Colorado State University Athletics
Thursday, October 24
Fort Collins, Colo.
7 PM MT
Colorado State
19-1, 9-0MW
3
vs
0
San Jose State
7-13, 2-7MW
1
2
3
F
San Jose State
16
18
19
0
Colorado State
25
25
25
3
Photo by: Cris Tiller
No. 14 Rams Extend Winning Streak with Sweep Over Spartans
10/24/2019 9:21:00 PM | Volleyball
Colorado State has won its last 18 matches and remains perfect in the Mountain West
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – With the suggestion by their coach, they cast each other a casual glance.
So what if the outsides aren't getting enough sets in system?
"That's because we like getting all the balls we can get," Kirstie Hiller said. "We want Katie (Oleksak) to set us everything she can, even though the outsides aren't maybe getting as much, but, I mean, I trust Paulina (Hougaard-Jensen) to put it down, so I'm OK with it."
Colorado State's dynamic senior middle blocker combination made a very valid argument in their distribution defense Thursday night at Moby Arena, both finishing with double-digit kills in a 25-16, 25-18, 25-19 sweep of San Jose State at Moby Arena.
It was the team's 18th consecutive victory as they moved to 19-1 overall, perfect in Mountain West play (9-0). Since conference competition has begun, the two girls at the center of the net are helping the Rams stand tall.
In the past eight matches, Hillyer and Hougaard-Jensen both have floored at least 10 kills six times, and Thursday was the fourth occasion they each doubled up in the same evening. All the while, Breana Runnels has been her normal self (seven double-digit performances in the span), and that's starting to draw attention.
In the match, the Spartans drew up a formula CSU head coach Tom Hilbert expects to see more than once down the line, which was to keep the Rams' junior outside hitter busy by serving her to make her pass before she could set up her launch.
"And I think it worked, and I think we have to go back and try to figure out how we can overcome that, because other people will see it," Hilbert said, with Runnels at eight kills on a night she hit just .034.
So, back to Hillyer's point – set them.
The match marked the fifth time in her current eight-match run where she has hit better than .600, finishing at a .625 clip by putting an exclamation point on the festivities with a loud swing. That put her at 11 kills, one behind Hougaard-Jensen, who hit .350 on the night.
"I don't think I'd particularly say I've been in a groove, but I just know that each game – we're getting toward the end of the season – and so each game I want to play as best as I can," she said. "I guess that's kind of turning out as being in a groove, but I just want to be able to play as well as I can for the team."
They do keep track of each other, too, as a way to make the other better and continue their all-conference pedigree. Hougaard-Jensen leads the conference in blocks, but it Hillyer who led the charge to nine with six block assists.
In the past three years of being a tandem, they have expanded their games. Hillyer has gotten better on slides, Hougaard-Jensen is now more than capable in front of the work Oleksak does at setter (34 assists after splitting the first set).
"Honestly, it's been hard. We compete in practice every day, but I feel like this year we've finally come to a spot where we both play well in every single game," Hougaard-Jensen said. "So that's very healthy competition."
And a very healthy offense, even if they both factor in as Option B.
Hilbert agreed, it's a rather nifty fallback position to take. And as much as he applauded the Spartans' for their tactics with Runnels, he was left to wonder why he felt they checked Hougaard-Jensen more than Hillyer.
Whatever. The point was made, the Rams have weapons, and some of them want the ball. A lot.
Just check the numbers.
"It's what we want to do. It's definitely what we want to do," Hilbert said. "That opens it up for other people. The only problem is it ends up that the outside hitters are only getting out-of-system balls, or getting a high percentage of out-of-system balls, and that can be sort of a drag on them. They know they're not getting a ton of unabated kills.
"But I don't really care. Because these guys take care of it and get us a lot of offensive production."
MATCH NOTES
- The Rams have won their last 18 matches – tied for the nation's longest
- The sweep was the 13th of the season.
- CSU also is tied for second in the country with a .950 winning percentage
- Both middle blockers led the offense, as Paulina Hougaard-Jensen and Kirstie Hillyer each reached double figures with 12 and 11 kills, respectfully
- Hillyer also led the team with a .625 hitting mark, committing just one attack error in 16 swings and put up a team-best six blocks, including two solo
- CSU totaled nine blocks in the sweep and kept the Spartans to a .067 hitting percentage
- Katie Oleksak dished out 34 assists
- Alexa Roumeliotis tallied 13 digs, while Brooke Hudson added 10.
- The Rams have kept 10 different opponents under a .100 hitting percentage
UP NEXT
Colorado State will stay in Moby Arena and host Nevada, who lost to Wyoming in straight sets tonight.
So what if the outsides aren't getting enough sets in system?
"That's because we like getting all the balls we can get," Kirstie Hiller said. "We want Katie (Oleksak) to set us everything she can, even though the outsides aren't maybe getting as much, but, I mean, I trust Paulina (Hougaard-Jensen) to put it down, so I'm OK with it."
Colorado State's dynamic senior middle blocker combination made a very valid argument in their distribution defense Thursday night at Moby Arena, both finishing with double-digit kills in a 25-16, 25-18, 25-19 sweep of San Jose State at Moby Arena.
It was the team's 18th consecutive victory as they moved to 19-1 overall, perfect in Mountain West play (9-0). Since conference competition has begun, the two girls at the center of the net are helping the Rams stand tall.
In the past eight matches, Hillyer and Hougaard-Jensen both have floored at least 10 kills six times, and Thursday was the fourth occasion they each doubled up in the same evening. All the while, Breana Runnels has been her normal self (seven double-digit performances in the span), and that's starting to draw attention.
In the match, the Spartans drew up a formula CSU head coach Tom Hilbert expects to see more than once down the line, which was to keep the Rams' junior outside hitter busy by serving her to make her pass before she could set up her launch.
"And I think it worked, and I think we have to go back and try to figure out how we can overcome that, because other people will see it," Hilbert said, with Runnels at eight kills on a night she hit just .034.
So, back to Hillyer's point – set them.
The match marked the fifth time in her current eight-match run where she has hit better than .600, finishing at a .625 clip by putting an exclamation point on the festivities with a loud swing. That put her at 11 kills, one behind Hougaard-Jensen, who hit .350 on the night.
"I don't think I'd particularly say I've been in a groove, but I just know that each game – we're getting toward the end of the season – and so each game I want to play as best as I can," she said. "I guess that's kind of turning out as being in a groove, but I just want to be able to play as well as I can for the team."
They do keep track of each other, too, as a way to make the other better and continue their all-conference pedigree. Hougaard-Jensen leads the conference in blocks, but it Hillyer who led the charge to nine with six block assists.
In the past three years of being a tandem, they have expanded their games. Hillyer has gotten better on slides, Hougaard-Jensen is now more than capable in front of the work Oleksak does at setter (34 assists after splitting the first set).
"Honestly, it's been hard. We compete in practice every day, but I feel like this year we've finally come to a spot where we both play well in every single game," Hougaard-Jensen said. "So that's very healthy competition."
And a very healthy offense, even if they both factor in as Option B.
Hilbert agreed, it's a rather nifty fallback position to take. And as much as he applauded the Spartans' for their tactics with Runnels, he was left to wonder why he felt they checked Hougaard-Jensen more than Hillyer.
Whatever. The point was made, the Rams have weapons, and some of them want the ball. A lot.
Just check the numbers.
"It's what we want to do. It's definitely what we want to do," Hilbert said. "That opens it up for other people. The only problem is it ends up that the outside hitters are only getting out-of-system balls, or getting a high percentage of out-of-system balls, and that can be sort of a drag on them. They know they're not getting a ton of unabated kills.
"But I don't really care. Because these guys take care of it and get us a lot of offensive production."
MATCH NOTES
- The Rams have won their last 18 matches – tied for the nation's longest
- The sweep was the 13th of the season.
- CSU also is tied for second in the country with a .950 winning percentage
- Both middle blockers led the offense, as Paulina Hougaard-Jensen and Kirstie Hillyer each reached double figures with 12 and 11 kills, respectfully
- Hillyer also led the team with a .625 hitting mark, committing just one attack error in 16 swings and put up a team-best six blocks, including two solo
- CSU totaled nine blocks in the sweep and kept the Spartans to a .067 hitting percentage
- Katie Oleksak dished out 34 assists
- Alexa Roumeliotis tallied 13 digs, while Brooke Hudson added 10.
- The Rams have kept 10 different opponents under a .100 hitting percentage
UP NEXT
Colorado State will stay in Moby Arena and host Nevada, who lost to Wyoming in straight sets tonight.
#PointRams
Team Stats
SJS
CSU
Kills
28
49
Errors
21
16
Attempts
105
106
Hitting %
.067
.311
Points
37.0
61.0
Assists
26
42
Aces
4
3
Blocks
5.0
9.0
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
12
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
6
Kills
8
Aces
1
Blocks
2
Kills
8
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Players Mentioned
MB
/ VolleyballMB
/ Volleyball
DS/L
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
DS/L
/ VolleyballOH
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