Volleyball is back on the court this weekend after back-to-back wins to start the spring season. Unlike most match days for the Cougs, they will be playing three different teams.
Their first match is against Lewis-Clark State College, followed by Whitman College and Eastern Oregon. Each match will be two sets in length.
Match 1 — Lewis-Clark State College:
Last season, the Warriors finished 18-9 overall, placed fourth in the Cascade Collegiate Conference and made a small run to the pool-play round of the NAIA tournament.
Offensively, senior outside hitter Juliauna Forgach Aguilar paved the way, as she led the team with 384 kills. Defensively, middle blocker Karissa Lindner and defensive specialist Ella Stosich led the way. Lindner tallied 119 blocks, while Stosich logged 442 digs. Forgach Aguilar is the only one not returning.
The Warriors were around the middle of the pack in the CCC in most statistical categories, except for service aces. They recorded the third-fewest, with 161.
If this trend continues, that would be a strong advantage for WSU. To defeat a Division I team as an NAIA school, an almost perfect match is needed. The serve game, specifically, is a great way to catch an opponent off guard.
Struggling to record aces would make it harder to go on long runs, which will be necessary to win for the Warriors.
It would take a lot for Lewis-Clark to pull off the upset. Its best chance is to block WSU attackers at the net and hope the Cougars commit a multitude of errors.
Match 2 — Whitman College:
The Whitman Blues were a relatively inconsistent team last season. In conference play, they had four win streaks of two or more matches, but also had three two-game losing streaks. They finished 10-13 overall, while playing at the NCAA Division III level.
The main thing that held them back last season was their defense. They allowed the second-highest hitting percentage (.197) and the third-most kills (1039), while only recording 115 blocks in the NWC. Similar to Lewis-Clark, they also struggled to score on serves, recording only 151.
When the Cougars struggle, it is typically because they cannot hit effectively because of the block, or they are out of system. That was seen two weeks ago against the Griz in the second and third sets.
The Whitman Blues may struggle to do those things, unlike Montana, considering how they performed last season, which would make it harder to win.
If Whitman wants to win this match, they will need to feed outside hitter Addie Belt and middle blocker Lilli Thompson. Both hit over .160 and logged over 120 kills. They could play off each other and find holes in WSU’s defense to score points.
Match 3 — Eastern Oregon:
The Mountaineers were one of the best NAIA teams last year. They made it to the NAIA semifinals and lost to the eventual champions. Eastern Oregon finished the year 32-3 and won its first 20 matches.
Similar to Lewis-Clark, the Mountaineers play in the CCC but finished first in the conference last year. They led the CCC in kills (1648), hitting percentage (.275) and total blocks (323).
Outside hitters Keira Vaughn, Brooke Womack and middle blocker Kiauna Mack paved the way on offense. Each tallied over 289 kills, and Vaughn had 399, which led the team.
Mack is the only one not set to return. This is a blow since she also led the team with 198 total blocks. Senior middle blocker Mylie Mills should be able to step into her position, however. She was second on the team in blocks, with 114, and recorded 116 kills.
This matchup will almost certainly be the toughest one the Cougars play all day. The winning formula is still simple for Washington State, though. Considering the talent difference between NCAA Division I and NAIA, the Cougars just need to play their game and not commit errors.
The Mountaineers need to start sets strongly, win the serve-receive game and block well at the net if they want to win. Dominating those aspects is known to cause problems for WSU.
The first match begins at noon, the second at 1 p.m. and the third at 3 p.m. The matches will be played April 11 at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington.
