California State University at Northridge
North Texas
CSUN Opens Home Season Friday Against North Texas
8/28/2018 4:39:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
MATADORS THIS WEEK - CSUN/PEPPERDINE CHALLENGE:
MATCH #1 (SEASON MATCH #4):
North Texas Mean Green (3-0) at CSUN Matadors (1-2)
Friday, Aug. 31, 2018 - 6 p.m. PDT
The Matadome - Northridge, Calif.
Live Stats
Live Video Webcast
In-game Twitter updates:Â @CSUNWVB
MATCH #2 (SEASON MATCH #5):
Idaho Vandals (2-1) at CSUN Matadors (1-2)
Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018 - 5 p.m. PDT
The Matadome - Northridge, Calif.
Live Stats
Live Video Webcast
In-game Twitter updates:Â @CSUNWVB
MATCH #3 (SEASON MATCH #6):
CSUN Matadors (1-2) at Pepperdine Waves (1-2)
Sunday, Sept. 2, 2018 - 2 p.m. PDT
Firestone Fieldhouse - Malibu, Calif.
Live Stats
In-game Twitter updates:Â @CSUNWVB
FORÂ STARTERS
The CSUN women's volleyball team (1-2, 0-0 Big West) co-hosts the CSUN/Pepperdine Challenge this week to kick off the 2018 home schedule. The Matadors host North Texas (3-0) Friday at 6 p.m. and Idaho (2-1) Saturday at 5 p.m., before traveling to Malibu to take on Pepperdine (1-2) Sunday at 2 p.m. The Matadors opened the season last weekend, winning one of three matches at the Hornet Invitational in Sacramento.Â
FOLLOW YOUR MATADORS ONLINE
Both CSUN matches this weekend will have live stats and will be streamed live through by the CSUN Sports Network presented by Dignity Health via Big West TV (links available on the women's volleyball schedule page at GoMatadors.com).
All non-televised home matches this season will streamed live by the CSUNSports Network presented by Dignity Health via Big West TV and will also include live stats coverage at GoMatadors.com. For road matches, related links to the match, including for any live stats, audio and video, will be posted before the match on the women's volleyball schedule page of GoMatadors.com. Fans are also encouraged to check the CSUNAthletics Department's official Twitter feed (@GoMatadors) and the volleyball-specific feed (@CSUNWVB) for news and notes throughout the week as well as updates of matches in progress.
SCOUTING THE CSUN/PEPPERDINE CHALLENGE FIELD
North Texas (3-1) swept all three matches of its North Texas Invitational last weekend. The Mean Greene, who travel to No. 12 Baylor on Tuesday, swept Nicholls, Northeastern and Kent State on their home floor. Sophomore OH Valerie Valerian averaged 4.11 kills per set on .453 hitting to lead North Texas in the three wins while fellow sophomore OH Barbara Teakell added 3.44 kps. Series: CSUN and North Texas have met once previously with the Matadors winning in straight sets in 1992.
Idaho (2-1) won two of three matches at its own Idaho Volleyball Classic last weekend. The Vandals swept Santa Clara and defeated Grand Canyon in five sets before falling to New Mexico in five. Senior OH Kaela Straw is averaging a team-high 4.46 kps over Idaho's first three matches, hitting .420 on 112 attacks. Series:Â CSUN is 9-6 all-time against its former Big West rival and has won six straight in the series that dates back to 1994.
Pepperdine (1-2) opened the season at the Panther Challenge in Pittsburgh, Pa., falling to No. 24 Cal Poly (3-1) before sweeping Butler and dropping a 3-0 decision to No. 20 Pittsburgh. Sophomore OH Shannon Scully averaged 4.60 kps to lead the Waves who hit .273 as a team. Series:Â Pepperdine holds a 10-3 lead in the all-time series with the Matadors. CSUN snapped a two-match skid to the Waves after taking a 3-1 victory in The Matadome last season.
OWENS NAMED ALL-TOURNAMENT
Senior Aeryn Owens was the lone Matador named to the Hornet Invitational All-Tournament team after averaging 4.08 kills per set on .343 hitting. Owens, who led or tied for the CSUN lead in kills in 26 of 28 matches last season, was the Matador kill leader in all three matches in Sacramento. She hit a career-high .476 (11-1-21) against Arizona before posting her first double-double of the season (19th career) with 18 kills and 16 digs in CSUN's 3-2 win over Sacramento State. She nearly added a second after putting down a match-high 24 kills to go with nine digs against Utah State.Â
MATADOR DEBUTS
A trio of players made their CSUN debut in Sacramento including true freshmen Lexi McLeod and Nicole Nevarez along with redshirt freshman Hannah Merjil.
Merjil, who redshirted the 2017 season, had a team-high 79 assists (6.08 per set) while also tying for the team lead with five aces. She also contributed 18 digs which is fourth-best on the team through three matches. McLeod and Nevarez both had impressive weekends in their first collegiate action. McLeod recorded 36 kills (2.77 kills per set) and 34 digs (2.62 digs per set) which ranked second in both categories. She also matched Merjil with five aces, including a match-high four aces against Utah State. Nevarez posted double figures in kills in two of the three matches, including a season-high 15 kills against Utah State. For the week, Nevarez averaged 2.46 kills per set on .284 hitting along with seven blocks and five digs.Â
COACHES CORNER
Matador head coach Jeff Stork shares his thoughts each week on the team, this week's matches and other topics.
On the team's performance at the Hornet Invitational: "I think we learned a lot about our personnel, what we did well and what we need to work on. We're always looking to maximize our strengths and minimize our weaknesses and we might make a few adjustments this weekend. We need to shore up a couple of areas. One of the things is our first contact, whether that's the serve, the pass or the dig. We have to be better in those three areas. We saw some good stuff with most of our attackers but need to clean up some of our mistakes. I'm just hoping the girls keep an open mind when it comes to lineup changes."Â
MATADOR QUICK SETS
In addition to Merjil at setter, junior Kamalu Makekau-Whittaker had a solid weekend with 51 assists (3.92 per set), 15 digs and one ace ... Senior libero Kristey Markle added four aces to her career total which now stands at 74 ... Junior Morgan Salone had season-highs of 12 kills, 23 attacks, six blocks and a .478 hitting clip against Utah State ... CSUN is hitting .214 as a team through three matches while its opponents are hitting .272.Â
OWENS MOVES UP TO 10TH IN CAREER KILLS
With 53 kills over three matches last weekend, senior Aeryn Owens moved into 10th-place in CSUN history with 1,142 career kills. Owens, who was 11th with 1,109 kills heading into the season, moved past Angela Hupp on the Matador career kills list. Hupp had 1,122 kills from 2006-09. Owens now trails Mahina Haina (2010-13) and ninth place by 39 kills.Â
| 1. | Laura Walter (1998-01) | 1,694 |
| 2. | Missy Clements (1991-94) | 1,484 |
| 3. | Kathleen Dixon (1987-90) | 1,326 |
| 4. | Nancy Nicholls (1989-92) | 1,251 |
| 5. | Natalie Allen (2010-14) | 1,215 |
| 5. | Casey Hinger (2011-14) | 1,215 |
| 7. | Cieana Stinson (2012-15) | 1,213 |
| 8. | Alexis Cormier (1998-01) | 1,196 |
| 9. | Mahina Haina (2010-13) | 1,181 |
| 10. | Aeryn Owens (2015-) | 1,142 |
| 11. | Angela Hupp (2006-09) | 1,122 |
| 12. | Nancy Ma (1996-98) | 1,030 |
| 13 | Ana Kristich (1991-94) | 1,004 |
UP NEXT
Following this weekend's CSUN/Pepperdine Challenge, the Matadors head back out on the road for their next two tournaments to conclude the non-conference schedule. CSUNÂ heads to Flagstaff, Ariz. next week (Sept. 7-8) to take on No. 4 Florida, Southern Illinois and Northern Arizona at the Lumberjack Classic.
#GoMatadors
