MATCHES 20 & 21
San José State (7-12, 2-6) at #14 Colorado State (18-1, 8-0)
Moby Arena, Fort Collins, Colo.
Thursday, October 24
7:00 p.m. MT/6:00 p.m. PT
Live Stats - https://csurams.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary
Live video - https://players.brightcove.net/6050660108001/4GMuOweD95_default/index.html?videoId=6091877522001&adConfigId=live.uXcd9_st3gV5IpAQ8r9Lf30Pt_pbjlvAyuCrKo9rbEKAKJ4gVwdjIcrYXFO5ioLbih1liB1ILONT_T6bETrxFtKrZFDpEEgrWVw
San José State (7-12, 2-6) at Wyoming (12-7, 7-1)
Uniwyo Sports Complex, Laramie, Wyo.
Saturday, October 26
6:30 p.m. MT/5:30 p.m. PT
Live stats - http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=270695
Live video - https://watchstadium.com/live/san-jose-state-at-wyoming-2/
TOUGH ROAD TESTS FOR SPARTANS THIS WEEK: The Spartan volleyball team faces the top-two Mountain West teams on the road this week as San José State plays at conference leader #14 Colorado State Thursday night and at second-place Wyoming Saturday night.
San José State went 1-1 last week, falling to UNLV on Thursday, 3-0, before rebounding to win 3-1 against New Mexico at home. The Spartans have won two of their previous three matches played.
LIVE VIDEO: Both matches will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network this week. Fans can access the stream on the Spartan website at www.sjsuspartans.com/watch and select "Mountain West Network."
SMEVOG RECEIVES MW HONOR FOR 2ND TIME IN THREE WEEKS: For the second time in three weeks, sophomore libero Sarah Smevog has been named the Mountain West Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week, this week for matches played October 14-19.
Smevog averaged 5.43 digs, 0.29 service aces and 1.14 assists per sets as the Spartans went 1-1. She recorded a team-best 21 digs in a three-set loss to UNLV, but followed that up by leading a quartet of Spartans with 17 digs in a 3-1 win over New Mexico this past Saturday. She added two aces and five assists in the victory.
ABOUT #14 COLORADO STATE: The Rams enter Thursday night's match with an 18-1 overall record and perfect 8-0 mark in the MW. The team has a 17-match winning streak, sweeping 12 of their 19 matches played. Head coach Tom Hilbert is in his 23rd year at the school and 31st as a collegiate head coach.
Colorado State Leaders
Hit % .405 Kirstie Hillyer
Kills 249, 3.72 ps Breana Runnels
Assists 678, 10.59 ps Katie Oleksak
Aces 23, 0.40 ps Alyssa Bert
Digs 257, 3.84 ps Alexa Roumeliotis
Blocks 97, 1.45 ps Paulina Hougaard-Jensen
Series Record - Colorado State leads 14-6.
First Meeting -W, 3-1, September 20, 1984, Spartan Gym
Last Meeting - L, 3-0, Moby Arena, Fort Collins, Colo.
Last SJSU Win - 3-2, November 11, 2017, Spartan Gym
Current Streak - L1
Last 10 meetings -2-8
2018 meeting - Colorado State swept the only meeting of the season, 25-15, 25-16, 26-24, at Moby Arena. Fernanda Vido led SJSU with nine kills and nine digs.
At Moby Arena/Fort Collins - The Spartans have not won a match in Fort Collins or Moby Arena in the nine times the teams have played there. The closest SJSU came to winning was in 1987 when the Spartans lost 3-1.
ABOUT WYOMING: The Cowgirls begin the week with a 12-7 overall record and 7-1 MW mark, good for second in the conference standings. The team hosts Nevada Thursday night and brings a five-match winning streak into the week. Head coach Chad Callihan is in his seventh season at the school.
Wyoming Leaders
Hit % .356 Jackie McBride
Kills 202, 2.77 ps KC McMahon
Assists 493, 8.80 ps Mackenzie Coates
Aces 22, 0.29 ps Madi Fields
Digs 326, 4.23 ps Madi Fields
Blocks 94, 1.22 ps Jackie McBride
Series Record - Wyoming leads 11-4.
First Meeting - W, 3-0, October 1, 1983, Berkeley, Calif.
Last Meeting - L, 3-0, September 20, 2018, Spartan Gym
Last SJSU Win - 3-2, October 1, 2015, Spartan Gym
Current Streak - L6
Last 10 meetings -1-9
2018 meeting - The Spartans lost the only meeting between the two teams, 3-0, on September 20 inside Spartan Gym. Whitney Barnes led the team with nine kills.
At Laramie - The Spartans have won only once in Laramie, a 3-2 win on November 21, 1987, and have a 1-6 record in the town.
HEAD COACH JOLENE SHEPARDSON: San José State head coach Jolene Shepardson is in her sixth season at the helm of the program and ninth as a head coach. She has a 69-98 record in six seasons at SJSU, and a 112-145 coaching record in nine seasons. Her 50th SJSU win was a 3-2 win over Pacific on September 8, 2018.
SMEVOG DIGGIN' THE BALL: In her first season as the Spartans' full-time libero, Sarah Smevog has recorded two 30+ dig matches. She recorded 35 digs in a loss at Utah State on October 3. Smevog is the fifth Spartan in school history to record 35 digs in a match, the seventh-highest total in school history.
35 Sarah Smevog, at Utah State, 10/3/19
Hanah Blume, vs. Campbell, 8/31/13
Courtney Zellmer, vs. Gonzaga, 8/28/10
Jessie Shull, at San Francisco, 9/1/04
Dawnis Wilson, at Santa Clara, 10/15/91
Smevog recorded 34 digs in win over North Texas. She is third Spartan to record 34 digs in a match, joining Jessie Shull (9/16/06) and Barbara Higgs (9/26/87). Smevog is now the 10th player in school history to record 34 or more digs in a match.
34 Sarah Smevog, vs. North Texas, 9/6/19
Jessie Shull, vs. CS Northridge, 9/16/06
Barbara Higgins, vs. UC Santa Barbara, 9/26/87
DOUBLE-DOUBLES FOR EVERYONE: The Spartans have recorded twice as many double-doubles this season through 19 matches (23) than the entire 2018 season (11). Three times this season, three Spartans have recorded double-doubles in the same match.
North Texas, September 6
Mamie Garard 32 assists, 11 digs
Taumafa Tuinauvai 10 kills, 16 digs
Caitlin Bettenay 16 kills, 14 digs
Nevada, October 8
Mamie Garard 41 assists, 16 digs
Haylee Nelson 12 kills, 17 digs
Fernanda Vido 11 kills, 11 digs
New Mexico, October 19
Makayla Lewis 14 kills, 13 digs
Kaitlynn Zdroik 46 assists, 11 digs
Fernanda Vido 15 kills, 12 sigs
Garard leads the team with five double-doubles this year, while Vido now has 16 in her two-plus seasons at SJSU.
SMEVOG HONORED BY MOUNTAIN WEST #1: Sophomore libero Sarah Smevog was named the Mountain West Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week for matches played October 1-6.Smevog averaged 6.11 digs, 0.33 service aces and 1.11 assists for the Spartans in two matches. She had a career best 35 digs at Utah State, tying for the seventh highest total in school history. Smevog is the fifth Spartan in school history to record 35 digs in a match. At Boise State, Smevog had 20 digs in four sets and recorded three service aces in four serves during the third set. She added five assists in each match
UP NEXT: The Spartans return home for two matches next week. The team hosts Boise State on Halloween at 6 p.m., and Utah State on Saturday, November 2, at 2 p.m.