California State University at Northridge
Fresno State
CSUN Hosts Fresno State Wednesday in 2023 Home Opener
8/30/2023 11:43:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
CSUNÂ THIS WEEK:
MATCH #4
Fresno State Bulldogs (1-2) at CSUN Matadors (0-3)
Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023Â - 6Â p.m. PDT
Premier America Credit Union Arena - Northridge, Calif.
Live Stats // Watch
MATCH #5
CSUN Matadors at Fresno State Bulldogs
Friday, Sept. 1, 2023Â - 6Â p.m. PDT
Save Mart Center - Fresno, Calif.
Live Stats // Watch
In-game Twitter updates:Â @CSUNWVB
FORÂ STARTERS
After opening the 2023 season on the road last weekend, the CSUN women's volleyball team (0-3, 0-0 Big West) gets the home season underway this week as the Matadors host Fresno State (1-2) on Wednesday at 6 p.m. CSUN and Fresno State then completes the home-and-home series Friday in Fresno at 6 p.m. CSUN played a pair of five-set matches last weekend, falling 3-2 to both Santa Clara and San José State before dropping a 3-1 decision to California Baptist at the Santa Clara/SJSU Invitational (Aug. 25-26).
FOLLOW YOUR MATADORS
Follow CSUN Matador women's volleyball online at the official home of CSUN athletics, www.GoMatadors.com. All home matches will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Darren Preston handling the play-by-play and CSUN men's volleyball assistant coach Ryan Mason providing commentary for select matches. All matches will also feature live stats 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 CSUN Athletics 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 OPPOSITION
Fresno State (1-2) comes into Wednesday's match after winning one of its three matches at the Butler Bulldog Brawl in Indianapolis last weekend. The Bulldogs fell to UC San Diego (3-1) and Butler (3-1) before topping Kent State in four sets. Freshman Libero Dionii Fraga is third in the Mountain West with 55 digs (4.58 digs per set) and tied for ninth in the conference with five service ages, a 0.42 average per set.Â
Series: Wednesday's match is the 16th meeting all-time between CSUN and Fresno State with the Matadors holding a 15-10 edge in the series. The Bulldogs claimed the last meeting between the two teams, winning in four sets in Fresno in 2021. The Matadors are 6-2 all-time against Fresno State in Northridge.
ORSHOFF DOUBLES UP, CLOSES IN ON 1,000 CAREER KILLS
Taylor Orshoff, who opened the season with 786 career kills, added 35 kills to her total last weekend and now needs 179 kills this season to become the 15th player in program history to reach 1,000 career kills. After putting down 170 kills as a freshman in 2019, Orshoff had a team-high 314 kills in 2021 before posting 302 kills last season. Orshoff also posted a career first last weekend, recording the first two double-doubles of her career. She had identical 13 kill-11 dig performances against both San Jose State and California Baptist last weekend which surpassed her previous career-high in digs which was eight against UC San Diego in 2021. Orshoff has now reached double figures in kills 38 times in her CSUN career.
KNUDSEN DIGS IN
Graduate transfer Kelsey Knudsen had an impressive opening weekend in a CSUN uniform, leading the Matadors in digs all three matches. Knudsen had at least 18 digs in all three matches, including a season-high 23 digs in five sets against San Jose State. With 19 digs against Santa Clara and 18 against California Baptist, Knudsen finished the opening weekend with a team-high 60 digs while averaging 4.29 digs per set which ranks seventh in the Big West.
BARRON ADDS TO CAREER DOUBLE-DOUBLE TOTAL
Carisa Barron, the only Big West women's volleyball player with multiple triple-doubles last season (UC Riverside's Tayler Hifo had one), added her first double-double of the season against California Baptist on Saturday. Barron posted 26 assists and 13 digs against the Lancers, her ninth career double-double. She just missed a double-double with 19 assists and nine kills against Santa Clara.
MILLER, STARKEY HAVE STRONG OPENING WEEKEND
Sophomore Leah Miller and junior Perri Starkey also had strong starts to the season. Miller ranks second on the team in kills after the opening weekend (28) while Starkey ranks third (27). Starkey, who also added 18 digs, led CSUN with 11 kills in the season opener against Santa Clara while Miller posted a season-high 12 kills on .313 hitting against California Baptist on Saturday. Miller also ranks second on the squad in blocks with nine through three matches.
MATADOR DEBUTS
In addition to Knudsen's successful debut weekend as a Matador, a host of CSUN players made her debut last weekend. After redshirting the 2022 season as a freshman, Tatiana Turgeon made her debut off the bench against San Jose State before entering the starting lineup against California Baptist. Turgeon posted her first collegiate kill against the Spartans before knocking down 10 kills on 13 errorless attacks to hit an impressive .769 Saturday against the Lancers. Fellow redshirt freshman Iye Okolo also started two matches in the middle, posting three kills and three blocks in two matches on Friday. Freshman Taylor Dunlap combined with Carisa Barron at the setter spot and had 57 assists (4.07 aps) in three matches while also adding 13 digs (0.93) and one ace. Dunlap had a season-high 23 assists against California Baptist on Saturday. Fellow freshman Paige Sentes also played in all three matches, posting 21 digs (1.50 dps), one assist and one ace. Sophia Jarosz also made her debut against San Jose State, taking a pair of swings in one set.
CSUN QUICK SETS
Redshirt junior Taylor Hunter was CSUN's leading blocker in the three opening matches, posting 16 total blocks including one solo stuff. Offensively, Hunter also surpassed 300 career kills with 19 kills over three matches ... Barron moved into third in the Big West in aces with nine in three matches, an average of 0.64.Â
CSUN IN HOME OPENERSÂ
CSUN comes into Wednesday's match against Fresno State with a record of 21-22 (.488) all-time in home openers dating back to 1976. The Matadors swept Cal State Bakersfield in their 2022 home and conference home opener to improve to 25-12 (.676) in 37 previous conference home openers from 1976-89 and 1996-2022. The Matadors competed as an NCAA Div. I Independent from 1990- 95, including the 1993 season which was John Price's first stint as the head coach of the CSUN women's program. The Matadors are now 21-22 (.488) all-time in 43 home openers all-time dating back to 1976.
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