OPENING SERVE: Coming off two three-set sweeps against the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Dixie State (3-2/2-2 WAC) now travels to Phoenix, Arizona to renew an old PacWest rivalry against the Antelopes from Grand Canyon University Monday and Tuesday.
The Trailblazers got the figurative monkey off their back as it earned its first two Western Athletic Conference victories over the Vaqueros last week. Dixie State made quick work of UTRGV as it claimed both matches in convincing fashion with three-set sweeps against a team that was voted number three in the AVCA preseason coaches' poll.
Game one of the two-game pod will take place Monday at 7 p.m. with Tuesday's matchup slated to begin at 3 p.m. Video streaming will be provided by the WAC Digital Network and live stats can be found at dixiestateathletics.com.
KNOW YOUR FOE: Grand Canyon has begun the season having played just two matches. Both matches were wins against fellow D-1 and WAC newcomer Tarleton State back on January 25 and 26 with match won finishing 3-0 and match two ending up in a 3-1 victory for GCU. The 'Lopes' had two matches canceled last week against Chicago State and enter the matchup with Dixie State 2-0.
Grand Canyon finished last season with an overall record of 24-6 and a conference record of 13-3, good enough to finish in second place in the conference behind the undefeated New Mexico State Aggies. The Lopes would win their WAC tournament semifinal match against Kansas City before losing in the championship to the Aggies in three sets. GCU is coached by Tim Nollan who is in his fifth season as head coach and owns a cumulative record of 51-62.
The Lopes team consists of three seniors, three junior, three sophomores, and five freshmen including three members of the All-WAC preseason team; Junior Middle Blockers Annabelle Kubinski and Kaira Moss as well as Sophomore Setter Klaire Mitchell.
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.
LAST TIME OUT: Coming off a convincing three-set victory against the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Monday night, Dixie State (3-2/2-2 WAC) looked to duplicate its success Tuesday afternoon. The Trailblazers were able to send the Vaqueros home empty handed in their third sweep of the season.
A back-and-forth first set saw both teams level at 10 before Dixie State proceeded to go on a 13-4 run to put things out of reach as it would go on to claim a 25-19 victory. The Trailblazers came out sharp as they fired a .314 hitting percentage and forced UTRGV into six errors.
The Vaqueros recovered quickly in set two and gave Dixie State all it could handle. They forced the Trailblazers into a game-high nine errors and a .200 hitting percentage. After UTRGV forced a 20-20 tie late in the set, Dixie State rallied and eked out a slim 25-23 victory to go up two sets to zero.
Set three was a dominate performance by the Trailblazers as they were benefited by two massive runs during the set – one of 9-1 and another of 13-2. In the later of the two runs,
Kate Hardy shined as she recorded five kills and two block assists during that time. In all, Hardy tallied eight kills and three block assists during the third set in which Dixie State won 25-14 while forcing UTRGV into a zero hitting percentage.
In all, Dixie State was stellar defensively, limiting the Vaqueros to a total hitting percentage of .057 for the match including a .128 mark in set one, a .031 mark in set two, and a 0.000 mark in the final set.
Hardy led the Trailblazers in kills with a career-high 17 while finishing one block shy of a double-double with nine.
Megan Treanor finished with her first triple-double of the season with 15 kills, 12 assists, and 12 digs.
Jordyn Nelson recorded 24 assists and nine digs while
Rebekah Farris finished with 13 digs and
Mykenna Nelson had 12 digs to help in the win.
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 return home to renew another former rivalry against California Baptist with two matches.
The Lancers finished last season in fifth place in the WAC standings with an overall record of 14-16 and a conference mark of 7-9. So far this season, CBU has won each of its first three matches including two against aforementioned Tarleton State(3-0,3-1) in addition to a non-conference victory against Life Pacific(3-1). The Trailblazers will meet up inside Burns Arena February 15 at 6 p.m. and again on February 16 at 12 noon. Live stats and streaming information can be found at dixiestateathletics.com.
