University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Thursday, November 18
Ogden, Utah
University of Northern Colorado
vs
Eastern Washington
Bears begin Big Sky Tournament campaign with Eastern Washington
11/17/2021 8:59:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado Volleyball captured its fourth Big Sky regular-season championship following two wins last week. Now their quest for a fifth NCAA Tournament appearance begins Thursday as the Bears take on Eastern Washington in round one.
Who: vs Eastern Washington (11-13, 7-9)
When: Nov. 18 at 1 p.m. MT
Where: Ogden, Utah
How To Follow: LIVE STREAM | LIVE STATS | UNCBearsVB
Quick Sets
Rachel Hickman, Lauren Strain and Kailey Jo Ince were all named to the All-Big Sky First Team on Tuesday. Each has already picked up a conference Offensive Player of the Week award earlier in the season. It was the second all-conference honor for Hickman and Ince, and the first for Strain.
Head coach Lyndsey Oates' offense remains one of, if not the most efficient in the Big Sky Conference. The Bears rank No. 1 in assists per set (12.17), hitting percentage (.229), kills per set (13.35) and team kills (1,335).
Defensively, UNC's back row shouldn't be looked over either. Northern Colorado is second in the conference in opponent hitting percentage at .179. Laura Katarzynski and Kyndall Feather have led a defensive effort that's collected more than 1,400 digs as a team this season.
Feather and Katarzynski are also racing for the Division I leader in career aces. Both have already surpassed Taylor Muff's mark of 114. Katarzynski enters the tournament with 132 while Feather is nipping at her heels with 128.
It's the second time in as many seasons the Bears face an opponent in the first round of the Big Sky Tournament they played in the final week of the regular season. Last season, UNC matched up against Idaho three straight times before advancing to the semifinals.
Last time out
A three-set sweep over Eastern Washington and a four-set win over Idaho secured Northern Colorado's fourth Big Sky regular-season title since joining the conference in 2006.
Scouting Eastern Washington
It wasn't even a week ago when the Bears and Eagles went toe-to-toe in Cheney. UNC dialed up its best hitting percentage of the season (.395) to secure the three-set sweep.
Head coach Leslie Flores-Cloud's squad is still one of the best serving teams in the conference. At 1.8 aces per set, the Eagles rank No. 2 in the Big Sky and No. 28 in the nation.
EWU is led by Ashlyn Blotzer. The All-Big Sky Second Team Honoree is hitting .322 this season, the second-highest percentage amongst all hitters in the conference.
Looking Ahead
Should the Bears prevail, UNC will face the winner of Portland State and Sacramento State on Friday, November 19 at 4 p.m. MT.
To stay up to date on all things UNC volleyball, visit UNCBears.com and follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Who: vs Eastern Washington (11-13, 7-9)
When: Nov. 18 at 1 p.m. MT
Where: Ogden, Utah
How To Follow: LIVE STREAM | LIVE STATS | UNCBearsVB
Quick Sets
Rachel Hickman, Lauren Strain and Kailey Jo Ince were all named to the All-Big Sky First Team on Tuesday. Each has already picked up a conference Offensive Player of the Week award earlier in the season. It was the second all-conference honor for Hickman and Ince, and the first for Strain.
Head coach Lyndsey Oates' offense remains one of, if not the most efficient in the Big Sky Conference. The Bears rank No. 1 in assists per set (12.17), hitting percentage (.229), kills per set (13.35) and team kills (1,335).
Defensively, UNC's back row shouldn't be looked over either. Northern Colorado is second in the conference in opponent hitting percentage at .179. Laura Katarzynski and Kyndall Feather have led a defensive effort that's collected more than 1,400 digs as a team this season.
Feather and Katarzynski are also racing for the Division I leader in career aces. Both have already surpassed Taylor Muff's mark of 114. Katarzynski enters the tournament with 132 while Feather is nipping at her heels with 128.
It's the second time in as many seasons the Bears face an opponent in the first round of the Big Sky Tournament they played in the final week of the regular season. Last season, UNC matched up against Idaho three straight times before advancing to the semifinals.
Last time out
A three-set sweep over Eastern Washington and a four-set win over Idaho secured Northern Colorado's fourth Big Sky regular-season title since joining the conference in 2006.
Scouting Eastern Washington
It wasn't even a week ago when the Bears and Eagles went toe-to-toe in Cheney. UNC dialed up its best hitting percentage of the season (.395) to secure the three-set sweep.
Head coach Leslie Flores-Cloud's squad is still one of the best serving teams in the conference. At 1.8 aces per set, the Eagles rank No. 2 in the Big Sky and No. 28 in the nation.
EWU is led by Ashlyn Blotzer. The All-Big Sky Second Team Honoree is hitting .322 this season, the second-highest percentage amongst all hitters in the conference.
Looking Ahead
Should the Bears prevail, UNC will face the winner of Portland State and Sacramento State on Friday, November 19 at 4 p.m. MT.
To stay up to date on all things UNC volleyball, visit UNCBears.com and follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
MB
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