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What 2 Watch 4
Four Big West teams remain unbeaten in conference play heading into the second weekend of action with Cal Poly, UC Santa Barbara, Long Beach State and UC Davis opening with a 2-0 record. At least one team will fall from the ranks this week as Long Beach State hosts both the Gauchos and Mustangs at Walter Pyramid while UC Davis also hits the road to take on Cal State Fullerton and UC Irvine. The Aggies are riding high after nabbing the program’s second victory at Hawai’i on Saturday.
All told, 10 of the 11 matches in the second week of conference play are set to air on ESPN+. Check listings for specific match information.
Last Week, Today
• Player of the Week honors went to four underclassmen and three first-time winners: UC San Diego’s Maria Fernanda Afonso (offensive), Ximena Cordero Barr of UC Davis (defensive), back-to-back winner Madi Maxwell of Long Beach State (setter) and UC Santa Barbara’s Gabi Martinez (freshman) earning honors. Read more >>>
The Big West in the Rankings
• UC Santa Barbara continues to receive votes in the latest AVCA/Taraflex Division I Coaches’ Poll for the fourth consecutive week.
• Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara both find themselves in the national Top 25 in various statistical categories, headlined by the Mustangs’ 0.294 hitting percentage, which ranks 12th in Division 1.
• Four student-athletes dot the listings with UC Santa Barbara’s Layanna Green (0.416 - 22nd) and Ally Chandler of UC Davis (0.413 - 25th) both swinging at an effective clip.
Conference-Opening Statements
Cal Poly (11-3, 2-0 BW)
The Mustangs swept through CSUN and Cal State Bakersfield to open league play with sophomore Kendall Beshear averaging 3.83 kills per set on .422 hitting to lead Cal Poly’s offense in both matches. Libero Elif Hurriyet recorded a pair of double-digit dig outings highlighted by 15 against the Matadors with Emme Bullis quarterbacking the team with 10.17 assists per set on the weekend with a team-high 10 digs against the Roadrunners.
UC Santa Barbara (10-4, 2-0 BW)
The Gauchos, receiving votes in the AVCA poll for the fourth straight week, notched a sweep over Cal State Bakersfield and a win against CSUN in Santa Barbara. Big West Freshman of the Week Gabi Martinez stepped up to lead the UCSB offense with 19 kills and seven digs against the Matadors. Defensive specialist Cortni Youngblood finished with 17 digs and nine assists in the match against CSUN
Long Beach State (9-4, 2-0 BW)
The Beach enjoyed a pair of sweeps at UC Irvine and against Cal State Fullerton with redshirt freshman Logan King recording double-digit kills efforts in both matches to average 3.67 kills and 2.83 digs per set with six total blocks on the weekend. Back-to-back Big West Setter of the Week Madi Maxwell dished out 11.17 assists per set while adding 2.17 digs per set with three aces. NIeko Thomas was a presence at the net, highlighted by six blocks and seven kills in the Black-Blue Rivalry win.
UC Davis (6-4, 2-0 BW)
Jade Light was an offensive catalyst for the Aggies with the road sweep of UC Riverside and win at Hawai’i to open Big West play with double-digit kill outings in both matches.Redshirt freshman Brooke Hibino shone bright in UC Davis’s second-ever win on the islands with a career-high 15 kills to lead all players. Big West Defensvie Player of the Week Ximena Cordero Barr anchored the back row with 4.86 digs per set including a season-best 18 in the three-set match against the Highanders.
Split ‘Em Up
• Three teams saw a 1-1 record on the weekend: Cal State Fullerton, Hawai’i and UC San Diego.
• The Titans’ win came in three on the road at UCSD, with freshman outside hitter Lira Pukl Verdel powering down 11 kills with two blocks and an ace to lead the charge with Kahea Carvalho assisting on 34 scoring plays with four kills of her own..
• Hawai’i outlasted UC Riverside in five to open the conference slate on Friday. Sophomore Miliana Sylvester finished the match with 13 kills on .500 hitting and four blocks as Victoria Leyva scooped up a career-high 29 digs in the match. Adrianna Arquette posted UH’s first triple-double since 2018 with 11 kills on .391 hitting, 41 assists and 15 digs.
• UC San Diego’s victorious effort came at UC Irvine as the Tritons downed the Anteaters. Big West Offensive Player of the Week Maria Fernanda Afonso recorded 16 kills, eight digs and three blocks with Mika Rome tallying 36 assists and 15 digs in the four-setter.
Additional Standouts
• UC Riverside senior Makena Tong surpassed the 1,000 career assist mark, with the milestone coming at Hawai’i. Despite a 3-2 loss to the ’Bows, the set win at the Stan was their first since 2015.
• UC Irvine freshman Abby Pekrul had a career weekend with seven block assists with four kills in the four-set loss to the Tritons.
The Hawaiian Islands presents the 2025 Outrigger Big West Women's Volleyball Championship
All-session tickets are available now to watch some of the premier teams in the West compete for the league's automatic berth into the 2025 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball National Championship field. Make plans to join us at Walter Pyramid from Nov. 26-29 in Long Beach, and secure your seats today >>>
POWERful
The Big West notched Power-4 wins over multiple foes this non-conference, including two over California (ACC) with Cal Poly and UC Davis taking down the Bears. UC Santa Barbara downed Kansas State from the Big 12 as the Mustangs swept through No. 20 Utah Big West teams also took two from the SEC with Cal Poly defeating Arkansas on the road and UC Santa Barbara taking care of Vanderbilt.
Non-Conference Kudos
The Big West finished non-conference action with an overall mark of 58-64 (.475) with five teams at or above .500 heading into league action. Of the 23 conferences played, The Big West sports even or winning records against 10 conferences, including the SEC (2-2), WCC (13-10) and Big Sky (11-8).
Mark Your Calendars
The Big West women’s volleyball season continues with the unbalanced schedule of 18 matches to accommodate The Big West Championship. This fall, all 11 matchups in Week 5 between Tuesday-Saturday, Oct. 21-24, will mark the lone meetings of the season between those squads. Each team will play once at home and once on the road during that single-meeting week.
Watch Us Work - Beach vs. 'Bows on ESPNU
For the second straight season, the match between historical powers Hawai’i and Long Beach State will be broadcast to a national television audience. The match will see a 6 o’clock first serve from Walter Pyramid on Friday, Oct. 15, with the game airing on ESPNU. Read more >>>
Welcome to The Big West
Three new head coaches to the league will be patrolling The Big West sidelines. Branden Higa comes to UC Riverside from crosstown rival and future Big West opponent California Baptist. A rebuilding Cal State Bakersfield side will feature co-interim head coaches in Felipe Nogueira and Cinthia Angus, both members of the Roadrunners’ 2024 staff. A new, but familiar, face will also be at the helm for Cal State Fullerton as program alumna and former assistant coach Nicky Cannon returns to the Titans.
Preseason Prognostications
The top two teams from a season ago are set atop the 2025 Big West Women’s Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ Poll with a razor thin margin separating defending Championship victor Hawai’i and 2024 regular-season champion Cal Poly.
UH was picked to win the crown in their final season of full Big West membership, accumulating 94 total points and five first-place picks in a vote by the league’s 11 head coaches. Just two points behind and also garnering five first-place nods is Cal Poly at 92 total points, setting up the potential for another battle between the Mustangs and the Rainbow Wahine for The Big West’s automatic berth into the NCAA Championship field.
The two teams have separated themselves from the next grouping in the standings by nearly 20 points and combine to see three players on the seven-person Big West Preseason Coaches’ Team in Emme Bullis, Chloe Leluge and Bri Gunderson. Read more >>>
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