Courtesy: Pepperdine Athletics
MALIBU, Calif. — Home action begins on Friday in Firestone Fieldhouse, as the Pepperdine women’s volleyball team hosts Idaho, North Texas and CSUN for the 21st-annual Asics Classic throughout the weekend.
MATCH #4 — Friday (August 31) at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, Calif.: Pepperdine vs. Idaho at 6 p.m. PT | WATCH: TheW.tv.
MATCH #5 — Saturday (September 1) at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, Calif.: Pepperdine vs. North Texas at 5 p.m. PT | WATCH: TheW.tv.
MATCH #6 — Sunday (September 2) at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, Calif.: Pepperdine vs. CSUN at 2 p.m. PT | WATCH: TheW.tv.
LIVE — All home matches will stream live on TheW.tv. Direct links for all matches, including live statistics can be found on PepperdineWaves.com.
SOCIAL MEDIA — Follow @WavesVolleyball on Twitter for updates and check out PepperdineWaves.com and Facebook (/WavesVolleyball) for releases and more information.
TICKETS — Each match costs $10 for adults and $8 for alumni, children, seniors and non-Pepperdine students. Tickets are free for Pepperdine students, faculty and staff with a valid Pepperdine ID. Purchase tickets in advance at 866-WAVE-TIX or at the ticket office on game day.
SPLASH ZONE — Pepperdine is introducing a new student fan-experience for all home volleyball matches with the Splash Zone. The zone will be located behind the service line in between the lobby and court. All Pepperdine students are able to stand-in and support the Waves’ teams in a rowdy new experience. Anyone in the Splash Zone will also be first-eligible for that events giveaway.
RIPTIDE GIVEAWAY — The giveaway for the Friday and Saturday matches include an Amazon Firestick, Spikeball and Beats wireless headphones. Students that come on Friday will be given one raffle ticket eligible for the giveaway on Saturday. In addition, students that come on Saturday will get an additional ticket for the giveaway. If a student comes on both days, he/she will get two tickets to be entered into the drawing.
SQUAD GOALS — The Waves have amassed a 1-2 record after the first week of action. As a team, Pepperdine produces 15.60 kills/set on a .273 success rate along with 14.50 assists/set, 0.80 aces/set, 15.80 digs/set and 1.40 bocks/set. The Waves allow opponents 13.50 kills/set on a .280 output, along with 13.00 assists/set, 1.10 aces/set, 15.50 digs/set and 2.90 blocks/set.
As a team, the Waves rank 9th nationally and 1st in the conference with 15.60 kills/set and 11th nationally and 1st in the conference with 14.50 assists/set. Senior setter Blossom Sato ranks 8th nationally and 2nd in the WCC with 12.50 assist/set, behind Cali Thompson of Portland who has amassed 12.80. Sophomore transfer Shannon Scully ranks 26th nationally and 1st in the conference with 12.20 attacks/set and 4.60 kills/set.
CANNONS — Shannon Scully and Hannah Frohling lead the Waves with 4.60 and 3.11 kills/set respectively. Scully has marked 46 kills on a .262 output along with three aces and 28 digs. She has posted one double-double and three matches with double-figure kills. Frohling has put in 28 kills on a .229 success rate, along with two aces, six digs and seven block assists. Other heavy hitters for the Waves have been Rachel Ahrens and Heidi Dyer who have put up 2.78 and 2.40 kills/set respectively.
MALIBU ROOFING COMPANY — Tarah Wylie and Alli O’Harra have been the main managers in the Malibu Roofing Company, amassing 0.70 and 0.50 blocks/set respectively. Wylie has tallied 2.20 kills/set on a .367 hitting percentage, as well as seven blocks including one solo rejection. O’Harra has posted 1.90 kills/set on a .260 output, along with five blocks including one solo. Rosie Ballo has also spent time in the middle this season, amassing 1.00 blocks/set for the Waves.
PLAYMAKERS — Blossom Sato is Pepperdine’s primary playmaker, ranking 8th nationally and 1st in the conference with 12.50 assists/set. She has dished out 125 total assists this season thus far, while helping her team to 15.60 kills/set and a .273 success rate on the offensive. She has also marked 0.30 kills/set and 2.60 digs/set.
DIGGERS — Hana Lishman has started in the libero position in all matches this season, totaling 45 digs for 4.50 digs/set. She has also added 10 assists for 1.00 assists/set and an ace for the Waves. In her first match this season, she was solid in the back line with 26 digs, and in two matches this season she has marked double-figure digs. Jaiden Farr and Madison Shields have also entered matches for defensive support, amassing 1.17 and 1.40 digs/set respectively
LAST WEEK, TODAY — The Waves opened the 2018 campaign with a 1-2 output at the Panther Challenge in Pittsburgh. In the first match against #24 Cal Poly, the Waves hung tough, winning the first set 25-20 before falling in the next three 25-22, 27-25 and 25-20. In the match, Pepperdine posted 70 kills on a .291 output, with 65 assists, two aces, 76 digs and 7.0 team blocks. The Mustangs charted 62 kills on a .311 output, with 59 assists, five aces, 75 digs and 8.0 team blocks. Shannon Scully led the Waves with 24 kills on a .385 clip, along with an ace and 10 digs. Heidi Dyer and Tarah Wylie each hit for 12 kills, while Wylie added five blocks and Dyer was good for six digs. Hana Lishman led the squad with 26 digs and Blossom Sato was solid with a career-high 55 assists and 16 digs added.
In the second match of the season, the Waves downed Butler in straight-sets, totaling 25-20, 25-17 and 25-18 final set scores. The team produced 48 kills on a .340 success rate, along with five aces, 52 digs and 3.0 team blocks. The Bulldogs posted 31 kills on a .158 clip, with three aces, 37 digs and 10.0 team blocks. Hannah Frohling led Pepperdine with 14 kills on a .385 clip, while adding two aces. Scully produced double-figure kills again with 11 smashes along with nine digs and one ace. Rachel Ahrens and Alli O’Harra led the squad with two blocks apiece, while adding seven and eight kills respectively. Sato marked 40 assists, seven digs and an ace and Lishman was good for 13 digs.
In the third and final match of the weekend in Pittsburgh, the Waves fell in three sets to #20 Pitt with 25-23, 25-20 and 25-13 final set scores. The Waves tallied 38 smashes on a .183 clip, with one ace, 30 digs and 4.0 team blocks. The Panthers were good for 42 kills on a .364 success rate, along with three aces, 43 digs and 11.0 team blocks. Scully and Ahrens led the team with 11 kills. Scully produced an ace, nine digs and 17 successful reception attempts with no errors and Ahrens added a .381 hitting percentage, with nine digs and 11 successful service receptions. Frohling led at the net with three blocks and added eight kills. Sato posted 30 assists.
ASICS CLASSIC — This year marks the 21st season that Pepperdine has hosted the Asics Classic, beginning the tradition with the inaugural tournament in 1997. The Waves went 23-6 that year, starting out with three-straight wins at the Classic against Fresno State (3-2), Tulane (3-1) and Northern Arizona (3-2). In the 20-season span of the tournament, the Waves have tallied a 44-15 record against opponents and have gone undefeated on five separate occasions including most recently in the 2015 season.
THE COMPETITION — The Waves will take on Idaho, North Texas and CSUN this week for the Asics Classic. Idaho holds a 2-0 record against the Waves all-time, dating back to the 1983 season when the opposition won in four sets. The teams faced again in 2014 with the same result. This season, the Vandals have posted a 2-1 overall record with wins over Grand Canyon, Santa Clara and a five-set loss to New Mexico. The team produces 13.8 kills/set on a .275 hitting percentage, along with 13.0 assists/set, 1.08 aces/set, 14.7 digs/set and 2.92 blocks/set.
The match this weekend will be the first time Pepperdine and North Texas have faced all-time. This season, Mean Green has gone undefeated with three wins thus far, defeating Nicholls, Northeastern and Kent State by straight-set decisions. The team puts out 14.00 kills/set on a .436 hitting percentage, along with 12.89 assists/set, 2.22 aces/set, 7.89 digs/set and 2.67 blocks/set.
Pepperdine leads CSUN all-time with a 14-4 overall record since the team’s first faced in 1976 and the Waves won 3-1. Pepperdine went on a six-match winning streak before the Matadors took the team’s first 3-0 win in 1980. The Waves won four more through 1982 and since then have won intermittently with CSUN taking solo wins in 2005 and 2017. The last time the teams faced was in the 2017 season when the opposition collected a 3-1 win over Pepperdine. This season, CSUN has gone 1-2 with a 3-2 win over Sacramento State and losses to Arizona and Utah State. The team puts out 12.00 kills/set on a .214 success rate, as well as 11.00 assists/set, 1.69 aces/set, 11.69 digs/set and 1.69 blocks/set.
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