2017 Boise State InvitationalAug 28, 2017 by Megan Kaplon
Two Top-25 Teams To Compete At The 2017 Boise State Invitational
Two Top-25 Teams To Compete At The 2017 Boise State Invitational
In the second weekend of the 2017 NCAA Division I women's volleyball season, BYU and Missouri, two of the nation's preseason top 25 teams, Mountain West champions Boise State, and Big Sky 2016 semifinalist Sacramento State will gather in Idaho's largest c
You may not think of Idaho as a hub of volleyball, but in the second weekend of the 2017 NCAA Division I women's volleyball season two of the nation's preseason top 25 teams -- in addition to the reigning Mountain West champions Boise State and Big Sky 2016 semifinalist Sacramento State -- will gather in Idaho's largest city for the Boise State Invitational.
Action kicks off on Thursday, August 31, with host Boise State taking on No. 10 BYU. Here's everything you need to know about the tournament, which you can watch LIVE right here on FloVolleyball.
In 2014, BYU earned the Cinderella moniker when the 16th-seeded Cougars made it all the way to the national championship match. The last of the players who were on that team graduated this spring, but the legacy of success at BYU has continued.
Last fall, the Cougars came within a couple of points of defeating Texas in the regional finals of the NCAA tournament, with two outstanding freshmen in the starting lineup: McKenna Miller and Mary Lake. This year, they've got all but two of their starters back -- in addition to some outstanding newcomers -- and they will once again be a favorite to win the West Coast Conference and do some damage in the NCAA tournament.
Mary Lake | Sophomore | Libero
MVP of 2016 Sports Imports D.C. Koehl Classic
2016 All-WCC Honorable Mention
2016 All-WCC Freshman Team
2014 CIF Southern Section Player of the Year
McKenna Miller | Sophomore | Libero
2016 AVCA Third Team All-American
2016 WCC Freshman of the Year
2016 All-WCC First Team
2016 All-WCC Freshman Team
2016 AVCA All-Pacific South Region Freshman of the Year
2016 AVCA All-Pacific South Region First Team
MVP of 2016 BYU Invitational
Ranked No. 19 in the FloVolleyball and AVCA Preseason rankings, Missouri is coming off a season in which it was co-champion of the Southeastern Conference and advanced to the Sweet 16. The All-American upperclassmen trio of redshirt senior outside Melanie Crow, junior middle Alyssa Munlyn, and redshirt senior opposite Kira Larson will be downright deadly, and high-flying freshman outside hitter Leketor Member-Meneh impressed in the Black vs. Gold intrasquad scrimmage.
Melanie Crow | Redshirt Senior | Outside Hitter
2016 AVCA Third Team All-American
2016 AVCA Southeast First Team All-Region
2016 All-SEC
Alyssa Munlyn | Junior | Middle Blocker
2016 AVCA Honorable Mention All-American
2016 AVCA All-Southeast Region
2016 All-SEC
2015 AVCA Honorable Mention All-American
2015 AVCA Southeast Region Freshman of the Year
2015 AVCA All-Southeast Region
2015 SEC Freshman of the Year
2015 All-SEC
2015 SEC All-Freshman
Kira Larson | Redshirt Senior | Opposite
2016 AVCA Honorable Mention Southeast All-Region
2015 AVCA Honorable Mention All-American
2015 AVCA First Team Southeast All-Region
2015 All-SEC Team
Don't count out the Broncos. Boise State won the Mountain West Conference in 2016 with a 16-2 league record, and AVCA Honorable Mention All-American outside hitter Sierra Nobley was named conference player of the year as a junior. Nobly put away a conference-high 522 kills (17th in the NCAA) in 2016 and is on track to have another fantastic season.
Boise State ranked second in the Mountain West preseason poll and received votes in the AVCA's preseason poll.
Sierra Nobley | Senior | Outside Hitter
2017 Preseason All-Mountain West
2017 Preseason Mountain West Player of the Year
2016 AVCA Honorable Mention All-American
2016 AVCA All-Region
2016 Mountain West Player of the Year
2016 Preseason Mountain West Player of the Year
2015 AVCA Honorable Mention All-American
2015 All-Mountain West
2015 Preseason All-Mountain West
2014 AVCA All-Region Honorable Mention
2014 Mountain West Freshman of the Year
2014 All-Mountain West
Maddi Osburn | Senior | Libero
2016 All-Mountain West
2016 Preseason All-Mountain West
2015 All-Mountain West
The Hornets of Sacramento State finished 2016 on a high note, celebrating a 20-win slate and finishing the regular season with eight straight wins. With four starters returning for 2017, Sac State was picked third in the Big Sky preseason coaches poll.
Senior setter Kennedy Kurtz earned first team All-League honors in 2016 after leading the conference with 11.40 assists per set, and second teamer Shannon Boyle is back after contributing a team-high 3.51 kills per set as a junior.
Kennedy Kurtz | Senior | Setter
2016 First Team All-Big Sky
2015 Second Team All-Big Sky
Shannon Boyle | Senior | Outside Hitter
2016 Second Team All-Big Sky
THE MATCHUPS
BYU has never lost to Boise State, winning in each of the two teams' six meetings. The last time the Cougars and the Broncos played was in 2008, however, and Boise State has come a long way since then.
Missouri vs. Sacramento State
Friday, September 1 | 11 AM MT
It's been 26 years since the Tigers and the Hornets have faced off, but in that one head-to-head match in 1991, Sacramento State won in straight sets. No. 19-ranked Missouri will look to even the score when the two teams face off in Boise.
The all-time record between the Cougars and the Tigers stands at 2-2-1. Almost exactly a year ago, BYU and Missouri faced off at the Idaho State Invitational preseason tournament, and the Cougars took the victory in straight sets.
Sacramento State leads the series with Boise State 4-2, but the Broncos won last, sweeping the Hornets in 2013. This will be the prime time match on Friday night, so expect plenty of fans in blue and orange to pack the stands.
Sacramento State has never beaten BYU, with the Cougars leading the series 3-0. Although the two teams haven't played since 2001, this doesn't look like the year Sacramento State gets on the board, with BYU returning a lot of talent and ranked in the top 10.
In 2014, Boise State and Missouri matched up across the net at the Nike Invitational in Moscow, Idaho. Missouri won in straight sets, but Sierra Nobley led the BSU offense with nine kills, and she'll be looking for a second crack at the Tigers come Saturday night.
Watch Episode One here.
Watch Episode One here.
Action kicks off on Thursday, August 31, with host Boise State taking on No. 10 BYU. Here's everything you need to know about the tournament, which you can watch LIVE right here on FloVolleyball.
THE TEAMS
BYU
In 2014, BYU earned the Cinderella moniker when the 16th-seeded Cougars made it all the way to the national championship match. The last of the players who were on that team graduated this spring, but the legacy of success at BYU has continued.
Last fall, the Cougars came within a couple of points of defeating Texas in the regional finals of the NCAA tournament, with two outstanding freshmen in the starting lineup: McKenna Miller and Mary Lake. This year, they've got all but two of their starters back -- in addition to some outstanding newcomers -- and they will once again be a favorite to win the West Coast Conference and do some damage in the NCAA tournament.
BYU Star Players
Mary Lake | Sophomore | Libero
MVP of 2016 Sports Imports D.C. Koehl Classic
2016 All-WCC Honorable Mention
2016 All-WCC Freshman Team
2014 CIF Southern Section Player of the Year
McKenna Miller | Sophomore | Libero
2016 AVCA Third Team All-American
2016 WCC Freshman of the Year
2016 All-WCC First Team
2016 All-WCC Freshman Team
2016 AVCA All-Pacific South Region Freshman of the Year
2016 AVCA All-Pacific South Region First Team
MVP of 2016 BYU Invitational
Missouri
Ranked No. 19 in the FloVolleyball and AVCA Preseason rankings, Missouri is coming off a season in which it was co-champion of the Southeastern Conference and advanced to the Sweet 16. The All-American upperclassmen trio of redshirt senior outside Melanie Crow, junior middle Alyssa Munlyn, and redshirt senior opposite Kira Larson will be downright deadly, and high-flying freshman outside hitter Leketor Member-Meneh impressed in the Black vs. Gold intrasquad scrimmage.
Missouri Star Players
Melanie Crow | Redshirt Senior | Outside Hitter
2016 AVCA Third Team All-American
2016 AVCA Southeast First Team All-Region
2016 All-SEC
Alyssa Munlyn | Junior | Middle Blocker
2016 AVCA Honorable Mention All-American
2016 AVCA All-Southeast Region
2016 All-SEC
2015 AVCA Honorable Mention All-American
2015 AVCA Southeast Region Freshman of the Year
2015 AVCA All-Southeast Region
2015 SEC Freshman of the Year
2015 All-SEC
2015 SEC All-Freshman
Kira Larson | Redshirt Senior | Opposite
2016 AVCA Honorable Mention Southeast All-Region
2015 AVCA Honorable Mention All-American
2015 AVCA First Team Southeast All-Region
2015 All-SEC Team
Boise State
Don't count out the Broncos. Boise State won the Mountain West Conference in 2016 with a 16-2 league record, and AVCA Honorable Mention All-American outside hitter Sierra Nobley was named conference player of the year as a junior. Nobly put away a conference-high 522 kills (17th in the NCAA) in 2016 and is on track to have another fantastic season.
Boise State ranked second in the Mountain West preseason poll and received votes in the AVCA's preseason poll.
Boise State Star Players
Sierra Nobley | Senior | Outside Hitter
2017 Preseason All-Mountain West
2017 Preseason Mountain West Player of the Year
2016 AVCA Honorable Mention All-American
2016 AVCA All-Region
2016 Mountain West Player of the Year
2016 Preseason Mountain West Player of the Year
2015 AVCA Honorable Mention All-American
2015 All-Mountain West
2015 Preseason All-Mountain West
2014 AVCA All-Region Honorable Mention
2014 Mountain West Freshman of the Year
2014 All-Mountain West
Maddi Osburn | Senior | Libero
2016 All-Mountain West
2016 Preseason All-Mountain West
2015 All-Mountain West
Sacramento State
The Hornets of Sacramento State finished 2016 on a high note, celebrating a 20-win slate and finishing the regular season with eight straight wins. With four starters returning for 2017, Sac State was picked third in the Big Sky preseason coaches poll.
Senior setter Kennedy Kurtz earned first team All-League honors in 2016 after leading the conference with 11.40 assists per set, and second teamer Shannon Boyle is back after contributing a team-high 3.51 kills per set as a junior.
Sacramento State Star Players
Kennedy Kurtz | Senior | Setter
2016 First Team All-Big Sky
2015 Second Team All-Big Sky
Shannon Boyle | Senior | Outside Hitter
2016 Second Team All-Big Sky
THE MATCHUPS
Boise State vs. BYU
Thursday, August 31 | 7:30 PM MTBYU has never lost to Boise State, winning in each of the two teams' six meetings. The last time the Cougars and the Broncos played was in 2008, however, and Boise State has come a long way since then.
Missouri vs. Sacramento State
Friday, September 1 | 11 AM MTIt's been 26 years since the Tigers and the Hornets have faced off, but in that one head-to-head match in 1991, Sacramento State won in straight sets. No. 19-ranked Missouri will look to even the score when the two teams face off in Boise.
BYU vs. Missouri
Friday, September 1 | 5:30 PM MTThe all-time record between the Cougars and the Tigers stands at 2-2-1. Almost exactly a year ago, BYU and Missouri faced off at the Idaho State Invitational preseason tournament, and the Cougars took the victory in straight sets.
Boise State vs. Sacramento State
Friday, September 1 | 7:30 PM MTSacramento State leads the series with Boise State 4-2, but the Broncos won last, sweeping the Hornets in 2013. This will be the prime time match on Friday night, so expect plenty of fans in blue and orange to pack the stands.
Sacramento State vs. BYU
Saturday, September 2 | 12 PM MTSacramento State has never beaten BYU, with the Cougars leading the series 3-0. Although the two teams haven't played since 2001, this doesn't look like the year Sacramento State gets on the board, with BYU returning a lot of talent and ranked in the top 10.
Boise State vs. Missouri
Saturday, September 2 | 7:30 PM MTIn 2014, Boise State and Missouri matched up across the net at the Nike Invitational in Moscow, Idaho. Missouri won in straight sets, but Sierra Nobley led the BSU offense with nine kills, and she'll be looking for a second crack at the Tigers come Saturday night.
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