Utah Volleyball Hosts #15 Washington This Friday, Washington State On Sunday

Match 18: Utah (10-7, 3-3 Pac-12) vs. #15 Washington (13-3, 5-1 Pac-12)
Friday, Oct. 14 | 7 p.m. MT
Salt Lake City | Jon M. Huntsman Center
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Watch: Pac-12 Washington
 
Match 19: Utah (10-7, 3-3 Pac-12) vs. Washington State (12-5, 4-2 Pac-12)
Sunday, Oct. 16 | 12 p.m. MT
Salt Lake City | Jon M. Huntsman Center
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Watch: Pac-12 Networks

MATCH WEEK
Utah Volleyball closes out its two-week home stand this weekend with matchups versus No. 15-ranked Washington and Washington State. The Utes will begin the weekend against Washington on Friday, Oct. 14, at 7 p.m. MT in the Jon M. Huntsman Center. The match will be themed fairy tale Friday with princesses on the concourse prior to the match, as well as crowns in the kids zone to be decorated. Utah will then turn its attention to Washington State, which travels to Salt Lake City this Sunday, Oct. 16. The Utes and Cougars will play at 12 p.m. MT for the Ute Proud match. There will be free Utah socks given away. Friday's game will be televised on Pac-12 Washington, while Sunday's contest will air on the Pac-12 Network.

QUICK HITS
• Since 2019, Utah is 36-10 overall in the Huntsman Center. 
• Utah is 11-19 overall in the series history with Washington (4-7 in SLC). Last year, Utah upset Washington 3-2 in Seattle when the Huskies were ranked sixth in the nation. It stands as Utah's second-highest true road win in program history.
• Utah is 14-16 overall in the series history vs. Washington State (9-6 in SLC). Last year, the Utes posted a sweep over the Cougars in Salt Lake City in the sole meeting of the season.
• Madelyn Robinson has posted double-digit kills in every match this season, while Vanessa Ramirez has collected 10 or more digs in 15 of 17 matches.
 
IN THE RANKINGS
• Utah leads the Pac-12 and is No. 83 in the nation with 15.13 digs per set.
• Utah is fifth in the Pac-12 and No. 38 in the nation with 13.62 kills per set.
• Utah is sixth in the Pac-12 and No. 66 in the nation with 12.33 assists per set.
• Madelyn Robinson is second in the Pac-12 and No. 19 in the nation with 4.31 kills per set.
• Vanessa Ramirez leads the Pac-12 and is No. 85 in the nation with 4.32 digs per set.
• Allie Olsen is fifth in the conference in hitting percentage (.339) and No. 74 nationally.
 
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 4.31 kills per set, which ranks second in the conference and No. 19 in the nation. During Pac-12 play, she has averaged 4.53 kills per set to lead the team. 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 all but one match that she has 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. 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 so far. Ramirez is averaging a league-best 4.32 digs per set and has hit double-digit digs in all but two matches. 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. In Los Angeles, Ramirez led the Utes with her sixth 20-dig match of the year after collecting 22 digs at USC. During conference play, she has averaged 4.65 digs per set.  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 15 of 17 matches this season.

SCOUTING #15 WASHINGTON
Washington enters Friday's match on a three-game win streak, which includes a clean slate at home last weekend against Oregon State (3-0) and Oregon (3-2). The Huskies are tied for first place in the Pac-12 with a 5-1 conference record. Washington has notable wins over the ranked Oregon team last weekend, as well as Arkansas, Northwestern and rivals Washington State. The Huskies lead the conference in assists per set (13.10), hitting percentage (.311) and kills per set (14.15), which all rank in the top-15 nationally with the latter two categories ranking in the top-8. Marin Grote is second in the Pac-12 and seventh nationally with a .438 hitting percentage out of the middle, while Ella May Powell runs the offense with 10.86 assists per set, which is third in the Pac-12 and No. 13 nationally. Claire Hoffman leads the team with 4.12 kills per set and is third in the conference with 0.46 aces per set.
 
SCOUTING WASHINGTON STATE
Washington State went undefeated at home last weekend after upsetting then No. 12-ranked Oregon in five sets before sweeping Oregon State. The Cougars are 4-2 in conference play after falling to rivals Washington, as well as then No. 9 Stanford on the road. All five of Washington State's losses this season have come from teams currently ranked in the top-20. Washington State is fourth in the Pac-12 in hitting percentage (.275) and No. 17 in the nation, while the Cougars rank second in the Pac-12 and No. 24 nationally in aces per set (1.87). Magda Jehlarova is third in the conference and No. 21 in the country with an average of 1.39 blocks per set, while also ranking third in the Pac-12 and No. 52 in the nation with a .372 hitting percentage. Laura Jansen leads the team with 3.25 kills per set.
 
STANDOUT STATS
• Utah is 9-0 when leading in hitting percentage.
• Utah is 4-0 when hitting .300 or better, and 7-2 when hitting .250 or better.
• Utah has recorded more digs or tied its opponent in digs in 14 of 17 matches.
• 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 two matches this season.
• Madelyn Robinson has recorded double-digit kills in every match she has played in this season.
• Emily Smith has posted eight double-doubles this season, which is four times as many as the next Ute.
 
TICKET TIME
Visit UtahTickets.com to purchase tickets for the remaining Utah Volleyball matches. The Utah volleyball conference pack is available for just $15 to catch the remaining six home Pac-12 matches of the season. 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. Information about the Block U Club can also be found on UtahTickets.com.
  
UP NEXT
Utah wraps up the first half of Pac-12 play with a trip to the Pacific Northwest, traveling to Oregon and Oregon State. Utah opens the road trip against Oregon on Friday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m. MT. The final match of the trip will be on Sunday, Oct. 23, at 1 p.m. MT against Oregon State. Both matches will be live streamed.