Match #5: Truman (2-2) vs. Fairmont (W. Va.) State (3-0)
When: Friday, September 11, 2015 || 2 p.m. (CT)
Where: California, Pa. || Hamer Hall
Live Stats: Not available
Stats: Truman || GLVC || Fairmont State
Match #6: Truman at California (Pa.) (0-4)
When: Friday, September 11, 2015 || 5 p.m. (CT)
Where: California, Pa. || Hamer Hall
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/cup/wvball/
Stats: Truman || GLVC || California Match #7: Truman vs. Clarion (Pa.) (0-4)
When: Saturday, September 12, 2015 || 9 a.m. (CT)
Where: California, Pa. || Hamer Hall
Live Stats: Not available
Stats: Truman || GLVC || Clarion Match #8: Truman vs. Saginaw Valley (Mich.) State (4-0)
When: Saturday, September 12, 2015 || 12 p.m. (CT)
Where: California, Pa. || Hamer Hall
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/cup/wvball/
Stats: Truman || GLVC || Saginaw Valley
A First Look:
A trip to the Keystone State is on tap for the Truman volleyball squad this week, as the Bulldogs head to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for four matches at the California (Pa.) Classic. Matches begin on Friday against Fairmont (W. Va.) State and host-Cal (Pa.) and continue on Saturday against Clarion (Pa.) and Saginaw Valley (Mich.).
The Bulldogs fly east following a .500 weekend of play to kick off the 2015 campaign, with the purple and white splitting action at the Central Missouri Invitational in Warrensburg last Friday and Saturday. Truman started each day with victories (Mary (N.D.) on Friday; Western (Colo.) State on Saturday) but stumbled in the nightcaps (No. 13 UCM on Friday; St. Cloud (Minn.) State on Saturday). Sophomore outside hitter Jasmine Brown was named to the all-tournament team after leading Truman with a 2.92 kills per set average.
This marks the first trip to the state of Pennsylvania in Bulldog program history, with all four opponents also showing up on the Truman schedule for the first time.
Head coach Ben Briney is back for his seventh season at the helm, as the former Truman assistant-turned-head coach ranks No. 2 on the program's victories chart with a 148-58 overall record.
Bulldog Tweet-ables (140 characters or less):- #VBHistory: This year is the 42nd season of volleyball at Truman. The program's all-time record is 920-490-14 (.651).
- #GLVCStrong: After posting a .712 win% in 30 yrs of MIAA play, the 'Dogs are 31-5 (.861) in two seasons of GLVC action.
- #WaitItOut: 16 of Truman's 33 matches went four or five sets last year. Truman's record in those matches? 15-1.
- #HeptaDecagons: The Bulldogs' 17-player roster features five SRs, four JRs, one SO, three redshirt-FRs, and four true FRs.
- #LandOfLincoln: Of Truman's 17 players on the opening day roster, six hail from the state of Illinois. IA, MO, OR, TX, WI also repped.
- #AlphabetSoup: Nine players return as previous letterwinners for the Bulldogs in 2015.
Scouting the Opponents:
Fairmont State "Fighting Falcons" – Friday at 2 p.m. (CT)- Fairmont State opened the 2015 season with a 3-0 record in Winston-Salem, N.C., last weekend, posting victories against Tuskegee, Winston-Salem State, and Chowan.
- FSU hit .289 on the opening weekend and limited opposition to a .121 mark. Amazingly, the squad was aced just one time on 179 serves, while flipping 26 aces on their three opponents.
- The team had a balanced attack through the first three matches, as six different players averaged more than two kills per set. Senior MH Courntey Kress hit .378 with 3.14 kills and 0.71 blocks per set.
- The Fighting Falcons went 24-7 a season ago, reaching the championship match of the Mountain East Conference tournament before falling to perennial league power Wheeling Jesuit.
- Truman and Fairmont State have never met.
- Courtney Materazzi is in her second season at the helm of the FSU program.
California (Pa.) "Vulcans" – Friday at 5 p.m. (CT)- The Bulldogs will have a fast turnaround on Friday afternoon, taking on the tournament host Vulcans just three hours after the first serve against Fairmont State.
- Cal-PA struggled to an 0-4 mark during the opening weekend of play at the Ferris State Invitational, falling to host Ferris, Saginaw Valley, Metro (Colo.) State, and GLVC-foe McKendree.
- The Vulcans hit .125 as a team and averaged 1.3 blocks per set, going 3-12 in 15 total sets played. Sophomore OH Ashley Leto had 32 kills (2.13/set) to lead the team offensively, while senior MH Miranda Fouzie's 12 blocks (0.80/set) was best at the net.
- Cal-PA went 30-9 in 2014, advancing to the Atlantic regional championship match before falling in four sets to Wheeling Jesuit.
- Truman and California have never met.
- Peter Letourneau is in his third season as the Cal-PA head coach.
Clarion (Pa.) "Golden Eagles" – Saturday at 9 a.m. (CT)- Saturday's opener will feature a Clarion squad that enters the weekend at 0-4 after losses to Ashland, Hillsdale, North Alabama, and GLVC-foe Indianapolis at its own home tournament last weekend.
- CU hit just .091 on the offensive side in 14 total sets (2-12) last weekend and averaged 1.4 blocks per set.
- Five players topped 20 total kills, with sophomore MH Gabrielle Olson's 27 (1.93/set) pacing the unit. Olson also was the team's block leader with 12 (0.86/set).
- Clarion was a 30-win team in 2014, posting a 30-5 overall record that ended with a loss to Cal-PA in the semifinals of the Atlantic regional.
- Truman and Clarion have never met.
- Jennifer Mills is in her ninth season as the program's head coach.
Saginaw Valley "Cardinals" – Saturday at 12 p.m. (CT)- The second quick turnaround in as many days will pit the Bulldogs in a true regional match to wrap up the event, as Truman will face GLIAC-member Saginaw Valley State.
- The Cardinals are 4-0 on the year, having downed Missouri Western, Cal-PA, Mercyhurst, and GLVC-foe UW-Parkside at the Ferris State tournament on Sept. 4-5. SVSU won two four-set and two five-set matches to open perfectly, hitting. 194 and averaging 1.75 blocks per set.
- Junior OH Andrea Brigham (62 kills) and junior MH Kaylee Schmidt (57 kills) were the top two offensive weapons on week one, with senior MH Morgan Eddy (38 kills, 17 blocks) contributing heavily on both sides of the net.
- SVSU posted a 17-11 mark in 2014, reaching the semifinals of the GLIAC tournament before falling to eventual regional-champion Grand Valley State.
- Truman and SVSU have never met.
- Will Stanton is in his 13th season at the helm of the Saginaw Valley program.
Bulldogs Picked Second in GLVC West Preseason Poll:
The reigning Great Lakes Valley Conference champion Truman volleyball squad will start the 2015 season as hunters once again following a second-place prediction in the West division by league coaches in the annual preseason poll.
The Bulldogs garnered six first-place votes and 110 total points to come in five points back of West division preseason-favorite Rockhurst. The Hawks received 10 first-place votes and 115 total points to lead all 16 schools in both categories.
Missouri S&T (89), Missouri-St. Louis (77), Drury (60), Quincy (55), Maryville (38), and William Jewell (25) rounded out the West division, while three teams split the 16 possible first-place votes in the East. Indianapolis picked up seven first-place votes and 110 total points to narrowly edge Lewis' five first-place votes and 109 total points for the top spot. Truman's opponent in the GLVC championship match and first-round NCAA tournament foe McKendree picked up the remaining four first-place votes and sat third in the East with 97 total points.
Southern Indiana (78), UW-Parkside (64), Bellarmine (50), Saint Joseph's (32), and Illinois Springfield (28) closed out the East division.
The top eight teams will qualify for the 2015 post-season tournament, to be held Nov. 20-22 at the East Side Centre in Peoria, Ill.
Up Next:
The Bulldogs will kick off the home portion of their 2015 schedule on Friday and Saturday, September 18-19 when they host GLVC rivals McKendree and Illinois Springfield in Pershing Arena.
