CSU to close season against Wyoming, Iowa State

Nov. 23, 2015

Follow the Rams on social media: Twitter #PointRams | Facebook | Instagram

Quick Hits - Wyoming: Wyoming (23-6, 13-4 MW) enters the week on a seven-match win streak, having not lost since falling at Boise State in four sets on Oct. 24... The Cowgirls are firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble, currently ranked 48th in the RPI... Wyoming is 16-1 at home, with its only loss coming to Kansas on Sept. 11... Wyoming opened the year at home with a four-set victory over then-No. 14 Ohio State, and spent one week ranked 25th in the AVCA Coaches Poll.

Series History - CSU vs. Wyoming: CSU has won nine straight meetings with Wyoming, having not lost to the Cowgirls since a 2011 trip to Laramie... CSU is 60-19 all-time against Wyoming, and 26-11 in Laramie... CSU swept Wyoming on Oct. 13 at home.

Quick Hits - Iowa State: Iowa State (17-9, 10-5 Big 12) enters the week ranked 23rd in the NCAA RPI... The Cyclones have played four common opponents as CSU, holding a 3-1 win over Texas A&M, sweeps of Baylor and Northern Iowa and a pair of 3-0 defeats to Texas... Iowa State is 5-5 on the road in 2015.

Series History - CSU vs. Iowa State: CSU is 5-0-1 all-time against Iowa State... The two teams tied 1-1 in their first meeting back in 1978 in Manhattan, N.Y... The two programs most recently met back in 1993, with CSU sweeping Iowa State in Fort Collins... Iowa State has never hosted CSU, and the Rams have been the home team in each of the last four meetings (the first two matches in the series were both held at neutral sites).

RAMS LOOKING FOR PERFECTION TO END MOUNTAIN WEST SEASON
CSU is 17-0 entering the final match of the Mountain West season at Wyoming on Tuesday. The Rams have gone undefeated in Mountain West action once since joining the conference, going 14-0 in 2003 and advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. CSU clinched the 2015 Mountain West title outright with its four-set win at UNLV on Nov. 18, marking the seventh straight league title for the Rams, the longest such streak in the NCAA.

The Rams are also riding an 18-match win streak entering the week. CSU has not lost since falling at now-No. 19 Texas A&M in College Station, Texas, on Sept. 15 in five sets.

CSU is ranked 12th in the latest AVCA Division I Coaches Poll, 16th in the PrepVolleyball.com rankings and 31st in the RPI. CSU will play a total of seven teams currently ranked in the top 50 in the RPI, including No. 48 Wyoming and No. 23 Iowa State this week. CSU also swept Northern Iowa, currently ranked 52nd in the RPI, back on Aug. 29.

Sophomore middle blocker Alexandra Poletto starred last week for CSU, averaging 2.57 blocks per set across both CSU wins. Poletto tallied 12 blocks in CSU’s sweep of Fresno State, tying the school record for most blocks in a three-set match. For her efforts, Poletto was named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season on Monday.

MOUNTAIN WEST DOMINATION
CSU has won 59 of its last 61 Mountain West matches, and overall, the Rams have won more than 87 percent of their MW contests all-time (231-33, .875 winning percentage), far greater than any current or former opponent. CSU has also started league play with at least 10 wins three-straight years and six times since joining the Mountain West in 1999. The Rams have won their first 17 matches in Mountain West action this year, the second-longest stretch in school history (18-0 start in 2013). CSU, currently 17-0 in conference play, has run the table and gone undefeated once since joining the Mountain West, going 14-0 in 2003 and advancing to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.

20 ONCE AGAIN
With its four-set win at Air Force on Nov. 5, CSU reached the 20-win plateau for the 21st straight season, marking every year since 1995. Entering 2015, only Nebraska (39 entering 2014), Penn State (37), Florida (23) and Hawai’i (20) have longer streaks than CSU. In 18 complete seasons under Head Coach Tom Hilbert, CSU has averaged 25.67 wins per season.

RAMS NO. 12 IN AVCA DIVISION I COACHES POLL
The Rams checked in at No. 12 in the latest AVCA Division I Coaches Poll, and have now been ranked in 43 consecutive polls, the third-longest streak in program history. The Rams began the 2015 campaign ranked No. 12, and reached a season-best No. 9 national ranking after CSU closed the first week of the season with a 3-0 record. CSU has been ranked in 278 total polls, a figure which ranks 14th in the NCAA. CSU has been ranked in the top 10 for a total of 76 weeks in its history, which ranks 18th among all schools. CSU spent 12 weeks ranked in the top 10 last season, reaching No. 6 on Oct. 13 - the Rams’ highest national ranking since 2004.

STRONG IN LEAGUE PLAY
The CSU Rams are unbeaten to open Mountain West play in 2015, including 13 sweeps. Offensively, the Rams have been led by senior Alex Reid, who has averaged 3.48 kills per set on .271 hitting in Mountain West play. Junior Acacia Andrews has maintained her efficient offense, converting 2.39 kills per set on .406 hitting. Sophomore Jasmine Hanna has been earning more attack opportunities, resulting in 2.36 kills per set. Alexandra Poletto is also averaging 2.00-plus kills with 2.18 on .385 hitting. As a team, CSU has been hitting at a .298 rate while holding opponents to .114. All Rams averaging 1.30-plus kills per set in league play are hitting at least .210. On the defensive side, both Andrews and Poletto have been forces at the net, averaging 2.91 blocks per set combined, leading the Rams to 3.15 blocks per set as a squad. Jaime Colaizzi has provided 4.30 digs per set, while Reid, Adrianna Culbert and Cassidy Denny each have 2.00-plus digs per set in league action.

RIGHT SIDE OF HITTING PERCENTAGE
CSU is ranked 13th in hitting percentage (.276) and second in opponent hitting percentage (.130), making them one of just two teams (Hawaii) in the nation that are ranked in the top-15 in hitting percentage and top-five in defensive hitting percentage. In Mountain West Play, CSU is hitting .298 while holding its opponents to .114. The Rams have held 13 opponents to sub-.100 hitting, including 10 times in league play. CSU has prevented each of its last four opponents from eclipsing .100 hitting for a match, including holding two teams (New Mexico, Fresno State) to negative hitting percentages.

SPREAD OFFENSE
The Rams have been able to attack opposing defenses from multiple areas this season, and that’s due in large part to CSU spreading the attacking opportunities around. Five Rams are averaging 2.20-plus kills per set - Alex Reid, Adrianna Culbert, Alexandra Poletto, Acacia Andrews and Jasmine Hanna. All five of those players have also reached the 10-kill plateau at least once in a match this season. Freshman Julia Cubbedge almost reached that mark at Utah State on Oct. 24, recording nine kills. CSU’s setters, Culbert (5.81 assists per set) and Crystal Young (6.36) have combined to help CSU rank second in the Mountain West in team assists.

CULBERT MAKES HISTORY WITH QUADRUPLE-DOUBLE
Senior Adrianna Culbert, who has totaled seven triple-doubles this season, had a legendary performance at San Jose State on Oct. 17, posting the first quadruple-double in the NCAA in five years. Culbert had 10 kills, 20 assists, 13 digs and 11 blocks in the four-set win for the Rams, marking the first four-set quadruple-double in the NCAA since the 25-point rally-scoring format was instituted.

ADRIANNA “LeBRON” CULBERT
Adrianna Culbert has played at a very high level in 2015, and has tallied seven triple-doubles in the process, earning her the nickname “LeBron” after the otherworldly NBA player. Culbert had two triple-doubles in one week, accomplishing the feat versus Wyoming (10/13) and recording the first quadruple-double in the NCAA in five years at San Jose State (10/17). Culbert has posted triple-doubles in each match against Boise State this season, including her most-recent triple-double on Oct. 22. She also recorded 15 kills, 20 assists and 10 digs in a five-set loss at Texas A&M on Sept. 15. She posted 10 kills, 13 assists and 11 digs against Northern Colorado on Sept. 8. Culbert also recorded 10 kills, 20 assists and 12 digs against UC Davis on Aug. 29, giving CSU its first triple-double since Ashley Fornstrom accomplished the feat versus Utah on Oct. 20, 2007. Culbert became the 10th different CSU player to record a triple-double. What’s more, Culbert now has four three-set triple-doubles, becoming the first CSU player to have multiple three-set triple-doubles. There have only been five total three-set triple-doubles in school history, with Culbert owning four of them.

ANDREWS LEADING UP THE MIDDLE
Acacia Andrews leads the Mountain West and ranks 18th nationally in hitting percentage at .412. She also ranks 33th in blocks (1.31). A national ranking of 18th in hitting percentage would the second-best in CSU history. Andrews has hit at least .400 in 15 matches this season, including a season-best .800 (8-0-10) at Nevada on Oct. 1. In addition, only six CSU players have ever finished a season with a .400 or better hitting percentage (minimum 200 kills). Andrews had a career-high 18 kills in four sets at Air Force on Nov. 5. She also had a career-high 12 blocks to go along with 10 kills at San Jose State on Oct. 17, recording her first-ever double-double.

COLAIZZI CAN DIG IT
Jaime Colaizzi, who was named to the All-Mountain West Preseason team as its libero, has been one of the most productive defensive players in the history of the CSU volleyball program. Colaizzi is second in CSU history with 1,473 total digs, and ranks second in digs per set with 3.66 over her career. Colaizzi has led the Rams in digs each of the past two seasons, and could become the third Ram to lead the team in both digs and digs per set for three straight seasons (Katelin Batten, 2006-09 and Jill Johnson, 1988-90).

DOUBLE-DOUBLE DRI
Senior Adrianna Culbert has posted 15 double-doubles this season, which ties her for fifth all-time for single-season double-doubles. Culbert has 32 total in her career. Adrianna Culbert rattled off five-straight double-doubles between Aug 29-Sept. 8, tying the third-longest streak in CSU history. Her streak was the longest in program history since 2006, when Katherine Whitney had a seven-match double-double streak.

SUSTAINED SUCCESS
With 20-consecutive berths in the NCAA tournament, CSU has established a winning tradition matched by few programs across the country. However, CSU is currently experiencing one of its best periods, going 83-8 (.912) since the start of the 2013 season. The Rams went 59-5 (.923) between 2013-14. The .923 mark is the best two-year winning percentage in program history, eclipsing the team’s stretch between 1999-2000, when the team went a combined 62-8 (.886) and when to consecutive NCAA Sweet 16’s.

RAM FOR LIFE
The winningest coach in Colorado State athletics history will remain a Ram for life. Head Coach Tom Hilbert – who has led the CSU volleyball program since 1997 – signed a new contract in August, keeping him in Fort Collins through the 2018 season. His base salary of $200,000 puts him among the five highest-paid public-university coaches in the sport of volleyball.

“Colorado State has always answered the bell, and I really appreciate that,” Hilbert said. “I want to continue coaching here as long as they’ll have me. This really means that Colorado State is my final resting place.”

Hilbert also added that the stability will help in elevating the program to a new level.

“Our department is making a statement about how important volleyball is at Colorado State. This is a great program. Kids come here and they look around and they go, ‘Wow, volleyball matters at this school. Colorado State is someplace special.’ That is what you want to be able to sell. If you’re at Colorado State, that’s how you’re going to beat a bigger school on a recruit. We can show them that it’s better here from a support standpoint, because it is.”

NOTABLE STORYLINES
- Acacia Andrews - Raised in Norman, Okla., the same hometown as Head Coach Tom Hilbert; Hilbert and Andrews had the same violin teacher growing up.
- Sanja Cizmic – Born in Split, Croatia, but has also lived in Bulgaria; can speak five languages.
- Jaime Colaizzi - A product of nearby Windsor, Colo.; both her great grandfather and great-great grandfather attended CSU and competed athletically; her high school club coach was former Rams libero Katelin Batten.
- Brook Coulter - Now associate head coach for the Rams, she grew up in Fort Collins, Colo., watching Rams matches; has a three-ring binder full of CSU volleyball newspaper clippings she collected growing up.
- Adrianna Culbert - Originally recruited as a setter; transitioned to an attacker five matches into the 2012 season. Also played libero at a USA Volleyball camp in February 2015.
- Grace Gordon & Alex Reid - Both are 2012 graduates of Grandview High School in Aurora, Colo. Gordon played two seasons at UC-Colorado Springs before transferring to CSU prior to the 2014 season. Reid played three years at Long Beach State and joined the Rams in early 2015.

MOUNTAIN WEST NETWORK
Now in its third season, the Mountain West Network – which won a 2013 Emmy Award through the Heartland chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for its technical achievement – will again broadcast all home and conference road matches.

The MWN allows CSU volleyball fans to live stream every home match and all conference road matches from their computer, smart phone or handheld device. The service is free of charge, and for home contests, the stream is a high-quality broadcast featuring multiple camera angles and instant replay. Additionally, all MWN streams are immediately archived, and can be re-viewed online at any time. For all streams and video content, please visit www.CSURams.com/videos.

HILBERT’S HAPPY HOUR
For an even deeper look inside CSU volleyball, fans are encouraged to attend Hilbert’s Happy Hour, a weekly show at The Boot Grill from 5-6 each Tuesday. The hour-long get-together allows the veteran coach to review the week prior, preview the week ahead, answer questions and give a brief ‘chalk talk’ where he breaks down a certain aspect of the sport of volleyball to his fans. Each week, Hilbert also brings a player guest with him. The Boot is located at 130 W. Laurel St., Unit B. Food and drink specials will be available.

ROOT SPORTS COACHES SHOW
Head Coach Tom Hilbert will once again make weekly apperances during the season on ROOT Sports’ “Rams Report”, which will air at 6:30 p.m. MT every Thursday.

SOCIAL RAMS
Colorado State offers fans and media members several ways to follow the CSU volleyball team. In addition to CSURams.com, which is updated daily with all of the latest news on CSU athletics, fans can log onto www.RamVolleyball.colostate.edu for an inside look into all things Rams volleyball.

CSU has also expanded its volleyball coverage on social media. Like the team on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/CSUvolleyball) and follow the team on Twitter and Instagram (@CSUvolleyball) for daily photos, videos and breaking news. Fans can also get insight from Coach Hilbert by following him on Twitter (@CoachHilbert). Those tweeting are encouraged to use the hashtags #PointRams, in addition to CSURams and NCAAvb.

For live, in-game updates for all 16 of CSU’s Division I programs, follow @CSURamsGameday on Twitter. The account provides up-to-date scores and insight for CSU athletic events.

CSU at Wyoming - Live Stream

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results