WSU volleyball released the schedule for their conference opponents Wednesday. The Cougs have 18 total matches, all to be streamed on ESPN+, and nine matches at home.
For its first season in the WCC, the program will start play against Santa Clara on the road Sept. 26. Immediately following the opener, the Cougs have their longest home stand, starting Sept. 28 against San Diego and then playing Portland Oct. 3 and Pepperdine Oct 5.
Two home matches close out the 18-game schedule as the Cougs host two matches in three days, against San Francisco Nov. 27 and against LMU Nov. 29.
The WCC and WSU are not unfamiliar foes. When the Cougs hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, Pepperdine played against Dayton in the opening round, falling one set short of challenging the Cougs on their home court.
In the 2022 NCAA Tournament, San Diego ended WSU’s run in just the second round, beating the then No. 7-seeded Cougs in four sets. Earlier that year, Pepperdine and WSU faced off in a neutral site, a match the Waves won in five sets.
In the 2021 season, WSU hosted its yearly Cougar Challenge, which included their in-state foes, Gonzaga. The Cougs swept the Bulldogs, but the only player remaining on the roster from that season is Katy Ryan, who had just been a freshman at the time.
Pepperdine won the WCC in 2023 with a 15-1 record and five different programs won at least 10 conference matches. There was a clear line between the good teams the bad as six matches separated fifth and sixth place in the standings.
WSU enters the 2024 season with a near brand new team and new coaching staff, but with a pedigree of winning over the last decade-plus and with Ryan returning as a the focal point of the offense, there is room to compete for a Conference title.
