VB | Challenges Loom At Ameritas Players Challenge
9/10/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
MORAGA, Calif. -- On the heels of a strong opening weekend at home that yielded two straight-set victories, the Saint Mary's volleyball team strikes back out on the road for its toughest test yet with three matches at the Ameritas Players Challenge hosted by the University of Nebraska.
Action begins for the Gaels on Thursday when they take on No. 12 Nebraska at 5 p.m. (Pacific Daylight Time). Play continues Friday when Saint Mary's faces No. 17 Iowa State at 2:30 p.m., then concludes Sunday as the Gaels take on Dayton at 2:30.
Thursday's match against Nebraska will be streamed live on the Big Ten Digital Network and live statistics of all three matches will be available through Nebraska's website. Updates throughout the tournament will be available through the @SMCGaels Twitter account.
A split at Colorado to begin the season brought Saint Mary's home to Moraga looking for continued improvement, and the result was a pair of strong performances against two good teams in Miami and Air Force.
The weekend started with a three-set win over the nearly ranked Hurricanes, who continue to receive votes in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll. Jordan Shaw led the way for Saint Mary's, notching her second double-double of the season with 12 kills and 10 assists. Kristina Graven added 15 kills and Dalas Dodd chipped in with 35 assists.
One night later, a balanced Saint Mary's attack helped the Gaels defeat the Falcons in straight sets. Natalie Loos, playing her first matches at home in over a year, led the way with 11 kills and Dodd again added 35 assists. Danica Mendivil also enjoyed a strong defensive performance with a team-high 14 digs.
As a result of the Gaels' strong start, they find themselves prominently placed in the first NCAA national statistics of the season. Saint Mary's ranks third in the nation in aces per set with 2.36 and Dodd ranks first in the West Coast Conference in assists per set with 11.21.
Nebraska enters play this week at 4-1 after wins over Villanova and Georgia last weekend. Three Cornhuskers average over two kills per set, led by senior outside hitter Kelsey Robinson (3.29). Freshman Amber Rolfzen and sophomore Kelsey Fien are also on that list, but it was Rolfzen's twin sister, Kadie, who led the Cornhuskers with 14 kills in the win over Georgia.
Iowa State (4-2) comes to Nebraska looking to snap a brief two-game losing streak but the Cyclones remain one of the nation's top teams thanks to plenty of talent. They'll be well prepared for the level of play in Lincoln, as both losses came to ranked teams in No. 14 San Diego and No. 18 Illinois. Sophomore Mackenzie Bigbee has been Iowa State's top offensive performer so far this season, averaging 3.33 kills per set.
Dayton began the season in the national rankings but a 3-3 start has seen the Flyers fall out of the poll for the time being. They remain a strong candidate to return though, as senior outside hitter Megan Campbell leads the way with 2.86 kills per set. Dayton's wins this season have come against Tulsa, Northeastern and Cincinnati.
After traveling to Nebraska, Saint Mary's comes home to kick off WCC play with a Sept. 19 match against Portland. The next day, the Gaels travel to Stanford, then finish the weekend at home against Gonzaga on Sept. 21.
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