Cougs Prepped for Season-Opening Road Trip to BYU
PULLMAN, Wash. -- Washington State women's volleyball returns the court this Friday and Saturday for the first time since its sixth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance last December as the Cougars begin their chase for a seventh-straight tournament bid at the BYU Invitational, a three-match nonconference tournament from the Smith Fieldhouse in Provo, Utah. On day one, WSU will play Duke of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and Rider of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) for the first times in program history before it's first top-25 test of the season against 10th-ranked BYU in the weekend finale on BYU TV Saturday night at 6 p.m. (PST).
The 2022 roster features a pair of returning All-Americans -- Magda Jehlarova (MB) and Pia Timmer (OH) -- on the front row, Katy Ryan, a 2021 Pac-12 All-Freshman selection, and defensive specialists Karly Basham (L) and Julia Norville (DS). The Cougars' revamped roster also features a slew of talented transfers with Division I volleyball experience including Molly Kipp (S, Baylor), Shea Rubright (MB, Minnesota), and Laura Jansen (OH, Univ. of Ark.-Little Rock). Junior Argentina Ung averaged 1.71 k/s coming off of the bench at outside and will compete for time as the Cougs' starting setter after a successful summer setting for the Mexican national team.
Tournament Info:
>> Location: Smith Fieldhouse | Provo, Utah
>> Match 1: Fri. Aug 26, 9 a.m. (PST) vs Duke (0-0) | '21 Record: 16-13, 7-11 ACC
>> Match 2: Fri. Aug. 26, 4 p.m. (PST )vs Rider (0-0) | '21 record: 19-12, 14-4 MAAC
>> Match 3: Sat. Aug. 27, 6 p.m. (PST) at #10 BYU (0-0) | '21 Record: 30-2, 18-0 WCC
>> Watch: BYU TV / BYU TV App / BYUtv.org
>> Live Stats: wsucougars.com
Cougar Quick Hits:
>> WSU finished 2021 tied for fourth in the Pac-12 at 13-7 in conference play and 20-12 overall, capped by a record sixth-straight NCAA Tournament. Jen Greeny was named the Pac-12's Co-Coach of the Year, her second coach of the year award after also being named the top coach in 2016. Overall she has 298 total wins as a college head coach and is second in head coaching wins at WSU with a 186-157 (.542) record at her alma mater.
>> The Cougs have made the NCAA Tournament 16 times in program history - 12 have come with Greeny in the program as a player (3), assistant (3), and now head coach (6).
>> WSU 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 6 consecutive seasons (2016-21).
>> WSU won its 20th contest of the year marking the fourth time under coach Greeny and third time in the past four years that the Cougs have hit the 20-win plateau.
>> WSU is 2-5 all-time against BYU including a 3-0 home win over 23rd-ranked BYU team in the last meeting back in 2002.
Up Next:
>> Washington State will stay at home for week two of the regular season as it gets set to welcome California Baptist, Belmont, and CSU Bakersfield into Bohler Gym for the 2022 Cougar Challenge Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 1-3.
For all the latest WSU volleyball news, photos and videos, like the team on Facebook (www.facebook.com/WSUCougarVB), or follow on Twitter (@WSUCougarVB) and Instagram (@wsucougarvb).