@UNCBearsVB Goes Pink, Hosts Thunderbirds and Lumberjacks

Northern Colorado volleyball will play two matches at home this week, hosting Southern Utah on Thursday night and Northern Arizona on Saturday night.

UNC returns to Bank of Colorado Arena this week after dropping both matches on the road this past week. Last Friday, the Bears were swept by Idaho State, ending the team's three-match winning streak. The following day, UNC played more aggressive against Weber State, but came up short in the fifth set against the Wildcats. Currently, UNC's sits at seventh in the conference with a 3-3 record, but has a 3-1 home record in conference and 6-4 overall at BOCA.

UNC's offense ranks first in the Big Sky for assists per set (12.89) and kills per set (13.55). The Bears also rank second in aces per set (1.45).

Taylor Muff scored a career-high 19 kills against Weber State last Saturday. Her previous mark was 17 kills against Northern Arizona in 2017. Muff is averaging a team-best 3.20 kills per set in conference play and is second overall this season with a 2.79 average. Muff is hitting .187 this season and .183 in Big Sky matches. At the service line, Muff ranks second in the conference with 0.44 aces per set and is sixth with 23 total aces this season.

Daisy Schultz tallied a season-high 56 assists against Weber State and currently leads the Big Sky with 11.16 assists per set. In conference play, Schultz has only excelled, averaging 12.10 assists per set.

The defense for UNC is also near the top of the conference, allowing opponents to hit 0.190 that ranks second in the conference. The Bears rank first in the conference with 16.21 digs per set.

Taylor Els is a major factor in the UNC's reception defense and ranks third in the Big Sky with 5.15 digs per set and has improved on her average in conference play, holding a 5.50 average in six matches. In the first set against Weber State, Els tallied her 1000 career kill, becoming the 24th player in UNC history to achieve the mark.

Scouting the Thunderbirds
The Thunderbirds have struggled this season, sitting with a 2-16 record and 1-5 in conference. Southern Utah lost both of its matches last week against Montana (2-3) and Montana State (1-3). The lone conference win for the Thunderbirds came in a road match against Portland State in four sets. Southern Utah dropped its most recent match against Northern Arizona, 3-1 on Monday. Janet Kalaniuvalu drives the offense for the Thunderbirds, recording 3.84 kills per set and hitting .182 on the season. Kalaniuvalu leads the Big Sky with 12.72 attacks per set. Anna Hopkins protects the net for Southern Utah, averaging 1.00 blocks per set. Hopkins has tallied two solo blocks and 46 block assists in 48 sets played.

Northern Colorado had only one match against Southern Utah in the 2017 season, topping the Thunderbirds 3-1 in Greeley on Senior night. Kortney Lockey was one of four Bears with double-digit kills and led UNC with 20, while also recording 18 digs.

Scouting the Lumberjacks
Northern Arizona arrives in Greeley with a 12-7 record and 4-2 in Big Sky matches. The Lumberjacks pulled off one of the upsets of the season after defeating No. 9 Florida, 3-2, in Flagstaff last month. NAU topped Southern Utah Monday night 3-1. Red-shirt Kaylie Jorgenson is the high scorer for the Lumberjacks, averaging 3.04 kills per set and hitting .210. Jorgenson is also on the second team with 3.95 digs per set. Jorgenson had a season-high 20 kills against Utah Valley. Northern Arizona leads the Big Sky conference in digs per set, with 18.00. Senior libero Jordan Anderson leads Northern Arizona with 4.64 digs per set, with a season-high against Utah Valley.

UNC opened its 2017 conference schedule against Northern Arizona, rallying from a 2-1 deficit to win the match in five sets. Kortney Lockey was the top scorer for the Bears with 22 kills and Taylor Muff recorder her previous season-best kill total with 17.

Power in Pink
Northern Colorado's match against Northern Arizona will be the team's Power in Pink match! Join the Bears in wearing pink and receive $5 tickets (plus fees) at the UNC Ticket Office the night of the match (walk-ups only).

Bears Volleyball will be sporting their pink jerseys all October for Breast Cancer Awareness!

Following the Bears
Northern Colorado will host Southern Utah on Thursday, October 11^th, at 7 p.m.(MT) and Northern Arizona on Saturday, October 13^th at 7 p.m. Tickets can purchased online by clicking here (plus fees). Both matches will be streamed on PlutoTV, channel 241 and the radio broadcast can be heard accessed through UNCBears.com. Live stats will also be available through UNCBears.com for both matches. Follow the action live on Twitter with @UNCBearsVB.

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Taylor Els

Kortney Lockey

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Daisy Schultz

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