Volleyball Travels To West Coast For Cougar Challenge

Belmont (1-3, 0-0 MVC) vs. (rv) Washington State (2-1, 0-0 Pac-12) 

Friday, Sept. 2 | 2:30 p.m. CT 

Watch | Live Stats | Match Notes

Belmont (1-3, 0-0 MVC) vs. Cal Baptist (1-2, 0-0 WAC) 

Friday, Sept. 2 | 6:30 p.m. CT 

Live Stats

Belmont (1-3, 0-0 MVC) vs. CSU Bakersfield (0-3, 0-0 Big West) 

Saturday, Sept. 3 | 12:30 p.m. 

Live Stats

Bohler Gym | Pullman, Washington

PULLMAN, Wash. -- The Belmont University volleyball team makes their longest trip since 2016 this weekend when they travel to Pullman, Wash., for the Cougar Challenge, hosted by Washington State. 

The Bruins (1-3, 0-0 MVC) will face receiving-votes Washington State and California Baptist on Friday, September 2, before taking on California State University at Bakersfield on Saturday, September 3. 

It marks Belmont's first trip to the west coast since they participated in the Oregon Nike Invitational in Eugene, Ore., on September 9-10, 2016. 

The first match on Friday against Washington State will be streamed for free on www.pac-12.com/live/washington-state-university, and live stats for all three contests will be available on BelmontBruins.com. In-game updates will be posted to Twitter by @BelmontVB. 

What's Bruin 

• Belmont is coming off a narrow 3-1 loss to rival Lipscomb in Tuesday's Battle of the Boulevard at the Curb Event Center 

• The Bruins won the opening set, 25-22, before falling 17-25, 14-25, 23-25 to the Bisons 

• Laura Shoopman led the way with 12 kills, while Kristen Clemons added 11 and Brooke Gilleland finished with nine 

• Shoopman, a junior from Salem, Wisc., currently ranks second in the MVC in kills (57) and recorded a career-high 27 kills in last Saturday's 3-2 win over Georgia State, the fifth-most kills in a single match in program history 

• Clemons currently leads the MVC in blocks (20) and is second in blocks per set (1.25). The junior from Louisville, Ky., set the program record for block assists in a single match when she recorded 11 in a 3-1 loss to Marist last Friday 

• Belmont last won a set against a Power Five opponent when they took one off of No. 18 Louisville in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2015. 

• The Bruins last took down a Power Five opponent in 2014, when they upset Virginia Tech, 3-2, at the Blue Raider Bash in Murfreesboro, Tenn., behind 15 kills from freshman Arianna Person.  

• Coincidentally, that same tournament was the only time Belmont has faced Washington State—the Cougars swept the Bruins in three sets the day after Belmont took down the Hokies 

• Belmont has faced one Power Five opponent this season, facing Auburn last weekend at the Panther Invitational in Atlanta. The Bruins fell in the season opener, 23-25, 19-25, 19-25. 

• Belmont is beginning a stretch of nine straight contests away from the Curb Event Center, the longest such stretch of the season 

• Belmont head coach Katelyn (Bishop) Harrison was a standout at USC, helping lead the Women of Troy to a pair of Final Fours and success as the top program in the Pac-12

• Freshman outside hitter Emily Warmenhoven hails from West Linn, Oregon. Her father, Joey, played basketball at Washington State from 1991-1995, appearing in 81 games for the Cougars. 

• Sophomore Peyton O'Brien and freshman Lilly Lutz have formed a formidable one-two punch at setter, doling out 146 assists in the first four matches of the season 

• Junior libero Rachel McBride has missed only match since coming on to campus prior to the conference-only Spring 2021 season. Last season, the native of Decatur, Ind., finished 5th in the OVC in digs per set 

About the Cougars 

• Washington State received 43 votes in the latest edition of the AVCA Division I Coaches Poll, finishing six spots outside of the top 25 

• The Cougars took down Duke in their season opener, before sweeping Rider and falling to No. 10 BYU at the BYU doTERRA Classic in Provo, Utah, last weekend 

• Washington State was picked to finish 6th in the Pac-12 Preseason Coaches' Poll 

• Senior middle blocker Magda Jehlarova is a two-time AVCA All-American and a three-time All-Pac-12 honoree who ranks fourth all-time in program history in solo blocks (85) and fifth in total blocks (424). Last season, Jehlarova was second in the nation in blocks (168) and fourth in blocks per set (1.45) 

• Head coach Jen Greeny was voted the Pac-12 Co-Coach of the Year last season after Washington State advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, where they fell to fifth-seeded Baylor 

• In their only meeting, Washington State swept Belmont in 2014 at the Blue Raider Bash, hosted by Middle Tennessee 

About the Lancers 

• Cal Baptist comes into the Cougar Challenge fresh off their first win of the season, a sweep of Charleston Southern last weekend 

• Similar to the Bruins, the Lancers rely heavily on two different setters, both Leah Pease (6.7 assists per set) and Reese Reed (4.4 assists per set) have facilitated the offense 

• Opposite hitter Christine Graf was named to the All-WAC Preseason Team for the second time in her career. She logged 252 points last season to lead the team. 

• Cal Baptist went 13-11 and 8-6 in the WAC last season, and were voted to finish 6th in this year's WAC Preseason Poll 

• Friday will mark the first-ever meeting between the Bruins and Lancers 

About the Roadrunners 

• CSU Bakersfield is still looking for their first win of the season after going 0-3 at the Webb-Burbridge Classic in Tempe, Arizona, last weekend 

• The Roadrunners were picked 6th in the Big West Preseason Coaches' Poll 

• CSU Bakersfield finished 18-11 last season, including 11-9 in conference play 

• In their only meeting, CSU Bakersfield swept Belmont in 2013 in a neutral-site clash in Fresno, Calif. 

Follow Belmont volleyball on social media - @BelmontVB on Twitter and @belmontvball on Instagram - for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via the official app of the Belmont Bruins, available both in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.           
                

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