Trailblazers Travel to Provo for BYU Invitational

DSU to take on Michigan State, #13 BYU, and Weber State

2021 DIXIE STATE VOLLEYBALL
(0-3, 0-0 WAC)

MATCHES 4-6 - BYU INVITATIONAL
Friday, Sept. 3 - vs. Michigan State - 10 a.m.
Friday, Sept. 3 - at #13 BYU - 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 4 - vs. Weber State - 4 p.m.
Smith Fieldhouse; Provo, Utah

For the second consecutive week, Dixie State volleyball will hit the road for a total of three matches in two days, including two matchups against in-state foes.

This week, DSU will travel to Provo, Utah, for the BYU Invitational. The Trailblazers will open the weekend with two matches on Friday, beginning with a matchup against Michigan State at 10 a.m, followed by a battle with No. 13-ranked and invitational-host BYU in the nightcap at 7 p.m. DSU will close the weekend on Saturday with a single match vs. Weber State at 4 p.m.

Live video coverage will be provided for all three matches by BYU via the BYUtv App, while live stat information can be found at DixieStateAthletics.com.

ALL-TIME VS. UTAH SCHOOLS:  Dixie State has played to an overall record of 7-5 (.583) against in-state foes, including matches vs. Southern Utah (1-0), Utah Valley (0-3), and Westminster (6-2). On the road, the Trailblazers have posted a 4-3 (.571) record vs. other Utah Schools.

ON THE ROAD: Since joining the NCAA in 2006, Dixie State has recorded an 87-81 (.518) record in true-road games and has logged a winning record on the road nine times (2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019). Additionally, the Trailblazers have posted a 34-45 (.430) record in neutral-site games.

KNOW YOUR FOE: The weekend's matches mark another trio of firsts for Dixie State, as the Trailblazers have never matched up against any of their three opponents on the volleyball court.

Michigan State opened the 2021 season last week, hosting its own invitational in East Lansing. The Spartans posted a 2-1 record with wins over Western Michigan and Canisius and a close loss to Wright State in five sets. Junior outside hitter Cecilee Max-Brown leads the Spartans with 35 kills, while redshirt freshman outside hitter added 32 kills. Sophomore setter Celia Cullen leads the team with 56 assists. Defensively, redshirt junior Talia Edmonds leads with 38 digs, and senior middle blocker Naya Gros tallied a team-high 11 total blocks.

No. 13 BYU is hosting is second invitational in as many weeks. The Cougars opened the season last week with a 3-0 mark, including three-set wins over Southern Utah, Long Island, and UNLV. BYU currently ranks third in the nation with a .408 hitting percentage.  Senior outside hitter Taylen Ballard-Nixon is the Cougars' leader in kills, totaling 26 kills on a .420 hitting percentage. Junior setter Whitney Bower leads the team with 90 assists. Defensively, BYU ranks second nationally in opponent hitting percentage, limiting its opponents to a .011 mark. Sophomore libero Madi Allen boasts a team-best 31 digs, while senior middle blocker leads with 12 total blocks.

Weber State hosted Seton Hall and North Dakota to open the season last week, winning both matches in three sets. The Wildcats closed the weekend with a 3-2 win over Utah State in Logan to improve to 3-0. Offensively, WSU leads the Big Sky Conference in three different statistical categories, including hitting percentage (.279), assists per set (12.55), and kills per set (13.82). Senior outside hitter Rylin Adams leads the Big Sky with 46 kills, while senior setter Ashlyn Power has posted a conference-best 115 assists. Defensively, redshirt sophomore outside hitter Dani Nay leads the team with 33 digs, while senior middle blocker Sam Schiess holds a team-best 14 total blocks.

WEEK IN REVIEW: The Trailblazers opened the 2021 season at the Boise State Invitational in Boise, Idaho. DSU dropped a 3-1 decision to BSU to open the weekend on Friday, before falling 3-0 to Montana State later that same day. Dixie State took Long Beach State into the decisive fifth set on Saturday, but fell 3-2.

A NEW ERA: For the first time since 2012, the Trailblazers are opening the season with a new head coach. After two seasons serving as an assistant coach, Camilla Hafoka begins her first season as the new head coach of the Dixie State Volleyball program.

During her time on the Trailblazer sidelines, Coach Hafoka helped lead Dixie State to a 29-16 overall record. In her first season as an assistant coach, Dixie State played to a 20-8 overall record in the program's final year of NCAA Division II competition.This past spring, Hafoka helped guide DSU to a 9-8 overall mark in its debut NCAA Division I season, which included an 8-8 mark (t-4th) in its first season in the Western Athletic Conference.

Whitnee Tupe returns for her eighth season as a DSU assistant coach, while Julia Smith (Texas A&M, 2002) joins the staff after coaching last season at Snow College. Former DSU player To'a Faleao also joins the staff as a volunteer assistant coach, and Riley Lyman (BYU, 2020) will serve as Director of Volleyball Operations to round out the staff.

LET'S RUN IT BACK: After posting a 9-8 overall record in its first season as an NCAA Division I member, Dixie State is ready to pick up where it left off in year two.

The Trailblazers return 13 players from the Spring 2021 season, including five starters. Senior outside hitter Megan Treanor (First Team All-WAC, 171 kills, 168 assists, 127 digs, 34 blocks, 25 service aces) headlines the returners and was named to the Preseason All-WAC team.

DSU returns three others who posted at least 100 kills in the spring, including junior outside hitter Whittnee Nihipali (149 kills), junior middle blocker Lauolive Tonga (116 kills), and freshman Kate Hardy (WAC All-Freshman team, 103 kills). Despite playing in only nine matches in the spring, senior setter Jordyn Nelson returns as DSU's spring leader in assists (249). Defensively, Hardy posted a team-high 52 blocks in the spring, while Tonga added 42.

YEAR TWO IN THE WAC: The Trailblazers enter their second season as a member of the WAC in 2021. DSU recorded an 8-8 mark in WAC play in the spring to finish in a fourth-place tie with Tarleton State.

With the addition of the four Texas schools (Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin) the conference standings have been split into two divisions: Southwest and West. Dixie State will play in the West Division, alongside California Baptist, Chicago State, Grand Canyon, New Mexico State, Seattle U, and Utah Valley, while the Southwest Division will feature Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton State, and UT Rio Grande Valley.

The Trailblazers were picked to finish fifth in the West Division in the recent WAC Preseason Coaches Poll. DSU will play a 14-game WAC slate with a home-and-home against each member of the West Division, while traveling to Abilene, Texas, for matches against ACU and Tarleton.

TEAM NOTES:

The Trailblazers traveled just seven active players to Boise to open the season last week.

Head Coach Camilla Hafoka made her debut as Dixie State head coach, marking the first time since 2012 the Trailblazers opened the season with a new head coach.
Junior outside hitter Whittnee Nihipali picked up where she left off in the spring, posting a team-high mark of 37 kills to go with a .218 hitting percentage at the Boise State Invitational. Nihipali recorded double-doubles vs. Boise State (15 kills, 11 digs) and Long Beach State (15 kills, 12 digs).
Freshman outside hitter Hannah Howard enjoyed a career weekend, posting her first career double-doubles vs. Boise State (12 kills, 10 digs) and Long Beach State (13 digs). The 13 kills vs. LBSU also represent a career-high mark for Howard.
Freshman setter Lauren Mena led DSU in assists in all three matches in her first weekend in a Trailblazer uniform. Mena tallied more than 30 assists in two matches, and averaged 7.17 assists per set for the weekend. She notched double-doubles vs. Montana State (17 assists, 11 digs) and Long Beach State (37 assists, 17 digs).
Senior middle blocker Lizzy Clark led DSU in blocks, tallying 11 total blocks. Clark finished with four total blocks vs. Montana State and Long Beach State.
Sophomore libero Mykenna Nelson posted a team-high mark of 49 digs over the first three matches, averaging 4.08 digs per set.
Freshman middle blocker Kate Hardy enjoyed a solid start to the season, recording 24 kills and a .377 hitting percentage on the offensive side, while tallying six total blocks on defense.
Freshman outside hitter Peyton Michaelson made her DSU debut, recording three kills vs. Montana State and Long Beach State.

UP NEXT: The Trailblazers will have 13 days between matches after this weekend, returning to action with back-to-back matches vs. Southern Utah in Cedar City on September 17 and in St. George on September 18.

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Players Mentioned

#9 Lizzy Clark: MB; 6' 1"; Senior

#6 Kate Hardy: MB; 6' 0"; Freshman

#3 Hannah Howard: OH; 6' 0"; Freshman

#1 Jordyn Nelson: S; 5' 6"; Senior

#7 Mykenna Nelson: L; 5' 8"; Sophomore

#15 Whittnee Nihipali: OH; 6' 2"; Junior

#16 Lauolive Tonga: MB; 5' 10"; Junior

#13 Megan Treanor: OH/S; 6' 1"; Senior

#18 Lauren Mena: S; 5' 10"; Freshman

#20 Peyton Michaelson: OH; 6' 2"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#9 Lizzy Clark
: 6' 1"; Senior
: MB

#6 Kate Hardy
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: MB

#3 Hannah Howard
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: OH

#1 Jordyn Nelson
: 5' 6"; Senior
: S

#7 Mykenna Nelson
: 5' 8"; Sophomore
: L

#15 Whittnee Nihipali
: 6' 2"; Junior
: OH

#16 Lauolive Tonga
: 5' 10"; Junior
: MB

#13 Megan Treanor
: 6' 1"; Senior
: OH/S

#18 Lauren Mena
: 5' 10"; Freshman
: S

#20 Peyton Michaelson
: 6' 2"; Freshman
: OH