OPENING SERVE: Dixie State (1-2/0-2 WAC), after dropping its first two conference games of the season against WAC favorite New Mexico State, begins their home slate with a matchup against University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Monday and Tuesday within the friendly confines of Burns Arena.

The Trailblazers returned home from their trip to Tucscon, Arizona where they suffered two defeats at the hand of the Aggies, both losses coming in 4 sets to the preseason WAC favorites and 2019 regular season and conference tournament champs.  Dixie State hopes to right the ship as it welcomes the Vaqueros to town for a pair of matches.

Monday and Tuesday's matchups are set to begin at 6 p.m. and 12 noon, respectively.  Live stats and video streaming information for the matches can be found at www.dixiestateathletics.com

KNOW YOUR FOE: UTRGV began the season with two non-conference defeats against UT San Antonio (3-2) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (3-0) and come into Monday's matchup with an 0-2 regular season record.   The Vaqueros were slated to begin conference play last week against Chicago State, but both matches were cancelled. 

UTRGV finished last season with a 14-17 overall record and a 8-8 mark in conference play.  Last season culminated with a three-set defeat to Utah Valley in the WAC tournament.  They are coached by Todd Lowery who is in his sixth season at the helm with an overall record of 86-73 during that time.

The Vaqueros consist of five seniors, four juniors, two sophomores, and two freshmen, including two preseason All-WAC Team members, Senior Libero Samaret Caraballo, and Junior Outside Hitter Sarah Cruz.  UTRGV was picked to finish 3 in the 2021 WAC Preseason Coaches Poll. 

COACHING STAFF: Head Coach Robyn Felder (Eastern Washington, 2002; 138-86 overall record) is in her ninth season at the helm of the Dixie State women's volleyball program. Last season, Felder led the Trailblazers to a 20-win season (20-8) and to a 3 seed in the 2019 RMAC conference tournament with a 14-4 conference record. 

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).  In Dixie State's first season as a full member in the RMAC, Felder lead her team to a NCAA era school-record tying 22 wins (22-6) and subsequently was named the 2018 RMAC Co-Head Coach of the Year.

Felder is joined on the DSU sideline by second-year assistant coaches Camilla Hafoka (Oregon State, 2010) and former DSU standout Makenzi Murphey (Dixie State, 2018). In addition, Whitnee Tupe (2nd season, Dixie State, 2007) returns to Felder's staff after a three-year stint as an assistant at Snow College, and Rick Reeve (BYU), is in his first season on the Trailblazers' staff.

WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Following Dixie State's three-set victory over Southern Utah University on Friday, Dixie State's Junior Outside Hitter Whittnee Nihipali earned the Western Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week.

Nihipali (6-2; Las Vegas, Nev., Shadow Ridge HS) dominated the match offensively for Dixie State averaging 4.00 kills per set on .500 hitting percentage, which ranked second in the WAC in both categories.  Nihipali finished with a double-double as she tallied 12 kills and 13 digs throughout the three-set match with an average 4.3 points per set in the win against the Thunderbirds.

LAST TIME OUT: After dropping game one of the two-game series Monday afternoon, Dixie State was unable to salvage a split against New Mexico State as the Trailblazers lost in four sets Tuesday.

Dixie State made improvements from Monday's showing in several areas namely hitting percentage, kills, and assists, but fell short where it mattered most winning just one set in a 3-1 loss.

The Trailblazers could never get their footing in set one as NM State came out firing on all cylinders en route to tallying 18 kills and a hitting percentage of .500. The Aggies led wire to wire including winning nine out of 13 points after Dixie State had cut into an early deficit to garner a 22-13 lead late in the set.  The Aggies would close the door in short order and win the opening frame 25-17.

Just as they did in Monday's matchup, Dixie State won set two, this time, in come-back fashion.  The Trailblazers rattled off six straight points in the middle of the set to take a 14-10 lead, but NM State came roaring back to take a 20-19 lead.  That's when DSU went on another 6-0 run to win the set 25-20.  Each point of the 6-0 run was fueled by the Trailblazers defense as it forced the Aggies into attack errors on each point.  In fact, Dixie State kept the Aggies in check by forcing them into a negative .067 hitting percentage and a match-high 9 errors.

Sets three and four were very similar for the Trailblazers.  Set three saw Dixie State hold a slim 13-12 lead half way through the session, but a quick Aggies 6-0 run forced a timeout.  The deficit proved too much to overcome, and NM State finished on top once again by a score of 25-17.  It was a similar tune in set four as Dixie State lead 16-15 before the Aggies slammed the door and won 10 of the next 13 rallies to claim a 25-19 set-four victory and a 3-1 match victory.

Dixie State finished the match with a .192 hitting percentage with a total of 36 kills, 12 of those came from Megan Treanor.  Treanor also recorded 17 assists to finish with her second double-double of the season.  Mykenna Nelson wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty as she grabbed 17 digs while Taela Laufiso served up 15 assists.

EXPANDING THE WAC: As it stands now, there are nine total teams the compete in volleyball within the Western Athletic conference.  Namely, New Mexico State, UT Rio Grande Valley, Grand Canyon, California Baptist, Tarleton State, Utah Valley, Seattle U and Chicago State.  The WAC, however, is expanding.  With an announcement in January 2021, five new schools will be joining the Western Athletic Conference as full members beginning as early as Fall 2021.  

Southern Utah University was named as one of the five schools making the transition alongside Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston State, and Stephen F. Austin.  SUU makes the transition to the WAC after being a member of the Big Sky Conference since 2012. 

The addition of the 5 new schools will create a 13-team conference as Chicago State will be leaving the conference.  This conference will then be divided into two divisions for all sports except for football, men's basketball, and women's basketball.  Dixie State will be in a division consisting of Southern Utah, Utah Valley, Grand Canyon, California Baptist, New Mexico State, and Seattle University.  The other division will be comprised of the Texas-based schools, including Tarleton State, UT Rio Grande Valley, Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston State, and Stephen F. Austin.

NEW HOME FLOOR: Beginning with the 2021 season, the Dixie State Volleyball Team will play all of its home matches inside the Burns Arena.  The Trailblazers have played the majority of their home matches in the Student Activity Center during their 14 years in Division II, while playing in the Burns Arena sparingly and primarily for tournaments.

The Burns Arena has served as the primary home venue for the men's and women's basketball teams since 1986, but will now also be the home floor for the volleyball team as well.

UP NEXT: Dixie State will head south to take on former PacWest foe Grand Canyon University for a two-match series.

Finishing last season with a 24-6 overall record and a 13-3 mark in conference play, The Antelopes are currently 2-0 on the season after winning their first two matches of the season against D-1 newcomer Tarleton State on Jan. 25 and 26.  GCU then had two matches against Chicago State cancelled.  Dixie State will face off against the "Lopes" in GCU arena February 8 at 7 p.m. and again on February 9 at 3 p.m.  Live stats and video streaming information can be found at www.dixiestateathletics.com.