Nevada improves to 5-2 on road
The Nevada volleyball team will take its season-long winning streak to Hawaii when it faces the Rainbow Wahine Friday night.The Wolf Pack (4-2 Western Athletic Conference, 7-6) won its third match in a row Saturday after defeating San Jose State in straight sets and sweeping Fresno State Thursday in California.
Nevada will try to defeat Hawaii, the 11-time WAC champion, for the first time in league play.
Hawaii comes into the match with an 11-3 record (5-0 WAC) and a No. 12-ranking in the CSTV/AVCA Coaches Top 25 poll. Nevada has never beaten Hawaii in 19 tries, but came close in 2004 when two of three matches went five games. Hawaii won the WAC Tournament title over Nevada in four games that year.
The Wolf Pack won its fourth and fifth road matches of the season last week. Nevada is now 5-2 on the road.
Nevada beat the Spartans 30-28, 30-18 and 31-29, and the Bulldogs 30-28, 30-23 and 30-28.
Senior Teal Ericson led the Wolf Pack with 20 kills, senior Karly Sipherd added 11 and sophomore Jorgan Staker had 10. Junior Ashley Miller dished out 46 assists and junior Allison Hernandez had a game-high 22 digs.
Attack percentage separated the two teams with Nevada averaging .250 and San Jose a .113.
Nevada used a 5-0 run in the first game to break a 12-all tie with Ericson ending the game with her 10th kill. The Wolf Pack out-hit the Spartans .286 to .217.
Nevada never trailed in the second game as it raced to a 6-0 lead and the defense limited San Jose State’s attack to a -.111 percentage. Nevada hit .200 for the game.
The Wolf Pack came back from game point in the third frame when Kylie Harrington tied the game at 29 with a kill. Sipherd and Harrington blocked the next point and Staker hit her 10th kill to end the match. Nevada bested San Jose State in attack percentage in the game, .250 to .190.
Ericson and Sipherd combined for 30 kills against Fresno State with each hitting 15. Nicole Link recorded 10 kills and Miller posted 39 assists. Hernandez led with 20 digs and Miller added nine. Sipherd also had six block assists as Nevada out-blocked the Bulldogs 11-6.
The first game saw the Wolf Pack jump to a 7-1 lead as it never trailed. Nevada hit .333 in the game, while Fresno Stage managed to hit .045.
Nevada needed a big rally in the second game after it trailed 16-10. The Wolf Pack took the lead after a 16-5 run to go up 26-21 and end the game hitting .163. The Bulldogs finished with a .070.
Multiple ties surrounded the final game when both teams tied 13 times before Nevada pulled out a two-point win. Link hit her 10th kill to give Nevada the win.
Nevada returns home next week against Fresno State on Thursday and Utah State on Saturday.
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