WEEK SIX: at WYOMING & COLORADO STATE
Fresno State at Wyoming
Thursday, October 3 | 5:30 p.m. PT | Laramie, WY
Watch Live: Mountain West Network
Twitter (X): @FresnoStateVB
Live Stats: Stat Broadcast
Fresno State at Colorado State
Saturday, October 5 | 12 p.m. PT | Fort Collins, CO
Watch Live: Mountain West Network
Twitter (X): @FresnoStateVB
Live Stats: Stat Broadcast
FRESNO, Calif. – The Fresno State volleyball team is preparing for its first conference road contests this week, traveling to Wyoming and Colorado State.
The 'Dogs will face the Cowgirls on Thursday and the Rams on Saturday. Both matches will be streamed live on the Mountain West Network.
BIG DIONII ENERGY
Sophomore libero Dionii Fraga has been named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week following her performance against San Jose State and Boise State, the conference announced on Monday.
Fraga etched her name in the Fresno State Volleyball record book once again this week with a career-high 31 digs in the Bulldogs' reverse sweep over Boise State last week.
The reigning MW Freshman of the Year led the conference in digs this week with 57 for an average of 6.33 digs per set, as well as 36 receptions without a single error.
In addition to six assists and a near-perfect serving percentage, Fraga had the most digs in four-set (26) and five-set (31) matches in the conference this week.
WE MEET AGAIN…
The Bulldogs are set to face Colorado State for the first time since the Mountain West Championship match on November 24, 2023.
The Bulldogs made history in 2023 by claiming the program's first Mountain West Championship since joining the conference in 2012.
Fresno State clinched the fifth seed in the tournament hosted in Las Vegas and won three straight matches in three consecutive days to claim the Tournament Champion title.
The 'Dogs started the tournament with a redemption game over the Boise State Broncos, who had beat Fresno State 3-1 to conclude the regular season.
After sweeping Boise State in three straight sets, the Bulldogs had to face the Regular Season Champions, Utah State. The Bulldogs sent the Aggies home with a 3-1 victory.
The Bulldogs went into the championship match in dramatic fashion, dropping the first two sets to Colorado State. The Rams took an early lead in the third set, but Fresno State powered past, winning the set 26-24.
Fresno State kept it close in the fourth set and forced a fifth set with a 28-26 win.
The fifth set was a nail-biter with the Rams and Bulldogs exchanging the lead. Fresno State surged past Colorado State to win the set 15-12 and complete a reverse sweep over the Rams to be named MW Champions.
PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
The Bulldogs are predicted to finish the season in fourth place in the Mountain West Preseason Coaches' Poll with 71 votes.
Colorado State earned the top spot in the poll with 98 total votes and eight first-place votes.
Fresno State jumped seven spots in the poll from the previous year's 11th-place ranking with only 17 votes.
Valley native and reigning Mountain West Freshman of the Year Dionii Fraga is back for her sophomore season with the Bulldogs.
Following her stellar performance as a freshman, Fraga was named a Preseason All-MW selection to start year two on the squad.
Fraga was a dynamite addition to the Bulldog squad in 2023 as the starting libero in every match and set last season. Fraga was responsible for 302 digs and averaged 4.25 digs per set, the highest in the conference in MW play in 2023.