Volleyball Looks to Continue Hot Streak

Thursday, October 23

Greeley, Colo.

7 pm

University of Northern Colorado

Southern Utah

10/21/2014 2:23:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

The Bears continue their home stand hosting Southern Utah and Northern Arizona

By: Ryan Pfeifer, UNCBears.com

Northern Colorado Volleyball continues their home stand with Southern Utah and North Dakota visiting.

Northern Colorado Notes | Big Sky | Southern Utah | Northern Arizona

Match 21
Who: Southern Utah 11-7, 4-4 Big Sky
When: Thursday, October 23 at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Greeley; Colo.; Butler-Hancock
All-Time Series: Northern Colorado 11-0 (Last, November 21, 2013 UNC 3-0)
* Faculty and Staff Appriciation Night

Match 22
Who: Northern Arizona 15-4, 6-2 Big Sky
When: Saturday, October 25 at 7:00 p.m.
Where Greeley, Colo.; Butler-Hancok
All-Time Series: Northern Colorado 13-6 (Last, Novemeber 23, 2013 UNC 3-2)
*Halloween Night, wear your costume

Recaping Last Week
* The Bears swept the weekend defeating Sacramento State and North Dakota 3-0
* In both matches UNC held their opponents under .150
* Ashley Guthrie earned Big Sky Player of the week honors for her performance over the weekend.
* The Bears had a solid weekend in service recieve commiting only two errors
* Meagan Garcia recorded her tenth consecutive match with double-digit digs.

Previewing Southern Utah
* Southern Utah currently sits at .500 in Big Sky play, and tied for third in the south division
* The Thunderbirds are in the top 40 in the nation in both aces per set (1.53) and opponent hitting percentage (.155)
* SUU was picked to finish 12th in the Big Sky Preseason Show.

Previewing Northern Arizona
* Northern Arizona went 1-1 last weekend defeating Weber State and falling to Idaho State, they are currently in second place in the south division.
* NAU ranks first in the Big Sky in assists per set (12.65), blocks per set (2.74), hitting percentage (.264) and opponent hitting percentage (.150).
* The Lumberjacks were picked tied for first to win the Big Sky in the perseason poll.

A Bear to Deal With
* Northern Colorado returns their top three kills leaders from last year in outside hitter Kendra Cunningham (359), middle blocker Brianna Strong (329), and middle blocker Andrea Spaustat (310).
* So far in the 2014 season Strong (162), Spaustat (198), and Cunningham (238) have accounted for 58.1% of the teams kills.

No Sophomore Setting Slump
* Sophomore setter Ashley Guthrie returns after a steller freshman year, shooting into the Northern Colorado Division I record books currently sitting 4th all time in sets with 2035 assists.
* There has been no sign of a sophomore slump for Guthrie first on the team in hitting at .343, along with her 762 total assits, and 102 kills, and 17 service aces.
* It is not just her offense, but defense that has helped her this season with 44 blocks, most coming at pivitoal moments of matches, and 128 digs.
* Guthrie became the ninth player in Northern Colorado history to join the 2,000 assist club on October 18 against North Dakota

Freshman Trio
* The freshman trio of Alex Klohn, Kim Weissmann, and Timarie Nymyer have quickly found roles on the team.
* The trio has helped bring balance to the Bears offense, to go along with Cunningham, Spaustat, and Strong.
* Klohn has earned the start in seven matches this year leading the way with her blocking ability, 34 total on the year, including seven of them coming in her first ever match against Eastern Illinois. She is tied for the team lead in solo blocks at 4 with Andrea Spaustat.
* Weissmann started off coming off the bench due to her excellent serving, 8 aces on the year,and soon found a perminent spot in the rotation after her seven kill preformance against Wisconsin. Her career high in kills is 15 vs Idaho.
* Nymyer has worked her way into the starting line-up with her offensive ability, recording her first career kill against Colorado State. She earned her first careeer start against Long Beach State, and has reset her career record in kills the past five matches; it now sits at 19. She was the first of two Bears to hit above .700 in a match this year, doing it against Eastern Washington. (.720).

Records Breakers
* Andrea Spaustat took over the school's Division I record in total blocks, passing Lizzy Rhoads with 349, she now sits at 381. She also now sits 4th all-time in the school's Divsion I solo blocks at 36.
* Spaustat also moved up to 3rd in the school's Division I record book for kills passing Ashley Lichenberg. She also is second in service aces and points.
* Setter Ashley Guthrie passed Linnea Killsgaard for fourth all time in Northern Colorado's Division I history.
* Brianna Strong passed Kelley Arnold in both block assists and total blocks, now sitting 5th overall in both catagories

Records Watch
* Andrea Spaustat has two records in her sight in career aces and solo blocks. She is four aces away from Daniel Angus 95 aces. Kelly Arnold's 37 career solo blocks is in Spaustats sight, for 3rd all-time.
* Brianna Strong currently stands tied for first overall in the schools Division I history for solo blocks with Lizzy Rhoads with 44.

Getting Offensive
* The Bears are second the Big Sky in kills per set at 13.36 overall, and second in the conference for conference matches at 14.35
* Ashley Guthrie is leading all sophomores in the conference with a .343 hitting percentage.
* Northern Colorado had two players hit above .700 in two straight matches, first Timarie Neymyer (.720) against Eastern Washington and then Andrea Spaustat (.733) against Montana State

A Look Ahead
* Northern Colorado returns to the road next weekend facing off against Portland State and a rematch agaisnt rival North Dakota
* PSU makes the Montana trips this weekend, while North Dakota also faces Northern Arizona and Southern Utah.