CSU set to open 2016 at home

Aug. 24, 2016

LINKS: Complete Release (PDF) | 2016 Volleyball Media Guide | Quick Facts (PDF)

RAMS READY TO OPEN 2016 SEASON AT HOME
The CSU Rams enter 2016 similarly to how they've entered the previous six seasons - as the defending Mountain West champions. The team's lineup heading into the season opener will be a little less familiar, however.

Eight freshmen (including two redshirts) make up more than half of the team's 15-player roster. Add in junior transfer McKenna Thornlow (North Texas), and there will be a lot of new faces on the court for 2016. CSU has only one senior - Cassidy Denny - on its roster.

Even with the roster turnover, the Rams were still chosen by the league's coaches as the favorite to win the Mountain West in 2016, and were voted No. 25 in the AVCA Preseason Division I Coaches Poll.

CSU opens the year hosting North Dakota State (Friday, 6 p.m. MT) and St. Mary's (Saturday, 7 p.m.) at Moby Arena. The Rams will then play their next four matches away from home, starting with a visit to Greeley to play Northern Colorado on Aug. 30.

Denny is joined by Preseason All-MW honoree Alexandra Poletto, Jasmine Hanna and Sanja Čizmic and Katie Craig as the only five Rams to see playing time in 2015. Thornlow saw significant action in her two seasons (2014-15) at North Texas.

Head Coach Tom 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.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT - North Dakota State
Quick Hits: North Dakota State went 19-12 overall in 2015, including a 10-6 mark in Summit League play, good for fourth in the conference... NDSU ran a 6-2 offense last season, and both setters return... Mikaela Purnell, the Bison's leader in digs, also returns and is listed as an OH/DS... CSU and NDSU did not play a mutual opponent last season, but the Bison did face current Ram McKenna Thornlow and her North Texas squad in the second match of the year... Series History - CSU vs. NDSU: The only meeting between the programs took place on Oct. 1, 1983, as the Rams took a 2-0 victory in Greeley, Colo., in Rich Feller's first season as CSU's head coach.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT - Saint Mary's
Quick Hits: Saint Mary's went 6-22 (1-17 WCC) last season, and returns its leaders in kills, assists, digs and blocks... Lindsey Knudsen returns as the team leader in kills and service aces, and was named to the All-WCC Freshmen Team in 2015... SMC swept Fresno State and lost twice to Loyola Marymount, but did take LMU to five sets at home... Series History - CSU vs. Saint Mary's: CSU and Saint Mary's have met once, a matchup in Moby Arena on Sept. 21, 2001... CSU swept the match 3-0, its seventh match of the season... The Rams went on to go 29-4 and 15-0 at home that year.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT - Northern Colorado
Quick Hits: Northern Colorado went 14-16 (10-6 Big Sky), tying for first in the Big Sky's North Division... The Bears return four starters and 10 letterwinners from last season, including their top setter and top two middle blockers... Returning setter Ashley Guthrie was named First Team All-Big Sky after ranking second in the league with 11.29 assists/set... The Bears won their final six matches of the regular season before falling in the Big Sky quarterfinals... Series History - CSU vs. UNC: The Rams are 20-6 all-time against the Bears, and have not lost since 1982... CSU is 9-4 all-time in Greeley against the Bears... UNC won the first three meetings between the programs, 1976-78... CSU swept UNC at Moby Arena last season.

HILBERT IN HOME OPENERS
The Rams have won their home opener in 15 of their 19 seasons under Head Coach Tom Hilbert, including eight of the last nine years. CSU beat Baylor, 3-0, in its home opener a year ago, marking the sixth straight season that CSU has opened its season with a sweep.

REGULAR SEASON STREAKING
The Rams enter 2016 riding a 20-match regular season win streak, dating back to Sept. 20, 2015 against Eastern Kentucky. The stretch is the second-longest of its kind in program history. CSU won 35 consecutive regular season matchups from Oct. 12, 2012-Nov. 23, 2013.

MOUNTAIN WEST DOMINATION
CSU has won 60 of its last 62 Mountain West matches, and overall, the Rams have won more than 87 percent of their MW contests all-time (233-33, .876 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).

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 25.68wins per season.

RAMS NO. 25 IN AVCA DIVISION I COACHES POLL
The Rams checked in at No. 25 in the preseason AVCA Division I Coaches Poll, and have now been ranked in 46 consecutive polls, the third-longest streak in program history. The Rams began the 2015 campaign ranked No. 12, and reached a season-best No. 9 national ranking after CSU closed the first week of the season with a 3-0 record. CSU has been ranked in 282 total polls, a figure which ranks tied for 13th in the NCAA. CSU has been ranked in the top 10 for a total of 76 weeks in its history, which ranks 18th among all schools.

'FRESH' FACES SET TO LEAD CSU
CSU will have its youngest team during Head Coach Tom Hilbert's tenure, with eight freshmen (six true, two redshirt) on the roster. Multiple freshmen figure to have key roles in 2016, including redshirt freshman middle blocker Kirstie Hillyer. Hillyer competed for the Mountain West All-Star squad at the 2016 European Global Challenge this summer, leading all players in hitting percentage and earning a bronze medal. Olivia Nicholson, an outside hitter from North Platte, Nebraska, has proven to be versatile in fall camp and could become a six-rotation player. Katie Oleksak will start at setter as a true freshman, and Amanda Young will likely see significant time as a defensive specialist. Paulina Hougaard-Jensen, a native of Denmark, has been a strong blocking presence in the middle, while Breana Runnels and Jessica Jackson have impressed with their athleticism on the outside. Amazing Ashby, a middle blocker who also be on the CSU track squad, will likely redshirt.

FRESHMAN OLEKSAK SET TO RUN RAMS OFFENSE
Katie Oleksak, a freshman setter from Phoenix, Arizona, arrived on campus this semester, already slotted into a starting role for the Rams beginning day one. An Under Armour All-America selection as a high school senior, Oleksak has impressed the coaching staff early with her maturity and focus. She also will join a list of CSU freshmen setters that includes recent legends Deedra Foss and Ashley Fornstrom, who each started all four years of their career and rank fifth and third on CSU's career assists list, respectively.

CSU VOLLEYBALL TABBED AS MOUNTAIN WEST FAVORITES FOR 2016
Colorado State, the seven-time defending Mountain West champions, were once again pegged as conference favorites heading into 2016 by the league's coaches. Alexandra Poletto was also named to the Preseason All-Mountain West squad.

CSU, who is ranked 25th in the AVCA Division I Preseason Coaches Poll, received six out of a possible 11 first-place votes, totaling 96 points. Boise State snagged four first-place markers and totaled 92 points for second on the list, while Wyoming earned one first-place vote and 80 points for third place.

The Rams have won 13 of the 17 regular-season Mountain West titles and holds an .876 winning percentage (247-35) during that span. CSU has been slotted first in the Mountain West preseason poll nine times and has received at least one first-place vote every season. Of the previous eight times the Rams were chosen first, they went on to win the league seven times.

Poletto, a junior middle blocker from Toronto, received All-Mountain West recognition for the first time in 2015 after leading the team in blocking and ranking second in hitting percentage. She posted 10-plus kills on nine occasions and had at least six blocks in each of the final nine matches of the season. Her 1.33 blocks per set was good for 29th in the NCAA.

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.

OUR STATE
Head Coach Tom Hilbert is 102-20 (.836) against the Centennial State, including going 4-0 in 2014. The Rams most-recently defeated Air Force on Nov. 5. 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.

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).

NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS
Lasting parts of three seasons, CSU won 16-consecutive regular-season non-conference matches before falling to No. 4 Wisconsin on Sept. 6, 2014. Previously, the Rams' most-recent regular-season non-conference loss came Sept. 15, 2012 to No. 2 UCLA. Beginning in 2012, the streak included a 10-0 mark in 2013, and extended into the first two weeks of the 2014 season.

The Rams concluded non-conference play in 2014 at 12-1, defeating two top-20 teams in addition to two teams receiving top-25 votes at the time. Overall, CSU is 28-4 (.875) in non-conference action since the beginning of the 2013 season.

TOP OF THE TOURNAMENT
CSU has fared extremely well in regular season tournaments. Since 2009, the Rams are 43-7 (.860), including going 3-0 with three sweeps at the 2015 Rams Volleyball Classic on Aug. 28-29. At home tournaments under Head Coach Tom Hilbert - since 1997 - CSU is 77-14 (.846). The Rams will host Wichita State and Texas for the 2016 Rams Volleyball Classic on Sept. 8-10.

HOW SWEET IT IS
After building quality wins and a strong RPI, CSU was selected to host NCAA tournament sub-regional matches at Moby Arena in 2014. The Rams opened the tournament with a straight-sets victory over Denver before beating No. 19 Colorado in a five-set instant classic. The win advanced CSU to the regional semifinal (Round of 16) for the first time since 2009, and the 10th time in program history. CSU has qualified for the NCAA tournament all 19 years under Head Coach Tom Hilbert, and dating back to 1995, has played in the postseason in 21-consecutive seasons. It is the seventh-longest active streak in the nation and the 10th-longest in NCAA women's volleyball history.

RAM FOR LIFE
The winningest coach in Colorado State athletics history will remain a Ram for life. Head Coach Tom Hilbert - who has led the CSU volleyball program since 1997 - signed a new contract in August, keeping him in Fort Collins through the 2018 season. His base salary of $200,000 puts him among the five highest-paid public-university coaches in the sport of volleyball.

"Colorado State has always answered the bell, and I really appreciate that," Hilbert said. "I want to continue coaching here as long as they'll have me. This really means that Colorado State is my final resting place."

Hilbert also added that the stability will help in elevating the program to a new level.

"Our department is making a statement about how important volleyball is at Colorado State. This is a great program. Kids come here and they look around and they go, 'Wow, volleyball matters at this school. Colorado State is someplace special.' That is what you want to be able to sell. If you're at Colorado State, that's how you're going to beat a bigger school on a recruit. We can show them that it's better here from a support standpoint, because it is."

MOUNTAIN WEST NETWORK
Now in its third season, the Mountain West Network - which won a 2013 Emmy Award through the Heartland chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for its technical achievement - will again broadcast all home and conference road matches.

The MWN allows CSU volleyball fans to live stream every home match and all conference road matches from their computer, smart phone or handheld device. The service is free of charge, and for home contests, the stream is a high-quality broadcast featuring multiple camera angles and instant replay. Additionally, all MWN streams are immediately archived, and can be re-viewed online at any time. For all streams and video content, please visit www.CSURams.com/videos.

HILBERT'S HAPPY HOUR
For an even deeper look inside CSU volleyball, fans are encouraged to attend Hilbert's Happy Hour, a weekly show at The Boot Grill from 5-6 each Tuesday. The hour-long get-together allows the veteran coach to review the week prior, preview the week ahead, answer questions and give a brief 'chalk talk' where he breaks down a certain aspect of the sport of volleyball to his fans. Each week, Hilbert also brings a player guest with him. The Boot is located at 130 W. Laurel St., Unit B. Food and drink specials will be available.

ROOT SPORTS COACHES SHOW
Head Coach Tom Hilbert will once again make weekly apperances during the season on ROOT Sports' "Rams Report", which will air at 6:30 p.m. MT every Thursday.

SOCIAL RAMS
Colorado State offers fans and media members several ways to follow the CSU volleyball team. In addition to CSURams.com, which is updated daily with all of the latest news on CSU athletics, fans can log onto www.RamVolleyball.colostate.edu for an inside look into all things Rams volleyball.

CSU has also expanded its volleyball coverage on social media. Like the team on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/CSUvolleyball) and follow the team on Twitter and Instagram (@CSUvolleyball) for daily photos, videos and breaking news. Fans can also get insight from Coach Hilbert by following him on Twitter (@CoachHilbert). Those tweeting are encouraged to use the hashtags #PointRams, in addition to CSURams and NCAAvb.

For live, in-game updates for all 16 of CSU's Division I programs, follow @CSURamsGameday on Twitter. The account provides up-to-date scores and insight for CSU athletic events.

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Players Mentioned

Jaime Colaizzi

Katie Craig

Adrianna Culbert

Cassidy Denny

Deedra Foss

Grace Gordon

Jasmine Hanna

Kirstie Hillyer

Paulina Hougaard-Jensen

Jessica Jackson

Olivia Nicholson

Katie Oleksak

Alexandra Poletto

Alex Reid

Marlee Reynolds

Breana Runnels

Kelsey Snider

McKenna Thornlow

Amanda Young

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Colorado State University Athletics