Match notes: CSU to host Wyoming in regular season finale

Nov. 21, 2016

Match 29: Colorado State (20-8, 14-3 MW) vs. Wyoming (18-12, 11-6 MW)
Tuesday, Nov. 22 | 7 p.m. MT | Fort Collins, Colo. | Moby Arena
Tickets | Video | | Twitter: @CSUVolleyball, @CSURamsGameday

Season Stats | Complete Release (PDF)

CSU TO CLOSE REGULAR SEASON WITH 'BORDER WAR' MEETING AGAINST WYOMING
The Colorado State Rams will host Wyoming on Tuesday night for their regular season finale. The match will begin at 7 p.m. MT at Moby Arena. CSU will also honor lone senior Cassidy Denny pre-match for Senior Night.

The Rams, who sit No. 48 in the NCAA RPI as of Monday, are aiming for a win that would boost their chances of earning their 22nd consecutive NCAA Tournament bid. CSU (20-8, 14-3 MW) reached the 20-win plateau for the 22nd consecutive year with its win over Air Force on Saturday.

The match will be Denny's 121st as a Ram. She ranks in the top 10 all-time at CSU in digs and reception percentage, and has started every match at libero this year. She has helped guide CSU to three MW titles and three NCAA Tournament appearances, and she also received academic all-conference recognition in her first three seasons.

The Rams have clinched at least a second-place finish in the MW standings for 2016, sitting three full games ahead of UNLV and Wyoming in third. With a CSU win and a Boise State loss to Air Force on Tuesday, CSU would earn a share of the league title.

CSU's offensive efficiency has improved throughout the season, and the Rams now sit eighth in the NCAA in team hitting percentage (.288), while ranking No. 3 in team blocking (3.34 per set). CSU is the only team to rank in the top 10 in each category.

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 Čizmic 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 in 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.

QUICK HITS - WYOMING: Wyoming enters the season finale with an 18-12 (11-6 MW) record, having lose 3-of-4 following a five-match win streak... The Cowgirls went 7-6 out of conference, including four matches against ranked foes... Wyoming is 7-2 in MW play at home, but only 4-4 on the road... The Cowgirls excel defensively, averaging 2.67 blocks per set (2nd MW) while holding opponents to .158 hitting (1st MW).

SERIES HISTORY - CSU vs. WYOMING: CSU is 59-20 all-time against Wyoming, but lost in Laramie in four sets earlier this season... CSU has not lost to Wyoming in Fort Collins since 1996... The loss earlier this year snapped a 10-match win streak in the series for the Rams... The Rams are 31-8 all-time at home against the Cowgirls, including a sweep of Wyoming last season.

20 ONCE AGAIN
With its sweep of Air Force on Nov. 19, CSU reached the 20-win plateau for the 21st consecutive season, marking every yera since 1995. Entering 2016, only Nebraska (40 entering 2016), Penn State (38), Florida (24) and Hawai'i (21) have longer streaks than CSU. In 19 complete seasons under Head Coach Tom Hilbert, CSU has averaged 25.68 wins per season.

#MOBYMADNESS
The Colorado State Rams annually have one of the best home court advantages in the country, and currently rank 13th in the NCAA in average attendance at 2,170. 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 3.34 per set, picking up where it left off a year ago when the team ranked eighth. Kirstie Hillyer ranks first in the MW and fifth in the NCAA (1.56), while Alexandra Poletto is third and 38th, respectively (1.30). 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). Olivia Nicholson has been a blocking machine from the right side during MW play, averaging 1.15 per set. Katie Oleksak ranks second among all setters nationally with 0.93 blocks per set.

INCREASING OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY [PART I - PERCENTAGES]
The Rams boast a team hitting percentage of .288, which entered the week ranked eighth in the NCAA. CSU has hit .300 or better in 14 matches. The Rams are hitting .297 against league opponents overall. CSU has also hit over .400 three times, including a season-high .500 vs. New Orleans (43-5-76) on Sept. 16. 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]
CSU has boasted a varied offensive attack all season. 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 is averaging over 2.50 kills per set on better than .350 hitting. Olivia Nicholson is contributing 2.00-plus kills in her first season and playing all six rotations. Katie Oleksak is 18th in the NCAA in assists (second among freshmen). 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 four 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 2.00 kills or more, and all five have had 440-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.

A SETTER THAT DOES MORE THAN SET
Freshman setter Katie Oleksak has stepped up in her rookie season in a big way. She is the only player in the country averaging 11 assists, 2 digs and 0.90 blocks per set or more. The Phoenix native is 18th in the NCAA (second among all freshmen) in assists, averaging 11.23 per set. She has also led the CSU offense to a .288 team hitting percentage (eighth NCAA). Oleksak has proven to be effective in multiple facets of the game. She is one of the top-ranking setters in blocking, averaging 0.93 per set. Over 17 MW matches, Oleksak has tallied 11.31 assists and 0.97 blocks per set. The Phoenix native is second on the team in digs (2.05 per set), registering double-digit dig totals seven times. Oleksak was also recently named one the NCAA's top 10 true freshmen (any position) by FloVolleyball.

KIRSTIE HILLYER KILLYER
Redshirt freshman Kirstie Hillyer has been killin' it in her first season of collegiate play, averaging 2.52 kills per set on .355 hitting. Her hitting percentage ranks 60th in the NCAA and sixth among all freshmen at any position. Hillyer had a personal-best 18 kills on .533 hitting in a critical five-set win over UNLV on Nov. 3. She also ranks first in the MW and fifth in the NCAA in blocking (1.56), leading all NCAA freshmen.

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 2.91 kills per set, reaching double-figures in 17 matches. She's also led the team in kills a team-best 11 times, and had a season-high 20 kills at Boise State on Nov. 16. Hanna is the only CSU player to reach the 20-kill plateau this season.

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 2.94 kills per set. Cizmic has led the team in kills on 10 occasions this season and has hit double-digit kill totals 22 times. 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.

POLETTO LEADS THE .700 (.800??) CLUB
Junior middle blocker Alexandra Poletto has eclipsed the .700 hitting percentage mark on four occasions this year, posting at least 9 kills in each match. 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), then set a new personal best with an .818 mark (9-0-11) at Nevada on Nov. 12.

SERVING ACES
CSU has two players ranked in the top dozen in the MW in service aces per set. McKenna Thornlow is averaging 0.27/set (11th) and Cassidy Denny is just below her at 0.25. Thornlow has registered at least a pair of aces in 9 matches this season. Kirstie Hillyer has also shown the ability to score off on serves. The middle blocker had 5 at Boise State on Nov. 16, the most in a match by any Ram in 2016.

#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 (508-121). The Rams have won 20-plus matches in all 20 seasons under Hilbert, making the NCAA Tournament each year. CSU has allotted 18 conference titles during his tenure - 13 regular season plus five tournament championships.

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.

DOUBLE FRESHMEN DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Freshmen duo Katie Oleksak and Olivia Nicholson have registered a combined 11 double-doubles this season. Oleksak 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.

OUR STATE
Head Coach Tom Hilbert is 103-21 (.831) 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 swept Air Force on Nov. 19. Hilbert has never lost a home match to a team from the state of Colorado, and boasts a 46-0 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 57-5 (.919) against its Colorado foes - Air Force, Colorado, Denver and Northern Colorado.

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).

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.

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