Utah Volleyball Returns Home To Host Cal and #8 Stanford

Match 16: Utah (9-6, 2-2 Pac-12) vs. California (7-7, 0-4 Pac-12)
Friday, Oct. 7 | 7 p.m. MT
Salt Lake City | Jon M. Huntsman Center
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Watch: Pac-12 Bay Area
 
Match 17: Utah (9-6, 2-2 Pac-12) vs. #8 Stanford (8-4, 3-1 Pac-12)
Sunday, Oct. 9 | 4 p.m. MT
Salt Lake City | Jon M. Huntsman Center
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Watch: ESPNU

MATCH WEEK
Utah Volleyball will begin a four-match home stand this weekend, first welcoming California and eighth-ranked Stanford to the Jon M. Huntsman Center. Utah opens the weekend of play against California this Friday, Oct. 7, at 7 p.m. MT. The match between the Utes and the Golden Bears will be Utah's 'Power of Pink' match and there will be free headbands in the concourse prior to the match. The conference matchup will be televised on Pac-12 Bay Area.
 
Then, Utah will turn around to host eighth-ranked Stanford on Sunday, Oct. 9, at 4 p.m. MT. Utah and Stanford will be nationally televised on ESPNU to close out the weekend. There will be free ice cream sundaes on the concourse pre-match, as well as free t-shirts to the first 200 fans in attendance.

QUICK HITS
• Utah's match against Stanford marks the second year in a row the matchup will be televised on ESPNU. Utah and Stanford were also broadcast on ESPNU in the Sweet 16 match during the 2019 season.
• Since 2019, Utah is 35-9 overall in the Huntsman Center. 
• Utah has won the last five meetings against California, which includes three-straight sweeps.
• Utah swept the meetings against Stanford in the spring of 2021, while the Cardinal took both matches last year. The Utes fell to the Cardinal in five sets in the Sweet 16 during the 2019 NCAA Tournament.
• Madelyn Robinson has posted double-digit kills in every match this season, while Vanessa Ramirez has collected 10 or more digs in all but one match.
 
IN THE RANKINGS
• Utah is second in the Pac-12 and No. 63 in the nation with 15.39 digs per set.
• Utah is fourth in the Pac-12 and No. 39 in the nation with 13.56 kills per set.
• Madelyn Robinson is second in the Pac-12 and No. 18 in the nation with 4.40 kills per set.
• Vanessa Ramirez leads the Pac-12 and No. 74 in the nation with 4.40 digs per set.
• Allie Olsen is seventh in the conference in hitting percentage (.339), and Megan Yett is seventh in the Pac-12 in aces per set (0.39).
 
RALLYING AROUND ROBINSON
Madelyn Robinson, an AVCA All-Region and All-Pac-12 player from a season ago, has taken leadership over this Utah team and led the squad with 4.40 kills per set, which ranks second in the conference and No. 18 in the nation. Robinson has collected double-digit kills in every match this season, including a career-high 26 at Purdue. She also has tallied two double-doubles this season, which ranks second on the team, and has led the team in kills every single match she's played in this season. Robinson earned her first Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week award on Sept. 5, following her weekend at Purdue where she averaged 4.54 kills per set and had two matches of 20-plus kills. Most recently, Robinson was the sole Ute to reach double figures in both matches in Los Angeles, which included 23 kills against USC. Robinson totaled eight kills on .638 hitting in just the second set alone, while the match marked the third time she has hit the 20-kill mark this season and the first time in a four-set match. Robinson posted a career-high 18 digs against Milwaukee earlier this year as well.
 
RAMIREZ RUNNING THE BACK ROW
Utah libero Vanessa Ramirez is leading defensive efforts for the Utes and the Pac-12 Conference in digs per set. Ramirez is averaging a league-best 4.40 digs per set and has hit double-digit digs in all but the season opener. During the Pac-12 opening weekend, she averaged 5.50 digs per set vs. Colorado and Arizona, and recorded her fifth match 20 or more digs when she posted 20 digs in the sweep over Arizona. This past weekend in Los Angeles, Ramirez led the Utes with her sixth 20-dig match of the year after collecting 22 digs at USC. At the Purdue tournament, she posted two matches of 20-plus digs, which were both career high marks. She first posted a personal-best 25 digs against Milwaukee before upping the career high to 27 digs, which she recorded against Purdue. Ramirez has had the most or at least tied for the most digs on the team in 13 of 15 matches this season.

SCOUTING CAL
California has gotten off to an 0-4 start in Pac-12 play after finishing non-conference action 7-3. The Golden Bears were swept by Stanford, Washington State and Washington, and dropped a five-set match to Oregon State. Cal is fourth in the conference and No. 31 in the country with 2.56 blocks per set, while the squad is fifth in the Pac-12 in digs per set (14.62). The team is led by Lydia Grote, who is averaging 3.67 kills per set, which ranks sixth in the Pac-12. Leading the blocking efforts are Sophie Scott and Mikayla Hayden, who both rank in the top-10 in the conference for blocks per set.
 
SCOUTING STANFORD
Stanford enters the weekend with an overall record of 8-4, which includes a 3-1 start to Pac-12 play. The Cardinal's four losses have come from top-25 teams, including top-ranked Texas and then third-ranked Louisville. Stanford in second in the Pac-12 and ninth nationally with 2.83 blocks per set. Stanford is also in the top-50 nationally in assists per set (No. 34, 12.62) and hitting percentage (No. 43, .253). Kendall Kipp leads the offense with 4.07 kills per set, while Kami Miner dishes out 10.69 assists per set, which ranks third in the Pac-12 and No. 22 nationally. Sami Francis leads the Pac-12 with 1.54 blocks per set and is fifth in the country.
 
STANDOUT STATS
• Utah has recorded more digs than its opponent in 13 of 15 matches.
• Utah is 8-0 when leading in hitting percentage.
• Utah is 3-0 when hitting .300 or better, and 6-1 when hitting .250 or better.
• Seven Utes have recorded at least one match of 10 or more kills this season.
• Six Utes have recorded at least two matches of 10 or more digs this season.
• Vanessa Ramirez has posted double-digit digs in all but one match, which doubles the next Ute.
• Madelyn Robinson has led Utah in kills every match she has played in and has recorded double-digit kills in every match this season.
• Emily Smith has posted seven double-doubles this season.
 
TICKET TIME
Help Utah Volleyball make the Huntsman Center the best home court advantage in the nation and visit UtahTickets.com to purchase season tickets for $25 to catch all of Utah's remaining home matches. Fans wishing to purchase single match tickets can also do so online or at the ticket office prior to the match. Looking to get more involved, join the Block U Club where you can receive benefits such as a t-shirt, team lanyard, concession coupons, autographed team poster and ball, subscription to Beth's Blast and more. Single match tickets are also available.
  
UP NEXT
Utah will remain in Salt Lake City to continue Pac-12 play as the Utes are set to welcome Washington and Washington State the following weekend. Utah will host Washington on Friday, Oct. 14, before welcoming Washington State to the Huntsman Center on Sunday, Oct. 16.