Quick hits: Rams take on Cowgirls in volleyball semifinals

Nov. 19, 2011

MW championship semifinals
CSU vs. Wyoming
7:30 p.m. MT | Johnson Center (Albuquerque, N.M.)

Mountain West championship match notes (updated Nov. 16)
CSU-Air Force recap (including photo gallery and video interviews)
CSU-Air Force box score
MW Championship Central

2011 Mountain West Volleyball Championship quick hits

Friday's highlights . . .
 CSU swept Air Force (25-16, 25-12, 25-10) to improve to 10-0 all-time in the quarterfinals round.
 The 15-point margin in Set 3 was the largest margin of victory in the MW tournament since scoring was reduced from 30 points in a set to 25 in 2008.
 CSU is now 4-0 against the Falcons in the tournament, and 36-1 all-time, winning 36 straight since the second all-time meeting, in 1982.
 With the win, the Rams improve to 20-5 all-time in the MW tournament, making them the winningest team in tournament history. CSU was previously tied with Utah (19-6) for most wins. Utah left for the Pac-12 after the 2010 season.
 The victory was CSU's 750th as a program.
 The win also marked the 17th consecutive season that the Rams have reached 20 wins.
 Highlighted by Dana Cranston's three, CSU recorded 10 service aces, its second-highest total on the season (11 vs. Wyoming on Nov. 4).
 The Rams--who rank seventh nationally in hitting percentage--hit .405 in the match, marking the fourth time this season CSU has hit above .400. What's more, the Rams held Air Force to .000 hitting. CSU opponents have hit below. 100 nine times this year, including .000 or below four times.
 In the first match of the day, No. 7 UNLV upset regular-season runner-up San Diego State in three sets. It marked just the second time in the tournament's history that the No. 7 seed has beaten the No. 2 seed (also 2007, No. 7 SDSU beat No. 2 BYU, 3-2).
 On CSU's side of the bracket, No. 4 Wyoming held off host and No. 5 New Mexico, 3-1 (25-23, 27-25, 20-25, 25-21), to advance to today's semifinals vs. CSU.
 The win was the Cowgirls' first in MW championship history. Wyoming was previously 0-9 in the tournament.
 Three Cowgirls notched double-doubles on the evening as Jodi Purdy led the effort up front with 13 kills while adding 11 digs for her conference-leading 21st double-double of the season. Calli Miller came up with 18 digs and 11 kills and Rachel Keyes rounded out the night with 10 digs and 30 assists.

Today vs. Wyoming . . .
 Today's match vs. Wyoming is the 72nd meeting between the two schools. The series is the longest rivalry in the MW, dating back to 1976. CSU holds a distinct 52-19 advantage.
 CSU and Wyoming, however, have never met in the MW championship. The only other team CSU has not played is Boise State, which is in its first season in the conference.
 CSU is 2-1 against Wyoming on a neutral court.
 The Cowgirls, fresh off their first MW tournament victory, will play in the semifinals for the first time.
 Dating back to 1997, Tom Hilbert's first in Fort Collins, CSU is 27-1 against Wyoming. Its 26-match win streak was snapped earlier this season when the Cowgirls rallied from a 2-0 deficit to beat the Rams in five sets. CSU swept Wyoming at home two weeks ago.
 On Oct. 8 at Wyoming, CSU recorded 96 digs, sixth-most ever. Three players recorded 20-plus digs for the first time in nearly five years.
 In two matches vs. Wyoming this season, senior Katelyn Steffan has recorded 42 kills.
 The Rams are 14-12 at the Johnson Center. However, they have a much better record (12-2) under Hilbert in New Mexico's gym. Friday's win against Air Force was CSU's first match at the Johnson Center against a neutral opponent.
 CSU is 6-3 all-time in the semifinals round of the MW tournament. The Rams have been the tournament's top seed a record six times, and are 3-2 as the No. 1 seed in the semifinals.
 The No. 1 and No. 4 seeds have met in the semifinals six times prior to today, with the top seed winning five times. CSU is 2-1 in those matchups.
 The match will be broadcast live on The Mtn. (DirecTV: channel 616; Local Comcast: 411, 948 HD).

With a win . . .
 CSU would advance to the finals for the seventh time in the tournament's 10-year history (1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006). The Rams, who hold more championship victories than any other current or past MW team, won it all in 1999, 2003, 2004 and 2006. The tournament was not played from 2008-2010.
 The Rams would improve to 21-5 in 2011, and 21-5 all-time in the MW championship.
 CSU would play either No. 3 TCU or No. 7 UNLV in Sunday's championship match. TCU and UNLV face off today at 5 p.m. MT. The match will be televised on The Mtn. on a tape delay, but will be streamed live online.
 The championship is slated for Sunday at 6 p.m. MT. The match will be broadcast live on the CBS Sports Network (DirecTV: 613; Local Comcast: 412, 846).
 The winner will earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

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