PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington State volleyball (5-1) gets set to head back on the road this weekend as it preps for three more non-conference matchups at the Fairfield Invitational (Sept. 8-11). The Cougars will take on Howard (2-3) on Friday morning beginning at 8 a.m. (PST), followed by a primetime matchup with tournament hosts Fairfield (4-2) at 5 p.m. (PST). WSU will wrap up week three on Saturday against Fairleigh Dickinson (2-4) starting at 10 a.m. (PST).
LAST TIME OUT:
>> The Cougs take a three-match winning streak on the road after dropping only two sets during last weekend’s Cougar Challenge in Bohler Gym. Laura Jansen led the Cougars in kills in all three of Washington State’s matches last week and was named the tournament’s most valuable player with 3.64 k/s while Katy Ryan was also named to the all-tournament team after hitting .433 with 3.0 k/s and 1.0 blk/s.
>> WSU held its week two opponents to just .103 hitting, racking up 33 total blocks as a team last week in Bohler. The Cougs, who have now won 14-straight matches in their home tournament, swept its home opener against Cal Baptist with a dozen blocks as a team and a collective .412 hitting percentage.
COUGAR QUICK HITS:
>> Karly Basham currently ranks 26th in the nation and first in the Pac-12 with her .67 aces/set. Basham tied the program four-set record with seven aces against Belmont last week.
>> Magda Jehlarova is 18th in all of Division I and third in the Pac-12 with her 32 total blocks and her 1.52 blk/set. Jehlarova surpassed head coach Jen Greeny (Stinson) in career total blocks last season, currently ranking fourth-all time (456), and passed Greeny (Stinson) last weekend against Bemont in career block assists (366) where she now places seventh all-time going into the weekend.
>> Katy Ryan has the seventh-best hitting percentage (.375) in the Pac-12 so far this season and is second (min. 50 attempts) on a Washington State team that is third in the nation and first in the conference with a .331 hitting percentage.
>> WSU is 20th in the nation and fourth in the Pac-12 with 2.79 blks/set, holding teams to just .143 hitting which ranks third in the Pac-12 and 32nd in the country.
RECORD WATCH:
>> Pia Timmer is sixth all-time in kills/set at 3.19 over 278 sets played and holds the third-highest mark since sets were shortened to the 25-point…
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