OPENING SERVE: With its first two-match split of the season against Seattle University, Dixie State (6-5/5-5 WAC) returns to Burns Arena to take on the Wolverines of Utah Valley University in the renewed 'Old Hammer' rivalry.
 
The Trailblazers lost in three sets to the Redhawks in last Monday's matchup but rebounded to earn a four-set victory the following day.  Looking to jump over .500 in conference play for the first time this season, Dixie State brings in UVU for two matches.
 
Match one will take place Monday at 6 p.m. with match two to follow on Tuesday at 12 noon.  Both matches will be played inside Burns Arena.  Live stats and video streaming information can be found at dixiestateathletics.com.
 
KNOW YOUR FOE: The Wolverines come into the matchup with a 6-3 overall record and a 6-2 mark within Western Athletic Conference play.  UVU are winners of four of their last five matches with wins coming against California Baptist, Tarleton, and Chicago State. 
 
Last season saw UVU finish with an 11-19 overall record and a 7-9 record in the WAC, good enough to finish sixth in the standings.  The Wolverines upset the higher seeded Vaqueros of UT Rio Grande Valley in the opening round of the WAC tournament before falling to the would-be tournament champs New Mexico State.
 
The team is comprised of two seniors, four juniors, six sophomores, and seven freshmen including two members of the 2021 Preseason All-WAC team – Senior Libero Seren Jardine and Junior Outside Hitter Kazna Tarawhiti.  The Wolverines are coached by Sam Atoa, who is in his 22^nd year as head coach of UVU, and has an overall record of 427-257 during his time with the team.
 
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: After a hiccup in game one of the two-game series with Seattle University, Dixie State (6-5/5-5 WAC) rebounded and claimed victory in four sets over the Redhawks.
 
Despite falling in a close set one, the Trailblazers recovered quickly and never looked back as they ran the table in the final three sets.  They hit .327 overall including hitting .464 in set three, and then fired a .481 hitting percentage in set four.
 
Dixie State held several different leads throughout the first set, but couldn't close out the Redhawks.  DSU led at 15-11, 18-15, and 23-20, but a 5-0 run by Seattle closed out the set in favor of the Redhawks 25-23.
 
After dropping the first four sets of the two-game series to the Redhawks, Dixie State turned things around beginning with the second set.  After a back-and-forth first half of the set, the Trailblazers slowly crept to a 17-11 lead.  Seattle tried to climb back into the set and cut the deficit to one, but Dixie State slammed the door and claimed a 25-21 victory.
 
Dixie State began to put the clamps down defensively in the third set and used a 13-3 run to garner a 20-13 lead.  The Trailblazers put to bed any comeback attempts by the Redhawks and took set three 25-17.
 
The Trailblazers came out firing on all cylinders in the fourth set and sported a 15-5 lead.  The rest of the set followed a similar suit as Dixie State held the Redhawks to just 12 points in the set – matching the lowest total score Dixie State has held an opponent to all season.  The Trailblazers limited Seattle to a .034 hitting percentage in the fourth set while holding them to .146 overall throughout the match.
 
Megan Treanor recorded her second triple double of the season posting a stout 18 kills, 22 assists, and 12 digs. Treanor was part of three Trailblazers who finished with double figures in kill alongside,  Whittnee Nihipali with 15 and Chayse Daugherty with 10.  Siara Roberts handed out 29 assists, while Mykenna Nelson recorded 21 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 head out on its final road trip of the season with its destination of Stephenville, Texas to take on fellow WAC and Division 1 newcomer Tarleton State in a two-match set.
 
The Texans currently sport a 7-7 overall record with a 3-5 mark in conference play. Tarleton started off the season losing six of its first seven matchups but have turned the tide in their season and have now won six of its last seven matches.  The Texans, in their final season competing at Division 2 as a member of the Lone Star Conference, Tarleton finished the 2019 season at 22-12 overall with a 12-6 mark in conference.  Tarleton win its first two matches in the Lone Star Conference Tournament before losing to two-seeded Angelo State in the conference title match.  The Texans lost to Colorado School of Mines in the first round of the NCAA Regional tournament.