Colorado State University Athletics
Match notes: Rams to begin three-match road trip Thursday
10/18/2016 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Season Stats | Complete Release (PDF) 
Match 19: Colorado State at San Jose State
Thursday, Oct. 20 | 7 p.m. MT/6 p.m. PT | San Jose, Calif. | Spartan Gym
Video | Stats | Twitter: @CSUVolleyball, @CSURamsGameday
Match 20: Colorado State at Fresno State
Saturday, Oct. 22 | 2 p.m. MT/1 p.m. PT | Fresno, Calif. | Save Mart Center
Video | Stats | Twitter: @CSUVolleyball, @CSURamsGameday
Match 21: Colorado State at Wyoming
Tuesday, Oct. 25 | 6:30 p.m. MT | Laramie, Wyo. | UniWyo Sports Complex
Video | Stats | Twitter: @CSUVolleyball, @CSURamsGameday
*RAMS IN TRAINING - FREE CAMP FOR AGES 4-12 - POST-MATCH, OCT. 29*
RAMS TO BEGIN THREE-MATCH ROAD TRIP THURSDAY
The Colorado State Rams will embark on a three-match road trip for the second time since beginning Mountain West play, beginning Thursday at San Jose State. The Rams will then face Fresno State on Saturday before returning to the front range to face Wyoming in Laramie on Oct. 25.
The Rams are the lone unbeaten team in Mountain West play, sitting at 7-0. The Rams have won 31 MW matches in a row dating back to Nov. 1, 2014. That includes 14 straight MW victories away from the friendly confines of Moby Arena.
CSU swept both Nevada and San Diego State last week at home. Head Coach Tom Hilbert won his 500th career match during his tenure at CSU against the Wolf Pack. CSU also maintained its half-game lead over UNLV in the MW standings.
CSU's offensive efficiency has improved throughout the season, and the Rams now sit fifth in the NCAA in team hitting percentage (.305), while holding onto the No. 3 ranking in team blocking (3.20 per set). CSU and Florida are the only two schools in the nation that rank in the top-10 in both categories.
Two Rams have earned weekly MW honors. Jasmine Hanna excelled over a pair of road matches Oct. 6-8, registering 12 kills at both New Mexico and UNLV on over .400 hitting. Hanna won her first career MW weekly honor for her efforts. Freshman setter Katie Oleksak starred for the Rams in the first week of league play, and was also rewarded with MW Offensive Player of the Week honors. Oleksak became the first CSU freshman since Katelyn Steffan in 2008 to win a league player of the week award.
CSU won't return home until Oct. 29 to host Utah State. The Rams will play three straight at Moby Arena, with matches against UNLV (Nov. 3) and New Mexico (Nov. 5) following the meeting with the Aggies.
The Rams concluded their non-conference slate with a 6-5 record, going 2-1 at the Omni Invitational last weekend. CSU swept both New Orleans and Chicago State before falling to then-No. 18 Colorado in four sets at the Coors Events Center. The defeat was the Rams' first to the Buffaloes since 2002. Sanja Cizmic and Katie Oleksak put up solid numbers in all three matches of the weekend, landing spots on the Omni Invitational All-Tournament team.
CSU opened the season with a 3-0 record, winning nine of a possible 10 sets against North Dakota State, Saint Mary's and Northern Colorado. Rams freshmen Katie Oleksak and Olivia Nicholson combined for five double-doubles over the three matches.
Eight freshmen (including two redshirts) make up more than half of the team's 14-player roster. Add in junior transfer McKenna Thornlow (North Texas), and there are lot of new faces on the court for 2016. CSU has only one senior - Cassidy Denny - on its roster.
Denny is joined by Preseason All-MW honoree Alexandra Poletto, Jasmine Hanna and Sanja Čizmić as the only four Rams to see playing time in 2015. Thornlow saw significant action in her two seasons (2014-15) at North Texas.
Hilbert is entering his 20th season at CSU, having taken the Rams to the NCAA Tournament every year of his tenure. He is accompanied by assistant coach Luke Murray (third year) and first-year assistant coach Emily Hiza, who joins the Rams after serving in the same role at Oregon State. Former CSU All-American and Canadian National Team member Dana Cranston will serve as a volunteer assistant this season.
MOUNTAIN WEST DOMINATION
CSU has won 31 consecutive league matches (last loss: Nov. 1, 2014 at UNLV) and has been victorious in 67 of its last 69 Mountain West matches overall. All-time, the Rams have won more than 87 percent of their MW contests (240-33, .879 winning percentage), far greater than any current or former opponent. CSU has also started league play with at least 10 wins three-straight years and six times since joining the Mountain West in 1999. The Rams went 18-0 in Mountain West action last year, marking the second time CSU had gone unbeaten in league play (14-0 in MW in 2003).
TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN
Since the Mountain West formed in 1999, the Rams have won 13 regular-season championships in addition to five tournament crowns in nine years. The figure is more than all other MW teams -- past and current -- combined.
The Rams also won two HCAC championships in the 1980s, plus the WAC Mountain Division title in 1998, giving them 21 overall conference championships to their credit, more than any other sport at CSU. They have won either the regular-season or conference tournament title - or both - all but two years since 1998 (2005 and 2008).
Of those who have played four years under Head Coach Tom Hilbert, every player has won at least two conference championships, with all but three winning three or more. In 2014, Deedra Foss, Kelsey Snider and Marlee Reynolds became the third, fourth and fifth Rams to win five league titles. Jaime Colaizzi and Adrianna Culbert each completed their careers in 2015 boasting four titles in four years (2012-15).
#MOBYMADNESS
The Colorado State Rams annually have one of the best home court advantages in the country, and currently rank 12th in the NCAA in average attendance at 2,306. The Rams' match against then-No. 3 Texas brought in 6,253 fans, the fifth-largest attendance in program history. Only Hawaii, Nebraska and Purdue have had larger crowds this year. CSU's top attended match at Moby Arena came against Wisconsin in 2014, when 7,018 fans packed Moby. The Rams have not only had large crowds against top-ranked teams - they've also beaten many of them. The Rams have beaten nine top-10 teams at home, most recently rallying from a 2-0 deficit to beat No. 5 Nebraska in five sets in 2011. Five of those wins have come during Head Coach Tom Hilbert's tenure, along with eight of the top-10 overall crowds.
HISTORIC STRETCH FOR CSU VOLLEYBALL
CSU is currently in the midst of its best three-year run in program history, going 85-9 (.904) from 2013-15 after going 26-4 last season. The stretch topped the previous best three-year period, 1999-2001, when the Rams went 81-9.
FORT COLLINS BLOCK CITY
CSU is ranked third nationally in blocking with 3.20 per set, picking up where it left off a year ago when the team ranked eighth. Kirstie Hillyer ranks first in the MW and 13th in the NCAA (1.47), while Alexandra Poletto is second and 20th, respectively (1.42). The Rams have ranked in the top-15 nationally in blocks to end the year eight times since 2007, including ranking second in 2010 (3.13). As of Oct. 17, CSU is one of three schools (Stanford, Washington State) with two players ranked in the top-20 individually in blocking in the NCAA.
INCREASING OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY [PART I - PERCENTAGES]
The Rams boast a team hitting percentage of .305, which entered the week ranked fifth in the NCAA. CSU has hit .300 or better in 10 matches, including all seven against MW foes. The Rams are hitting .355 against league opponents overall. The Rams ended 2015 ranked 15th in the NCAA (.273) in the category, and have ranked in the top-20 nationally five straight seasons. The Rams hit an incredible .889 in the first set vs. Pittsburgh (Sept. 3), registering 16 kills on 18 attempts with no errors. CSU nearly matched that single-set output at UNLV (Oct. 8), hitting .720 with no errors (18-of-25).
INCREASING OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY [PART II - THE PLAYERS]
The Rams have gotten more and more efficient on offense as the season has progressed, and the Rams have now eclipsed the .300 mark in team hitting efficiency. CSU has only finished a season at .300-plus once during Tom Hilbert's tenure (2001, .314). The offensive cohesion is particularly notable, considering multiple players are new or in new roles. Sanja Cizmic had not previously been a regular starter on the left side, and she now leads the team in kills. Kirstie Hillyer is in her first collegiate season, and leads the MW in hitting percentage. Olivia Nicholson is contributing 2.00-plus kills in her first season and playing all six rotations. Katie Oleksak is leading all freshmen (fourth NCAA) in assists. Key returners have also been productive, with Jasmine Hanna boasting a MW Offensive Player of the Week award (Oct. 10) and Alexandra Poletto ranking second in hitting percentage, including three matches of .700 efficiency or better.
INCREASING OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY [PART III - DISTRIBUTION]
Katie Oleksak has been very effective in providing balanced distribution to multiple attackers. Five Rams are averaging 2.20 kills or more, and all five have had 250-plus attack attempts. Five different Rams have led the team in kills at least once this year, and those five have reached double-figures at least five times each.
KIRSTIE HILLYER KILLYER
Redshirt freshman Kirstie Hillyer has been killin' it in her first season of collegiate play, averaging 2.66 kills per set on .412 hitting. Her hitting percentage ranks 13th in the NCAA and fourth among all freshmen at any position. The 6-foot-7 middle blocker has been particularly threatening over the first five MW matches, averaging 3.04 kills per set on .496 hitting, including 14 kills in four sets against Fresno State and 13 in three at Utah State. She also ranks first in the MW and 13th in the NCAA in blocking (1.47), good for second among all NCAA freshmen.
POLETTO LEADS THE .700 CLUB
Junior middle blocker Alexandra Poletto has eclipsed the .700 hitting percentage mark on three occasions this year, with the Toronto native posting double-digit kill totals each time. She opened the year with a .733 clip against North Dakota State (11-0-15), and then went off at a .706 percentage (13-1-17) against Pittsburgh. The .706 mark was the second-best ever in five sets for a CSU player, ranking only behind Kelsey Snider against Cal State Northridge in the NCAA Tournament in 2013 (.762, 16-0-21). Poletto reached the plateau again against Nevada on Oct. 13, registering 13 kills on .722 hitting (13-0-18).
HANNA HAVING HER WAY
Junior outside hitter Jasmine Hanna has turned in some dominant offensive performances this season, especially the week of Oct. 6-8, which culminated in her receiving her first MW Offensive Player of the Week award. Hanna tallied 12 kills at both New Mexico and UNLV that week, hitting over .400 in each match. For the season, Hanna is second on the team with 2.85 kills per set, raching double-figured in 10-of-18 matches.
CIZMIC TURNING INTO GO-TO PLAYER
Junior outside hitter Sanja Cizmic has turned into a go-to player on offense for the Rams, leading the team with 3.21 kills per set. Cizmic has led the team in kills on seven occasions this season, the most on the squad. Cizmic has hit double-digit kill totals 12 times this season, including eight of her last 10 appearances. The Croatia-born player recorded a career-high 18 kills (.484) vs. Baylor in four sets on Sept. 2, and matched that total in another four-set match against Fresno State on Sept. 22.
#500 FOR HILBERT
CSU Head Coach Tom Hilbert won his 500th match at CSU on Oct. 13 against Nevada at Moby Arena. Hilbert became the 14th active Division I volleyball coach to reach 500 wins at their current school. Hilbert and the Rams have won over 80 percent of their contests together since he became head coach before the 1997 season (501-118). The Rams have won 20-plus matches in all 19 seasons under Hilbert, making the NCAA Tournament each year. CSU has alotted 18 conference titles during his tenure - 13 regular season plus five tournament championships.
HILBERT IN LEAGUE OPENERS
CSU is 18-2 all-time under Tom Hilbert in conference openers, with 14 of those being sweeps. The Rams are also 11-0 when beginning league play at home under Hilbert. CSU began league action against Fresno State on Sept. 22, winning 3-1 in Moby Arena.
CIZMIC (X2), HANNA, OLEKSAK NAMED TO ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS
Juniors Sanja Cizmic and Jasmine Hanna, along with freshman Katie Oleksak have earned spots on all-tournament teams during non-conference play. Cizmic was honored for her efforts during the Thunderdome Classic in Santa Barbara, Sept. 2-3. She registered double-figure kill totals in all three matches, including a career-high 18 against Baylor on .484 hitting. Hanna landed on the 2016 Rams Volleyball Classic All-Tournament team by averaging 4.00 kills per set over the two matches, and also added four block assists against No. 3 Texas. Cizmic again was honored, alongside Oleksak, during the Omni Invitational, where the Rams went 2-1. Cizmic recorded double-figure kill totals in all three matches while hitting .386 (14 kills on .571 versus New Orleans), while Oleksak provided 40-plus assists in each match (12.20 per set) and added a personal-best eight blocks against Chicago State.
OUR STATE
Head Coach Tom Hilbert is 102-21 (.829) against the Centennial State, including going 4-0 in 2014 and 3-0 in 2015. CSU lost to then-No.18 Colorado in Boulder on Sept. 17 (3-1) and will face Air Force in Colorado Springs on Nov. 19. CSU will not host an in-state rival at Moby this year. Hilbert has never lost a home match to a team from the state of Colorado, and boasts a 45-0 all-time home record against Colorado teams. The Rams' last home loss to a team from the Centennial State came in 1995 to Colorado. All-time at Moby Arena, CSU is 56-5 (.918) against its Colorado foes - Air Force, Colorado, Denver and Northern Colorado.
DOUBLE FRESHMEN DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Freshmen duo Katie Oleksak and Olivia Nicholson have registered a combined seven double-doubles this season. Oleksak has posted a double-double with assists and digs in four of her first six career collegiate matches. The pair has also posted a double-double in three matches together.
TOP OF THE TOURNAMENT
CSU has fared extremely well in regular season tournaments. Since 2009, the Rams are 46-12 (.793). At home tournaments under Head Coach Tom Hilbert - since 1997 - CSU is 77-16 (.828).
RAMS AGAINST THE `POWER 5'
CSU boasts an all-time record of 210-148-1 (.586) against current schools in "Power 5" conferences - ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and the SEC. This includes a 24-4 record against the current ACC members and a 44-20-1 mark against current Big 12 schools. CSU will play Pittsburgh (ACC), Baylor and Texas (Big 12) and Colorado (Pac-12) this season.
20 ONCE AGAIN
With its four-set win at Air Force on Nov. 5, 2015, CSU reached the 20-win plateau for the 21st straight season, marking every year since 1995. Entering 2015, only Nebraska (39 entering 2014), Penn State (37), Florida (23) and Hawai'i (20) have longer streaks than CSU. In 18 complete seasons under Head Coach Tom Hilbert, CSU has averaged 25.68 wins per season.
HILBERT IN HOME OPENERS
The Rams have won their home opener in 16 of their 20 seasons under Head Coach Tom Hilbert, including nine of the last 10 years. CSU beat North Dakota State, 3-0, in its home opener on Aug. 26, marking the seventh straight season that CSU has opened its season with a sweep.
SUSTAINED SUCCESS
With 21 consecutive berths in the NCAA tournament, CSU has established a winning tradition matched by few programs across the country. However, CSU is currently experiencing one of its best periods, going 85-9 (.904) since the start of the 2013 season. The Rams went 59-5 (.923) between 2013-14. The .923 mark is the best two-year winning percentage in program history, eclipsing the team's stretch between 1999-2000, when the team went a combined 62-8 (.886) and when to consecutive NCAA Sweet 16's.
FOUR RAMS RECEIVE MW SCHOLAR ATHLETE NODS
CSU student-athletes earned a total of 82 Scholar-Athlete awards from the Mountain West for their class work in the 2015-16 academic year. Four of those athletes were Rams volleyball players.
Alexandra Poletto, Jaime Colaizzi, Grace Gordon and Alex Reid all received the honor. The MW Scholar-Athlete award is the highest academic honor bestowed by the conference. To be eligible for selection, student-athletes must have completed at least two academic terms at the member institution, while maintaining a cumulative grade-point average of 3.5 or better, and have participated in varsity competition in an NCAA-sponsored sport.