Volleyball opens three-night Cougar Challenge Wednesday on Pac-12 Insider, hosts eighth-ranked BYU Friday night

PULLMAN, Wash. — 13^th-ranked Washington State volleyball (5-1) welcomes another stiff set of three nonconference opponents into Bohler Gym this week and will open its annual Cougar Challenge tournament against UC Irvine (2-4) on Wednesday night beginning at 6 p.m. PST.  The Cougars will take on Towson (6-1) the following night before closing out a six-match home stand against eighth-ranked BYU (6-0) on Friday night at 7 p.m.

Match Notes (PDF)

Match Info:

vs UC Irvine (2-4, 0-0 Big West)

– Wednesday, Sept. 6 // First serve: 6 p.m. (PST)

– SERIES: WSU leads 3-0

vs Towson (6-1, 0-0 CAA)

– SERIES: Tied 0-0

– Thursday, Sept. 7 // First serve: 8 p.m. (PST)

vs #8 BYU (6-0, 0-0 Big XII)

– SERIES: BYU leads 7-2

– Saturday, Sept. 8 // First serve: 7 p.m. (PST)

Quick Notes:

>> WSU continues to soar in the early top-25 coaches’ polls, this week climbing four spots for a second week in a row to No. 13 in this week’s AVCA Division I Top-25.

>> No. 13 is the highest ranking for the Cougs since reaching 13th in the nation during the Spring of 2021.

>> WSU will be seeking its first win over eighth-ranked BYU since a 3-0 win over No. 23 BYU in the 2002 edition of the Cougar Challenge.

>> Wednesday’s match vs. UC Irvine will be the first meeting since the 2016 Long Beach State Mizuno Invitational (Sept. 3, 2016) which WSU won, 3-1, behind 17 kills from McKenna Woodford and four blocks from Taylor Mims.  The Cougs are 3-0 all-time against the Anteaters.

>> Magda Jehlářová was nominated for Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week after tallying 13 blocks to go along with 2.38 kills/set and a .613 attack percentage.

>> Jehlářová had 10 total blocks in Friday’s win over Drake, surpassing Carrie Couturier (1988-91) as the program’s all-time career leader in total blocks with her 616th career block late in the fourth set.

>> After eclipsing the minimum 2,000 career attack attempts, Jehlářová is currently the Washington State all-time leader and seventh in Pac-12 history in career attack percentage (.377) after last Saturday’s win over Tulsa.

>> Pia Timmer had a career day in last Saturday’s sweep over Tulsa with 13 kills and only one error (13-1-22, .545) to along with 11 digs and two blocks.  Timmer averaged 3.20 digs/set in the Cougars three wins last week.

>> Libero Karly Basham is averaging a career-best 4.16 digs/set, ranking…