MALIBU, Calif. — The Pepperdine women’s volleyball team hits the road again this week, heading to College Station, Texas to compete at the Texas A&M Invitational against tournament host-A&M, Missouri State and Nicholls State. The match against Texas A&M will stream live on ESPN’s SEC Network.
MATCH #7 — Thursday (September 6) at Reed Arena in College Station, Texas: Pepperdine at Texas A&M at 5 p.m. PT | WATCH: SEC Network Plus
MATCH #8 — Friday (September 7) at Reed Arena in College Station, Texas: Pepperdine vs. Missouri State at 11 a.m. PT
MATCH #9 — Friday (September 7) at Reed Arena in College Station, Texas: Pepperdine vs. Nicholls State at 2:30 p.m. PT
LIVE
For the tournament, only the match against Texas A&M will have a live broadcast. The other two matches will only have live stats available. All home matches will stream live on TheW.tv. Direct links for all matches, including live statistics can be found on PepperdineWaves.com.
SQUAD GOALS
The Waves have amassed a 4-2 record after two weeks of play, going 3-0 in the first three home matches of the season. As a team, Pepperdine produces 15.43 kills/set on a .311 success rate along with 14.48 assists/set, 1.14 aces/set, 15.86 digs/set and 1.62 bocks/set. The Waves allow opponents 11.76 kills/set on a .221 output, along with 11.24 assists/set, 0.76 aces/set, 13.95 digs/set and 2.10 blocks/set.
As a team, the Waves rank 3rd nationally and 2nd in the conference in three separate categories, after amassing 14.48 assists/set, 15.43 kills/set and a .311 hitting percentage. Blossom Sato ranks 2nd nationally after averaging 12.76 assists/set in six matches and 20th nationally with 268 total assists this season. Rachel Ahrens ranks 36th nationally with a 0.423 hitting percentage thus far this season.
CANNONS
Shannon Scully and Rachel Ahrens lead the Waves with 4.05 and 3.25 kills/set averages respectively. Scully leads the team with 85 kills, while hitting for a .306 success rate. She is also tied at the top with six aces on the season along with Hannah Frohling. Scully also adds 2.90 digs/set. Ahrens has added 65 kills with a .423 clip, along with 2.25 digs/set and 0.60 blocks/set. Frohling is good for 3.10 kills/set after posting 62 kills on a .248 output. Along with her service efforts, she adds 1.35 digs/set and 0.50 blocks/set for the team.
MALIBU ROOFING COMPANY
Tarah Wylie and Alli O’Harra have been the main managers in the Malibu Roofing Company, amassing 0.67 and 0.76 blocks/set respectively. Wylie has tallied 2.24 kills/set on a .378 hitting percentage, as well as 14 blocks including two solo rejections. O’Harra has posted 2.10 kills/set on a .294 output, along with 16 blocks including two solos. Ahrens and Frohling have also reached the double-figure block mark for the season. 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 2nd nationally with 12.76 assists/set. She has dished out 268 total assists this season thus far, ranking 20th nationally as well. She also has helped her team to 15.43 kills/set and a .311 success rate on the offensive, which both rank 3rd nationally. She has also marked 0.38 kills/set on a .368 clip and 2.38 digs/set.
DIGGERS
Hana Lishman has started in the libero position in all matches this season, totaling 83 digs for 3.95 digs/set. She has also added 16 assists for 0.76 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 five matches this season she has marked double-figure digs. Jaiden Farr and Madison Shields have also entered matches for defensive support, amassing 0.85 and 1.48 digs/set respectively
LAST WEEK, TODAY
The Waves had a stellar weekend to open home action last week, going undefeated and winning the 21st-annual ASICS Classic with wins over Idaho, North Texas and CSUN. Rachel Ahrens earned All-Tournament MVP honors, while Hannah Frohling was also tabbed to the All-Tournament squad.
Against Idaho, the Waves marked 25-15, 25-21, 21-25 and 25-15 set scores for the victory, posting 65 kills on a .309 success rate, while adding three aces, 72 digs and 5.0 team blocks. The opposition tallied 43 kills on a .196 clip, along with one ace, 55 digs and 10.0 team blocks. Four players hit for double-figure kills and two players posted double-doubles in the match. Rachel Ahrens led with 16 kills on a .406 hitting percentage and 11 digs, while also marking four blocks. Shannon Scully was good for 13 kills and 10 digs. Tarah Wylie and Alli O’Harra also posted 14 kills on a .500 clip and 10 kills on a .304 clip respectively. Blossom Sato led in playmaking with a career-best 59 assists in the match and Hannah Frohling and Hana Lishman each tabbed 14 digs.
Pepperdine posted 25-12, 25-18 and 25-22 set scores in the team’s second sweep of the season over North Texas. The team hit for a .327 success rate with 45 smashes, while allowing the opposition only 27 kills on a .089 output. The Waves added six aces, 60 digs and 4.0 team blocks, compared to the Mean Green’s three aces, 46 digs and 2.0 blocks. Scully and Ahrens each tabbed double-doubles with 11 kills, 13 digs and 10 kills, 10 digs respectively. Frohling led the team with 15 kills and each Frohling and Scully put up two aces. Sato amassed 36 assists and 10 digs for her second double-double of the season. Lishman added 12 digs as well and Alli O’Harra led with three blocks.
In the third and final match of the weekend, the Waves put up 25-14, 25-17, 19-25 and 25-10 set scores in the 3-1 win over CSUN, posting 58 smashes on a .429 success rate and giving up only 42 kills on a .196 clip. The Waves added seven aces, 43 digs and 11.0 blocks compared to the Matadors one ace, 37 digs and 3.0 team blocks. Scully had another double-double with a team-high 15 kills on a .464 output and 10 digs. Ahrens, O’Harra and Frohling all hit for double-figure kills as well. Ahrens marked 14 with a .480 output, O’Harra amassed a career-high 11 kills on a .529 output and Frohling was good for 10 kills on a .348 hitting percentage. Sato tallied 48 assists and Lishman led with 12 digs. O’Harra also led with five blocks and Sato produced two aces.
THE COMPETITION
The Waves have played Texas A&M seven times since 1977 and have produced a 5-2 overall record against. The Waves won the first three matchups from 1977-81 before A&M took a pair of wins in 1981 and 1984. In 1986 and 1987, the two teams faced again with Pepperdine taking 3-1 wins on both occasions. This season, the Aggies have gone 4-2 overall with most recently defeating Indian and Temple in straight sets and falling to #6 Penn State 3-0. A&M produces 14.10 kills/set on average, with a .251 success rate. The Aggies also mark 13.40 assists/set, 1.30 aces/set, 14.40 digs/set and 1.65 blocks/set.
Pepperdine has faced Missouri State five times in history with a 4-1 output, winning the first four matches in straight sets in 1977, 1978, 1995 and 2011. Last season, the Bears won a four-set match in Malibu. This season, Missouri State has gone 3-3 with recently taking three straight wins off Oral Roberts, Grambling and Ball State. The team puts out 12.65 kills/set on a .180 success rate, along with 11.74 assists/set, 0.91 aces/set, 17.30 digs/set and 2.35 blocks/set.
Pepperdine and Nicholls State have faced once in 2004 with the Waves taking home a five-set victory. This season, the Colonels have gone 2-5 overall with recent losses to Houston and UL-Lafayette and a win over Mississippi Valley. The team amasses 10.5 kills/set on a .157 hitting percentage, along with 9.5 assists/set, 1.7 aces/set, 11.9 digs/set and 2.0 blocks/set.
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