CSUN at Fresno State
Sept. 1, 2023 • 6 p.m. PT • Save Mart Center • Fresno, Calif.
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Watch: Mountain West Network
Twitter: @FresnoStateVB
Series History: CSUN leads 16-11 over the Bulldogs
Tickets: GoBulldogs.com/Tickets
FRESNO, Calif. – The Fresno State volleyball team (1-2) is preparing for back-to-back matches against CSUN (0-3) this week; one on the road and one to open the season at the Save Mart Center.
NEW COACH ON THE BLOCK
Head Coach Leisa Rosen is in her first year at the helm of the Fresno State volleyball program after spending 24 years as the Associate Head Coach at Michigan.
She earned her first win in her Head Coach career against Kent State in the Butler Bulldog Brawl on Aug. 26.
Rosen adds Jerome Fraisse to the staff as the Associate Head Coach of the Bulldogs after serving as the Assistant Coach at Michigan for five years.
BACK AND BETTER
The Bulldogs return six starters from the 2022 season in Hannah Waters, Ella Rud, Grace Doyle, Kasey Purry, Addison Haluska and Sydney Gazzaniga.
Doyle wrapped up the 2022 season as an All-Mountain West Selection with Rud earning an honorable mention nod. The pair led the 'Dogs in kills with 393 for Rud and 301 for Doyle.
Fresno State returns 92% of its kills, 98.7% of its assists, 88.9% of its digs, 93.3% of its blocks and 82.6% of its service aces from the 2022 season.
DIGGIN' IT
Freshman Dionii Fraga found her spot as the starting Libero this week in all three matches of the Butler Bulldog Brawl to kick off the 2023 season.
Through the weekend, she sits at third in the Mountain West with 55 digs (4.58 digs per set) and tied for ninth in the conference with five service ages, a 0.42 average per set.
In addition, she led the dig category for the Bulldogs in all three matches in this weekend's tournament.
Fraga ranked third on the team with a .931 reception percentage and tied for second with five service aces.
She also ranked second in assists for the week with nine.
📍 AT THE NET
Sophomore Addison Haluska led the Fresno State offense in the Butler Bulldog Brawl scoring 52.5 points and averaging 4.38 points per set, the fifth most in the conference.
In addition, she went up for 44 kills and averaged 3.67 kills per set, the most on the Bulldogs and fourth in the conference.
Haluska tallied six service aces, the most on the team, and tied for sixth most in the conference with 0.50 service aces per set.
NEWCOMERS
The Bulldogs have grown by four in 2023 with the addition of freshmen Mya Sellers, Dionii Fraga, Ella Smith and Jayden Xiong.
Sellers, a middle blocker out of Charlotte, N.C., is Rosen's first signee as a head coach.
Smith also serves as a middle blocker while Fraga and Xiong add to the libero lineup.
WITH THE ASSIST
Brooke Cowie returns to the Bulldogs' lineup after starting in 14 matches in the 2022, starting all three matches in the Butler Bulldog Brawl to start the year.
Cowie led the 'Dogs with 121 assists to start off the season, averaging 10.08 assists per set.
In addition, she accumulated 31 digs and seven block assists.
PRESEASON MW RANKINGS
The Mountain West released the Preseason Poll on Aug. 16:
T-1. Utah State (92)
T-1. UNLV (92)
3. Colorado State (86)
T-4. New Mexico (64)
T-4. San Diego State (64)
6. Boise State (59)
7. Air Force (38)
8. San Jose State (35)
9. Nevada (32)
10. Wyoming (28)
11. Fresno State (15)
BUY SEASON TICKETS
Fresno State Volleyball season tickets are now available at GoBulldogs.com/Tickets or by calling 559-278-DOGS. Join us in the Save Mart Center and never miss a moment of the action!