Match notes: Rams take title hopes to Wyoming

Nov. 16, 2010

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Rams take title hopes to Wyoming
The 15th-ranked Colorado State volleyball team closes a series of three straight road matches Thursday, traveling to Laramie, Wyo., for the second half of the annual Border War against rival Wyoming.

The Rams and Cowgirls are scheduled to square off beginning at 5 p.m. MT from the UniWyo Sports Complex. 

Colorado State enters action this weekend with an overall record of 23-3 (12-1 MWC), and needs just one victory to clinch at least a share of the Mountain West Conference title, having built a two-match lead over second-place  New Mexico in the MWC standings with three matches left in the regular season.  

Rams on the radio
All home matches and the road contests at Wyoming (Nov. 18), will be broadcast live in the Fort Collins area on KCSU 90.5 FM.  Andy Boshoven (play-by-play) and Brandon Grose (color) will call all the action from courtside.  Fans outside the normal listening area can access streaming audio for broadcast matches via the Rams All-Access service on CSURams.com. 

Follow the Rams online
Colorado State offers fans and media several options for following the CSU volleyball team.  In addition to CSURams.com, which is updated daily with all the latest news on CSU athletics, fans can also log onto RamVolleyball.colostate.edu for an inside look into all things Rams Volleyball.  In addition, CSU volleyball, and Head Coach Tom Hilbert are both on Twitter at twitter.com/CSUVolleyball and twitter.com/Coach Hilbert.  Rams volleyball is also on facebook (search: Colorado State University Volleyball), giving fans unprecedented access to CSU volleyball.     

About Wyoming
The Cowgirls enter Thursday’s contest fourth in the Mountain West Conference standings with an overall record of 22-7 and a 7-6 mark in league play. The team had won three straight contests - vs. Air Force (W, 3-0), vs. UNLV (W, 3-1) and at TCU (W, 3-1) - before being swept at New Mexico in its last outing.  

Wyoming is led by sophomore outside hitter Jodi Purdy, who ranks sixth, just behind CSU’s Danielle Minch, in the MWC, averaging 3.30 kills per set.  She ranks second in the conference in aces per set (0.39).  Senior middle blocker JennaRae Jester also ranks among the MWC leaders in hitting percentage (10th, .277), aces (eighth, 0.28), and blocks (second, 1.37).

Head coach Carrie Yerty is 40-45 in her third season at the helm of the Wyoming program. 

In the teams’ first meeting of the season, senior outside hitters Danielle Minch and Jacque Davisson each recorded 12 kills to lead the Rams to the 3-0 victory.

Colorado State holds the all-time series advantage, 49-18, including 25 consecutive victories. 

20 wins for the Rams
The Rams’ sweep of San Diego State on Oct. 30 marked the team’s 20th victory of the season. Colorado State has recorded at least 20 wins in 16 consecutive seasons, and has made the NCAA tournament field in each of the previous 15 years.

Rams vs. the MWC
Since the formation of the Mountain West Conference in 1999, the Colorado State volleyball team has proven to be the most successful program in the league.  The Rams have compiled a record of 152-25 (.859) in Mountain West Conference matches, including an impressive 82-6 (.932) mark at Moby Arena vs. the MWC, and a 70-19 (.787) record on the road in league action.  The team has averaged nearly 13 conference victories per season, and closed the 2009 season with 14 more victories than the next closest program, Utah (126-38). 

Poll position
The Colorado State volleyball team opened the 2010 season ranked No. 17 nationally in the AVCA coaches top 25 preseason poll released Aug. 17.  It marked the third consecutive season that Colorado State has appeared in the preseason top 25.  Following opening-weekend victories over Duke and Furman, the Rams jumped to No. 15 in the Week 1 poll released Aug. 30.  The Rams improved to No. 14 in the Week 3 poll, after a 3-0 showing at the Rams Volleyball Classic, Sept. 10-11.  Following early November wins over Air Force and UNLV the Rams peaked at No. 13.  The Rams enter action this week 15th in the poll.  The team has now been ranked for 17 consecutive weeks, after cracking the top 25 for the final three regular-season polls of 2009 and finishing No. 17 in the season-ending poll after a postseason trip to the NCAA regional semifinals last December. 

Up next
Colorado State closes the regular-season at home, hosting Utah (Nov. 24) and BYU (Nov. 26) for the final time as Mountain West Conference rivals. That week has been designated Fan Appreciation Week at Moby Arena.  CSU will also honor the careers of four players - Jacque Davisson, Audrey Hemmings, Emily Koenning and Danielle Minch - with a special “Senior Day” ceremony prior to the start of BYU match.   

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