In Week Two Dawgs Meet MWC, SEC, Big 12 Foes

Friday, September 6

Boulder, CO

3:00 PM

University of Washington

Fresno State

September 03, 2024 | Volleyball

Weekly Notes PDF

By: UW Athletic Communications

THIS WEEK IN HUSKY VOLLEYBALL

Buffs Classic | Boulder, Colo. | CU Events Center

Friday, Sept. 6
Washington vs. Fresno State, 3pm PT | Live on ESPN+ | Live Stats

Saturday, Sept. 7
Washington vs. Georgia, 2pm PT | Live on ESPN+ | Live Stats

Sunday, Sept. 8
Washington at Colorado, 12:30pm PT | Live on ESPN+ | Live Stats

SEATTLE -- Washington looks to build on a successful opening weekend to the 2024 campaign with a three-match road trip to former conference rival Colorado. In Boulder this week the Huskies will get a trio of tests, starting with the Mountain West's Fresno State on Friday, Sept. 6, followed SEC foe Georgia on Saturday, Sept. 7, and ending with the host Buffs, now in the Big 12, on Sunday, Sept. 8.

Match times are 3 p.m. Pacific against the FSU Bulldogs, 2 p.m. Pacific against the UGA Bulldogs, and 12:30 p.m. Pacific against Colorado. All matches will be streamed on ESPN+

The Huskies are off to a 2-0 start after taking care of business in Bozeman last week, defeating Montana State and Middle Tennessee and winning six of seven sets. Five Huskies played their first matches as Dawgs last week, including transfers Kiune Fletcher and Zoria Heard, redshirt freshman Brooke Huard, and true freshmen Julia Hunt and Alexis Haury. Fletcher, Hunt, and Haury started both matches.

The Dawgs hit .241 as a team and held their opponents to just .137, with sizable advantages in kills and digs per set. UW averaged 14.00 kills per set compared to 10.29 for their opponents, and 14.71 digs per set compared to 10.43.

Haury and Molly Wilson split time at setter and ran a balanced week one offense as Madi Endsley and Kierstyn Barton both had 24 kills last week, and Fletcher had 21. Katy Wessels averaged an impressive 1.57 blocks per set and Lauren Bays had 3.43 digs per set. Six different Huskies had multiple service aces.

Fresno State had a 2-1 opening weekend, falling in its opener against Oregon State but then sweeping Montana and getting a five-set win over Grand Canyon. Senior Ella Rud, an All-Mountain West pick last year, did the lion's share of the attacking last week, averaging 4.58 kills per set including 23 against GCU. Kasey Purry averaged 1.25 blocks per set and Dionii Fraga averaged 4.50 digs per set.

Georgia opened the season ranked No. 25 nationally and went 2-1 last week, defeating UCSB in five sets, then sweeping South Florida before falling in four sets to 20^th-ranked Florida State, slipping to No. 26 in the poll this week. UGA made the NCAA tourney last year, falling in round one, and it was picked fourth in the SEC preseason poll this year. Georgia has the returning SEC Player of the Year in middle blocker Sophie Fischer, who was a Second Team All-American last year after averaging a whopping 4.13 kills per set out of the middle. Brianna Muoneke averaged 3.58 kills per set last week for Georgia and hit .363. Senior setter Clara Brower averaged 8.50 assists per set.

The host Buffaloes also went 2-1 in their opening week, beating North Texas and Rutgers and falling to Miami. Now back in the Big 12, Colorado was picked 10^th in the preseason coaches poll, and senior setter Taylor Simpson was named preseason All-Big 12 after she averaged 9.54 assists per set last year. In the first three matches, sophomore OH Ana Burilovic led CU with 3.73 kills per set, on a .319 attack percentage and sophomore middle Cayla Payne had 2.00 kills per set hitting .245. Junior Sarah Morton served up 9 aces in just 11 sets and had 3.18 digs per set. Washington and Colorado split their final two Pac-12 matches last year, each winning at home.