. Thursday's contest will be the first meeting in Pullman, Wash., as the previous face offs were at neutral sites.
Long Beach State and Gonzaga will meet for the first time in program history.
Long Beach State and Northern Iowa will meet for just the fourth time in program history. The Beach hold a slight edge over the Panthers with a 2-1 record. However, UNI defeated the Beach, 3-1, in their last meeting on September 15, 2012 at the Bradley Invitational in Bradley, Ill.
University of Northern Iowa Preview unipanthers.com/news/2021/9/8/womens-volleyball-panther-volleyball-ready-for-cougar-challenge.aspx- UNI's only previous visit to Pullman, Washington came in 1994 when the Panthers went 4-0 in that year's Cougar Challenge with victories over Gonzaga, Nevada, Temple, and Washington State.
- The Panthers open the tournament by facing Gonzaga. UNI is 2-0 in the all-time series including a 3-1 win at the 1989 Women's Invitational Volleyball Championship for Bobbi (Becker) Petersen's final victory of her illustrious playing career.
- UNI is coming off a tough trip to the Bluegrass Battle that featured three matches against teams that were each receiving at least one vote in the AVCA Top 25 Poll ("RV" USC, No. 3 Kentucky, RV Creighton).
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Inga Rotto made the Bluegrass Battle All-Tournament Team last week. Rotto, who is also on a 97-match playing streak to begin her career, joined
Kira Fallert (GBD Invite) and
Carly Spies (GBD Invite) on the list of Panthers with all-tournament team recognition so far this season.
- This season started with UNI going 2-1 at the GBD Invite and finishing second to Ball State (4-0). The Panthers posted 3-1 wins over North Dakota State and Green Bay.
- At 2.38 blocks per set, the Panthers have the highest blocking average in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Carly Spies is the individual leader (1.33) while carrying a 28-match block streak dating back to last season.
- UNI returns 13 women that were with the program for the spring season including 2020-21 All-MVC honorees
Emily Holterhaus (First Team),
Inga Rotto (Second Team), and
Tayler Alden (All-Freshman Team).
- Despite the challenges of the delayed 2020 campaign, the Panthers still qualified for the MVC Championship and made it to league semifinals. UNI has earned tournament bids and semifinal berths for a league-record 36 seasons in a row.
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