Time to turn it around; Cougs hit the road for two matches

Members+of+the+WSU+volleyball+team+wait+on+the+sidelines+during+a+home+game+against+Arizona+State+in+Bohler+Gym%2C+Friday%2C+Oct.+11.%C2%A0

Members of the WSU volleyball team wait on the sidelines during a home game against Arizona State in Bohler Gym, Friday, Oct. 11. 

Brett Gleason Evergreen Volleyball reporter

An unforgiving Pac-12 schedule continues for the Washington State University volleyball team as it travels to California to take on a pair of Los Angeles schools.

The Cougars (15-6, 2-6) take on No. 4 USC (15-1, 7-1) tonight in a televised match and UCLA (11-7, 2-6) Saturday.

“Well USC is an unbelievable team, they’ve been playing well all year,” WSU Head Coach Jen Greeny said in a press conference. “UCLA is just that team that has such great volleyball tradition … we have to come and be the aggressor against UCLA.”

WSU comes off two home weekends where the team went 1-3 with one win against a ranked Arizona State squad.

During the last two weekends, Greeny has switched between setters senior Camryn Irwin and freshman Haley MacDonald, who are players with different skill sets.

“Well they’re very different,” Greeny said. “Haley MacDonald is a little bit bigger, she sets a little bit better block, is left handed, can attack that ball. Camryn probably plays a little bit better defense, is a little quicker, sets our middles a little bit better right now just because of her experience.

The big–hitting freshman Kyra Holt leads the Cougars offensively so far with 313 kills while hitting .257. Her 4.01 kills per set puts her at sixth in the conference, while her 4.71 points per set find her sitting at fifth in the conference.

Junior Ver’Leea Hardaway has the Cougar lead in hitting percentage with .366 while contributing 189 kills. Her hitting percentage is currently ninth best in the Pac-12.

Sophomore Kate Sommer and junior Jaicee Harris lead the Cougars in digs with 3.67 and 3.29 digs per set, respectively. Sommer’s 3.67 digs per set puts her at eighth place in the conference.

The only player on the Cougar roster with over 1 block per set is senior Marcelina Glab, who is currently recording 1.04 blocks per set.

The No. 4 USC Trojans squad WSU faces tonight is currently in the top five in the conference in hitting percentage, assists per set, kills per set, blocks per set, and service aces per set.

The Cougars’ match against USC tonight will take place at 6 p.m. and will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Networks. The Saturday match against UCLA begins at 7 p.m.