This weekend, the Fresno State Bulldogs women’s volleyball team will finish its nonconference preseason games with a trip to Irvine to participate in the UC Irvine Invitational.
After finishing second in the Fresno State Classic, the Bulldogs seek to improve their gameplay against strong teams in American University (10-0), UC Irvine (7-3) and Xavier University (7-3).
“[The schedule] really challenges us,” said senior outside hitter Korrin Wild. “It brings out our weaknesses so we can sharpen those before we get into actual season and conference play.”
In the Mountain West Conference (MWC), the Bulldogs rank seventh in aces (1.22 per set) and eighth in kills (12.47 per set). Wild is third in the MWC in kills (3.69).
Last week, the Bulldogs changed up their play style. Coach Lauren Netherby-Sewell started junior Christina Lee at setter for the first time since 2011, and freshman Maggie Eppright was libero for all three games.
Lee’s 57 assists in the Bulldogs’ victory over Belmont were fourth-best in the MWC this season.
“[Lee’s] the definition of a utility player,” Wild said. “She went in there with confidence knowing that as long as we can pass for her, she’s going to throw the ball up and we’re going to take care of it.”
During this invitational, the Bulldogs will continue to focus on their serving, passing and communication.
“It was really enjoyable for the team to just play together and know that whatever six are out there, we’re all going to have the same mindset,” Wild said.
“We’re Bulldogs. We have that fighting spirit we always talk about.”
American University Eagles
The Eagles are starting the season undefeated. Nine of their 10 victories were sweeps, and their other victory was a 3-1 win over Manhattan. In 2012, they went 21-10 en route to the Patriot League Tournament, but lost to Colgate.
“[The Eagles] have some really good European players, and they win their conference just about every year,” Netherby-Sewell said. “Certainly, we’re going to have our work cut out for us there.”
American is boasting 11 returners to its squad. Three of those are in the top 10 of the Patriot League in hitting percentage. Junior middle blocker Kelly McCaddin is first on that list (.480).
Setter Monika Smidova leads the conference with 11.28 assists per game. The Czech native’s 0.52 aces per set are 21st in the nation.
UC Irvine Anteaters
The Anteaters, picked to finish fifth in the Big West Conference, began the season with a 5-game winning streak. Despite going 2-4 in their past six games, Netherby-Sewell says they should not be counted out.
“We saw UC Irvine in the spring, so we know them a little better,” she said. “But they’re big, they’re physical and they’re well-coached.”
Coach Paula Weishoff, who is in her fifth year, leads the Anteaters. She is 58-74 overall at Irvine.
Xavier University Musketeers
Xavier finished 21-11 last year and was a finalist in the A-10 Championship. Coach Mike Johnson is in his fourth season with the program and has a 61-31 overall record in his first three.
The Musketeers rank seventh in the country in assists (13.8), with junior setter Aubree Smith ranking 16th in the nation with 11.4 assists per game.
Offensively, Xavier ranks 14th in the country in kills per set (14.7). Freshman outside hitter Abbey Bessler’s 3.49 kills per set leads the Musketeers and is 121st in the nation. Sisters Alex and Aubree Smith’s hitting percentage are also nationally ranked. Alex is 31st with .416, and Aubree is 118th with .352.