The 'Dogs will face their highest ranked opponent in No. 7 Washington since battling then-No. 6 Hawai'i in 2011 at the WAC Tournament.
Highlights
- The Bulldogs wrap up non-conference action this week with a pair of matches in Washington
- The 'Dogs will take on opponents from the Pac-12 & Big Sky.
FRESNO, Calif. - The Fresno State volleyball team ventures to Washington this week to close out non-conference action.
Bulldog Bones
- Fresno State stays out on the road this weekend traveling to Seattle to take on No. 7 Washington and Montana State.
- The 'Dogs are coming off defeating Ohio in four sets, fell in straight sets to Loyola Chicago & five sets to Kansas State last weekend in Manhattan at the K-State Invitational.
- Head coach Jonathan Winder and assistant coach Hardy Wooldridge make their return to Washington after Winder was an assistant coach with the Huskies from 2015-17 and Wooldridge was a volunteer assistant coach in 2016-17.
By The Numbers
2011 - 'Dogs will play their highest ranked foe since facing No. 6 Hawai'i in 2011
34 – Grace Doyle ranks third in the MW & 34th in the nation in hitting pct. (.414)
64 - The 'Dogs rank 64th in the nation in aces per set (1.79)
A look back at the K-State Invitational
- The 'Dogs went 1-2 at the K-State Invitational with a four-set win over Ohio behind 49 kills and nine service aces.
- After sitting out opening weekend with an injury, Amaria Kelley saw her first action of the season in the tournament and was named to the All-Tournament team combining for 30 kills over three matches.
Fresno State against Nationally Ranked Opponents
- Fresno State will play their first ranked opponent in No. 7 Washington since Nov. 7, 2019 when No. 13 Colorado State swept the Bulldogs at home.
- Fresno State is 0-2 against ranked foes under Coach Winder.
- The Huskies will be the first ranked opponent other than Colorado State the Bulldogs have faced since No. 20 Oregon in 2013.
- The 'Dogs have been swept by their last 11 ranked opponents and last won a set against a nationally-ranked foe on Nov. 22, 2011 against then-No. 6 Hawai'i at the WAC Tournament in Las Vegas.
'Dogs vs. WCC/Pac-12/Big Sky
- The 'Dogs are 43-91 against the 12 current members of the Pac-12 and last saw a Pac-12 opponent in 2018 vs. Cal at the Les Schwab West Coast Challenge.
- The Bulldogs are 46-42 vs. the Big Sky and last saw a Big Sky opponent in 2019 against Northern Arizona.
2021 MW/NCAA Rankings
- Service aces per set: 1.79 (5th MW/64th NCAA)
- Blocks per set: 2.00 (7th MW/160th NCAA)
- Hitting percentage: .183 (8th MW/216th NCAA)
- Grace Doyle: Hitting percentage: .414 (3rd/34th NCAA)
Scouting No. 7 Washington
- Washington, 5-1 on the season, comes into the week seventh in the AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 poll moving up two spots from last week after four-set wins over the weekend over No. 22 Pepperdine and Cal Poly.
- The Huskies went 20-4 in the spring winning the Pac-12 and made the Final Four where they fell to eventual national champion Kentucky in four sets in the semifinals.
- Washington leads the Pac-12 in aces per set (1.83) and hitting percentage (.297) with setter Ella May Powell ranking third in the conference in assists per set (10.17).
Scouting Montana State
- Montana State is 4-5 this fall earning wins over Dixie State, Boise State, North Texas and Jackson State.
- The Bobcats finished 10-5 in the spring placing third in the Big Sky and were selected fourth in the Big Sky preseason poll.
- Montana State checks in second in the Big Sky in hitting percentage (.232) & blocks (85.0) and third in assists per set (11.41), blocks per set (2.30), assists (422) & kills (445).