(MATCH NOTES - PDF)

OPENING SERVE: Winners of five of its last six overall, Dixie State (13-6/8-3 RMAC) opens a crucial four-match RMAC homestand this weekend with a pair of Homecoming matches inside the DSU SAC. The Trailblazers open the weekend against Western Colorado (8-11/4-7 RMAC) on Friday night, before hosting Colorado Mesa Saturday evening. Both matches are slated to start at 6 p.m. Live stats and streaming video links for both matches can be found HERE.

DIXIE STATE VS. THIS WEEK'S OPPONENTS: Dixie State owns a 6-1 series edge over Western Colorado and has won six-straight in the series overall, including a hard fought five-set win last month in Gunnison (9/27), and a sweep of two matches last season in RMAC play (3-1 at DSU, 3-0 at WCU).
    Dixie State is 4-4 all-time vs. CMU, though DSU has dropped three of its last five in the series overall, including a straight-set loss last month in Grand Junction (9/28). The Trailblazers swept both regular season meetings against CMU (3-1 at DSU, 3-1 at CMU), however the Mavericks exacted a little revenge on Dixie State as they eliminated the Blazers from both the RMAC Tournament in the semifinal round (3-1, 11/9/18) and from the NCAA Division II Tournament South Central Region first round (3-0, 11/15/18).

COACHING STAFF: 2018 RMAC Co-Head Coach of the Year Robyn Felder (Eastern Washington, 2002; 130-82 overall record) is in her eighth season at the helm of the Dixie State women's volleyball program. Last season, Felder led the Trailblazers to a NCAA era school-record tying 22 wins (22-6) and to a share of the RMAC regular season title (16-2) in the program's debut season in the league.
    A two-time Pacific West Conference Coach of the Year (2013/2015) honoree, Felder led the Trailblazers to their first-ever Pacific West Conference title and the program's third-straight NCAA West Regional appearance in 2015. The season before that, she led DSU to its most successful season in the program's Division II era as the Trailblazers played to a 22-9 overall record, which marked the first time Dixie State had reached the 20-win plateau in the program's NCAA-era. That season also saw her squad reach the 2014 NCAA West Regional final (Sweet 16).
    Felder is joined on the DSU sideline by third-year assistant coaches David Richards (BYU, 1983) and former DSU standout Makenzi Murphey (Dixie State, 2018). In addition, Whitnee Tupe (fifth season, Dixie State, 2007) returns to Felder's staff after a three-year stint as an assistant at Snow College, and Camilla Hafoka (Oregon State, 2010) is in her first season on the Trailblazers' staff.

WEEK IN REVIEW: Dixie State came away a split of two matches on a long RMAC road trip last weekend. The Trailblazers began the trip on a sour note as they dropped a four-set result at MSU Denver last Friday night in a match that featured two of the top-three teams in the conference. DSU then made the long trek to Nebraska to face Chadron State this past Saturday night, and after losing the first set, the Blazers claimed the next three frames to clinch the road split.

THINGS TIGHTENING UP IN RMAC RACE: Dixie State enters this weekend in a three-way tie for third place in the RMAC standings at 8-3 with CMU and Colorado School of Mines. League leading No. 12 Regis is two games ahead of DSU in the standings at 10-1, followed by MSUD in second place at 9-1 with four weeks left in the 2019 regular season.
    The top-eight teams advance on to the 2019 RMAC Tournament, which begins with quarterfinal action at the home sites of the top-four seeds on Tuesday, Nov. 19. The semifinals and championship match will be held at the top-remaining seed on Nov. 22-23, with the winner earning the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA South Central Regionals.

LAST SEASON IN THE RMAC: After joining the RMAC in 2018, the 2019 season will mark the second and final season the Trailblazers will be a competing member of the conference. In 2020, Dixie State will begin its transition to NCAA Division I status and will become a new member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).

MESSING AROUND AND GETTING TRIPLE-DOUBLES: Junior RS/S Megan Treanor came within one kill of posting her third triple-double of the season in last Saturday's win at Chadron, finishing with nine kills, 17 assists and 11 digs. The junior also tallied a team-high five total blocks (1 solo) for good measure.
    Treanor was named RMAC Offensive Player of the Week (10/14) after the Blazers' home sweep UCCS (10/11) and Mines (10/12) after she averaged a triple-double in the two wins. She began the weekend with a match-high 13 kills, 17 assists, nine digs and five total blocks in the four-set win vs. UCCS, then recorded her second career triple-double with a co-team high 17 kills, 17 assists and a career-best 13 digs in the five-set win over Mines.
    Treanor posted DSU's first triple-double in the program's NCAA era earlier this year in a four-set win vs. Southwestern Oklahoma State (14K/18A/11D) back on Sept. 13. In addition, Treanor has recorded 20 double-doubles in 41 career matches at DSU.

I'LL TAKE GAMMELL FOR THE BLOCK: Senior RS/MB Lauren Gammell continues to be a dominant stalwart defensively for the Trailblazers as she has averaged nearly 6.0 total blocks over her last seven matches, highlighted by a DSU NCAA-era single match record tying 11 total blocks (3 solo) in DSU's four-set win at Fort Lewis (10/5).
    Her 11 total blocks also marked the fourth time in her storied career that the senior registered 11 total blocks in a match overall. Gammell also combined for nine total blocks (2 solo) in DSU's road split last weekend.
     While she's been on fire defensively, Gammell has also been a force on the offensive side, averaging 7.6 kills over a nine-match span, including a season-high 15 kills at Western Colorado (9/27), and 12 kills in the Chadron win last Saturday.
    Gammell is currently second the RMAC and is t-16th-nationally in NCAA Division II in blocks per set (1.27 bps), and she is second in the conference (t-25th in NCAA D-II) in total blocks (88). Gammell, who is DSU's career leader in total blocks (376) and block assists (341), and is third all-time in solo blocks (35), became the first player in program history to reach the 300-career block plateau, doing so in the UT-Permian Basin win (9/12), and she needs 24 more blocks for 400 for her four-year career.

TEAM NOTES: Senior MB/OH To'a Faleao has been solid since the start of RMAC play as she has averaged 11.6 kills with 10.3 digs, 1.8 aces and 2.3 blocks through 11 league matches ... the senior has tallied at least seven kills in all 11 conference matches, highlighted by career-high 18 kills in the home win over SD Mines (9/21), and a co-team high 17 kills in the Mines win (10/12) ... Faleao is averaging a team-high 3.14 kps this season, which ranks her fifth in the RMAC and seventh currently on DSU's single-season list ... Faleao also tied a career-high with four aces at Chadron State last Saturday and is fourth in the RMAC in total aces (28).
    Junior setter Jordyn Nelson (1,595) needs only five more assists to become the fourth player in program history to reach the 1,600 assist plateau ... Nelson tallied a career-high 50 assists in the WCU win (9/27), and was credited with a career-best five kills in the FLC (10/5) ... the junior has posted double-doubles (assists/digs) in five of her last seven outings overall, and she is two digs away from moving past former DSU libero Alex Shearer (572; 2008-11) into sixth place on DSU's career digs list (571).
    Freshman libero Mykenna Nelson has led the Trailblazer defense in digs in 17 of 19 matches this season, including a career-high 27 digs vs. UCCS (10/11) ... she also posted career highs of eight assists and three aces in the Westminster win (10/8) ... the freshman is currently fourth in the RMAC in digs/set at 4.79 dps (#7 on DSU's season list) ... sophomore Miranda Ekblad has put up some career numbers of her own this month as she threw down a then-career eight kills vs. Westminster (10/8), posted career highs in aces (4) and digs (6) in the Fort Lewis win (10/5), and collected a career-high five assists at Adams State (10/4) ... then in the UCCS win (10/11), the sophomore hit a career-best .818 with career-highs of nine kills (0 E/11 A) and five block assists.
    Junior OH Sai Collins has averaged 3.4 blocks (31 total blocks, 5 solo) over her last nine matches, highlighted by a career-high eight total blocks (3 solo) with 14 kills in the win at WCU (9/27), and a six-block, nine-kill effort at Fort Lewis (10/5) ...  junior OH Sydney Johnson led DSU with career-highs of 18 kills and four total blocks at Adams State (10/4) ... freshman OH Chayse Daugherty came off the bench and threw down a match and career-high 14 kills in the Fort Lewis win (10/5), while fellow freshman Siara Roberts tallied a career-best seven assists vs. Westminster (10/8).   
    As a team DSU is hitting .205, while Trailblazer opponents are hitting at a .148 clip (#2 in the RMAC, 46th-nationally) through 19 matches this season ... DSU is averaging 12.80 kills, 16.33 digs and 2.46 blocks per set (#1 in RMAC, 10th-nationally) ... Dixie State hit a combined .321 vs. BHSU/SDM, highlighted by a season-high .347 vs. SD Mines (9/21) ... meanwhile, the DSU defense limited both opponents to a combined .045 H%, including a season-low -.050 clip in the BHSU sweep (9/20), which marked the second time this season DSU had held an opponent to a negative H% (-.010 vs. Pittsburg State, 9/13), this after not achieving that feat in nearly two seasons (-.023 vs. Holy Names; 10/13/17) ... DSU also held Chadron State to a .091 H% last Saturday.
    Dixie State collected a season-high 101 digs in the five-set win at Western Colorado (10/4), which marked just the 10th time in program history that the Blazers reached triple figures in digs in the program's NCAA era ... DSU's 101 digs were the most in a match since DSU tallied a school-record 130 digs in a five-set home win over Dominican nearly six years to the day (9/30/13) during the 2013 season.
    Speaking of digs, five Trailblazers tallied double figures in digs in the Mines win last Saturday, led by Mykenna Nelson with 20 and Treanor had 13 as part of her triple-double ... additionally, Faleao picked up 12 digs and Jordyn Nelson and sophomore Rebekah Farris (career-high) collected 11 digs apiece ... DSU also had four players reach double figures in digs last Saturday at Chadron.

UP NEXT: Dixie State wraps up its final homestand of the 2019 regular season next weekend with matches against New Mexico Highlands on Friday, Nov. 1, followed by a match vs. CSU-Pueblo on Senior Night Saturday, Nov. 2. Both matches are slated to start at 6 p.m., inside the DSU SAC.