2014 BYU Cougars women's volleyball team

2014 BYU Cougars women's volleyball
WCC Regular Season Champ
NCAA, National Runner-up
Conference	West Coast Conference
2014 record	30–5 (16–2 WCC)
Head coach	Shawn Olmstead (4th year)
Assistant coach	Heather Olmstead (4th year)
Assistant coach	David Hyte (1st year)
Home stadium	Smith Fieldhouse

The 2014 BYU Cougars women's volleyball team represented Brigham Young University in the 2014 NCAA Division I women's volleyball season. The Cougars, led by fourth year head coach Shawn Olmstead, played their home games at Smith Fieldhouse. The Cougars were members of the WCC and were picked to win the conference title in the preseason poll.^[1]

The Cougars won the WCC Championship in November and were awarded an NCAA Tournament berth. Despite being ranked in the Top 15 all season, BYU wasn't awarded one of the 16 NCAA Seeds for the NCAA Volleyball Tournament, forcing the Cougars to play on the road. BYU proceeded to win the Tucson Area, Seattle Regional, and became the first ever unseeded team to make it to the NCAA Volleyball Championship match. 6 different BYU players were awarded WCC honors, and 3 BYU players were awarded All-American honors. Shawn Olmstead was also named Coach of the year (see Season highlights).

The Cougars were swept by Penn State in the NCAA Championship match, giving the Nittany Lions their seventh national title, but the Cougars NCAA Tournament run gave the Cougars the #3 ranking at the end of the season.^[2]

2014 West Coast Conference volleyball standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		PCT			W		L		PCT
#3 BYU †^y	16	–	2		.889			30	–	5		.857
Pacific	13	–	5		.722			24	–	7		.774
Santa Clara ^y	12	–	6		.667			22	–	10		.688
San Diego ^y	12	–	6		.667			19	–	12		.613
Loyola Marymount ^y	11	–	7		.611			23	–	8		.742
Gonzaga	8	–	10		.444			17	–	12		.586
Pepperdine	7	–	11		.389			13	–	17		.433
San Francisco	5	–	13		.278			12	–	17		.414
Saint Mary's	5	–	13		.278			9	–	19		.321
Portland	1	–	17		.056			6	–	23		.207
† – Conference champion y- Invited to the NCAA Volleyball Tournament As of December 22, 2014; Rankings from AVCA

Season highlights

• The Cougars began the season by sweeping 9 straight sets to win the 2014 Blue & Gold Player's Challenge.
• The Cougars were the last WCC team to lose a conference match.
• BYU clinched a share of the WCC title with their victory over San Diego on Nov. 14.
• BYU clinched the outright WCC title with their victory over Portland on Nov. 20.
• Alexa Gray was named the WCC player of the year; Whitney Young was named WCC defensive player of the year; Shawn Olmstead was named Co-Coach of the Year; Gray, Young, and Jennifer Hamson won WCC First team honors; and Amy Boswell was named WCC honorable mention.^[3]
• Boswell, Hamson, and Tia Withers Welling earned Academic All-WCC team first honors. Tambre Nobles and Young were named Honorable mention Academic All-WCC team members.^[3]
• Jennifer Hamson was named the Seattle Region MVP.^[4]
• Jennifer Hamson was made a first team All-American. Alexa Gray was named a second team All-American. Amy Boswell was named an Honorable mention All-American.^[5]
• Shawn Olmstead was named AVCA Coach of the year.^[6]
• BYU became the first unseeded team to make the NCAA Championship.^[7]

Roster

2014 BYU Cougars Roster[8]
	Defensive Specialist/Libero 1 Jaiden Achermann - Freshman 8 Makenna Santiago - Sophomore 14 Ciara Parker - Junior 17 Tia Withers Welling - Senior Middle Blockers 4 Madeline Graham - Freshman 10 Amy Boswell - Sophomore 16 Whitney Young - Sophomore		Outside Hitters 3 Alohi Robins-Hardy - Freshman 6 Camille Walker - Freshman 7 Hannah Robison - Senior 9 Alexa Gray - Junior 13 Danelle Parady - Freshman 15 Tambre Nobles - Senior		Opposite Hitters 2 Cosy Burnett - Freshman 15 Jennifer Hamson - Senior Setters 11 Malery Wahlin - Freshman 20 Camry Godfrey Willardson - Junior

Schedule

BYU Radio simulcast all BYUtv games with the BYUtv feed. BYU Radio also carried the NCAA semifinals and finals with Dave Neely providing the call.

Date Time	Opponent	Rank	Arena City (Tournament)	Television	Score	Attendance	Record (WCC Record)
8/29 5 p.m.	@ West Virginia	#9[9]	WVU Coliseum Morgantown, WV (Gold & Blue Player's Challenge)	Mountaineer TV	W 3-0 (29-27, 25-20, 25-20)	632[10]	1-0[11]
8/30 9:30 a.m.	vs. IUPUI	#9	WVU Coliseum Morgantown, WV (Gold & Blue Player's Challenge)		W 3-0 (25-19, 25-17, 25-18)	218[12]	2-0[13]
8/30 2:30 p.m.	vs. Toledo	#9	WVU Coliseum Morgantown, WV (Gold & Blue Player's Challenge)		W 3-0 (25-15, 25-20, 25-14)	215	3-0[14]
9/5 7 p.m.	#5 Washington	#10[15]	Smith Fieldhouse Provo, UT (BYU Invitational)	BYUtv	L 3-2 (25-18, 22-25, 25-21, 21-25, 15-10)	3,017[16]	3-1[17]
9/6 Noon	UMBC	#10	Smith Fieldhouse Provo, UT (BYU Invitational)	BYUtv	W 3-0 (25-12, 25-15, 25-13)	N/A[18]	4-1[19]
9/6 7 p.m.	Utah Valley	#10	Smith Fieldhouse Provo, UT (BYU Invitational)	TheW.tv	W 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-16)	1,052[20]	5-1[21]
9/12 11 a.m.	vs. #14 Colorado State	#9[22]	Pan American Center Las Cruces, NM (UTEP/NMSU Invitational)		L 3-1 (23-25, 25-23, 25-20, 28-26)	104	5-2[23]
9/12 7 p.m.	@ UTEP	#9	Memorial Gymnasium El Paso, TX (UTEP/NMSU Invitational)	C-USA Digital	W 3-0 (25-17, 25-6, 25-16)	793	6-2[24]
9/13 Noon	@ New Mexico State	#9	Pan American Center Las Cruces, NM (UTEP/NMSU Invitational)	ESPN3/Altitude	W 3-0 (25-16, 25-19, 25-21)	801	7-2[25]
9/16 7 p.m.	@ Idaho State	#12[26]	Reed Gym Pocatello, ID	Watch Big Sky	W 3-0 (25-18, 25-22, 25-14)	869[27]	8-2[28]
9/19 7 p.m.	Utah	#12	Smith Fieldhouse Provo, UT (Deseret First Duel)	BYUtv	W 3-0 (25-18, 25-16, 25-7)	3,814[29]	9-2[30]
9/25 7 p.m.	*Gonzaga	#11[31]	Smith Fieldhouse Provo, UT	BYUtv	W 3-0 (25-22, 25-17, 25-13)	1,477[32]	10-2 (1-0)[33]
9/27 1 p.m.	*Portland	#11	Smith Fieldhouse Provo, UT	BYUtv	W 3-0 (25-16, 25-22, 25-21)	1,104[34]	11-2 (2-0)[35]
9/30 7 p.m.	*@ Pepperdine	#10[36]	Firestone Fieldhouse Malibu, CA	ESPNU	W 3-0 (25-17, 25-21, 25-20)	823[37]	12-2 (3-0)[38]
10/2 7 p.m.	*San Francisco	#10	Smith Fieldhouse Provo, UT	BYUtv	W 3-1 (25-18, 25-18, 23-25, 25-11)	1,134[39]	13-2 (4-0)[40]
10/4 8 p.m.	*Santa Clara	#10	Smith Fieldhouse Provo, UT	BYUtv	W 3-0 (25-10, 25-15, 25-18)	1,386[41]	14-2 (5-0)[42]
10/9 8 p.m.	*@ Pacific	#10[43]	Alex G. Spanos Center Stockton, CA	TheW.tv	W 3-1 (20-25, 25-17, 25-21, 25-17)	745[44]	15-2 (6-0)[45]
10/11 2 p.m.	*@ Saint Mary's	#10	McKeon Pavilion Moraga, CA	TheW.tv	W 3-1 (25-12, 23-25, 27-25, 25-14)	323[46]	16-2 (7-0)[47]
10/17 8 p.m.	*@ San Diego	#9[48]	Jenny Craig Pavilion San Diego, CA	TheW.tv	L 3-2 (25-18, 22-25, 17-25, 25-20, 15-8)	876[49]	16-3 (7-1)[50]
10/23 7 p.m.	*Loyola Marymount	#12[51]	Smith Fieldhouse Provo, UT	TheW.tv	W 3-0 (25-19, 25-9, 25-23)	1,064[52]	17-3 (8-1)[53]
10/25 1 p.m.	*Pepperdine	#12	Smith Fieldhouse Provo, UT	BYUtv	W 3-1 (25-10, 20-25, 25-20, 25-17)	1,286[54]	18-3 (9-1)[55]
10/30 7 p.m.	*@ Santa Clara	#11[56]	Leavey Center Santa Clara, CA	Santa Clara Portal	L 3-0 (25-14, 25-21, 25-15)	300[57]	18-4 (9-2)[58]
11/1 2 p.m.	*@ San Francisco	#11	War Memorial Gymnasium San Francisco, CA	TheW.tv	W 3-0 (25-20, 26-24, 25-14)	233[59]	19-4 (10-2)[58]
11/6 7 p.m.	*Saint Mary's	#14[60]	Smith Fieldhouse Provo, UT	BYUtv	W 3-0 (25-15, 25-15, 25-13)	1,296[61]	20-4 (11-2)[62]
11/8 1 p.m.	*Pacific	#14	Smith Fieldhouse Provo, UT	BYUtv	W 3-0 (25-21, 27-25, 26-24)	1,487[63]	21-4 (12-2)[64]
11/14 7:30 p.m.	*San Diego	#13[65]	Smith Fieldhouse Provo, UT	BYUtv	W 3-1 (25-13, 25-15, 21-25, 25-15)	2,298[66]	22-4 (13-2)[67]
11/20 8 p.m.	*@ Portland	#12[68]	Chiles Center Portland, OR	Portland Portal	W 3-0 (25-14, 25-19, 25-21)	390[69]	23-4 (14-2)[70]
11/22 1 p.m.	*@ Gonzaga	#12	Charlotte Y. Martin Centre Spokane, WA	TheW.tv	W 3-2 (21-25, 17-25, 25-18, 25-21, 15-10)	823[71]	24-4 (15-2)[72]
11/25 8 p.m.	*@ Loyola Marymount	#12[73]	Gersten Pavilion Los Angeles, CA	TheW.tv	W 3-1 (30-28, 25-12, 23-25, 25-21)	526[74]	25-4 (16-2)[75]
12/4 4 p.m.	y-vs. Seton Hall	#12	McKale Center Tucson, AZ (NCAA 1st Round)	P12 Digital	W 3-0 (25-16, 25-18, 25-17)	2,001[76]	26-4[77]
12/5 5:30 p.m.	y-@ #14 Arizona	#12	McKale Center Tucson, AZ (NCAA 2nd Round)	P12 Digital	W 3-1 (22-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-23)	1,515[78]	27-4[79]
12/12 5 p.m.	y-vs. #8 Florida State	#12	Alaska Airlines Arena Seattle, WA (NCAA Regional Semifinal)	ESPN3	W 3-1 (25-20, 25-19, 19-25, 26-24)	6,789[80]	28-4[81]
12/13 9:30 p.m.	y-vs. #11 Nebraska	#12	Alaska Airlines Arena Seattle, WA (NCAA Regional Final)	ESPNU	W 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-21)	4,885[82]	29-4[83]
12/18 5 p.m.	y-vs. #6 Texas	#12	Chesapeake Energy Arena Oklahoma City, OK (NCAA Semifinal)	ESPN2	W 3-1 (25-23, 25-16, 17-25, 26-24)	9,824[84]	30-4[85]
12/20 5:30 p.m.	y-vs. #4 Penn State	#12	Chesapeake Energy Arena Oklahoma City, OK (NCAA Final)	ESPN2	L 0-3 (21-25, 24-26, 14-25)	11,018[86]	30-5[87]

*-Indicates Conference Opponent

y-Indicates NCAA Playoffs

Times listed are Mountain Time Zone.

Announcers for televised games

• @ West Virginia: No announcers (video only)
• Washington: Spencer Linton, Kristen Kozlowski, & Andy Boyce
• UMBC: Spencer Linton, Kristen Kozlowski, & Andy Boyce
• Utah Valley: Robbie Bullough & Dave Neeley
• @ UTEP: No announcers (video only)
• @ New Mexico State: Adam Young & Kelli Alvord
• @ Idaho State: Matt Steuart & Kade Vance
• Utah: Spencer Linton, Amy Gant, & Andy Boyce
• Gonzaga: Spencer Linton, Kristen Kozlowski, & Andy Boyce
• Portland: Spencer Linton, Kristen Kozlowski, & Andy Boyce
• @ Pepperdine: Kevin Barnett & Holly McPeak
• San Francisco: Spencer Linton, Amy Gant & Andy Boyce
• Santa Clara: Spencer Linton, Amy Gant, & Andy Boyce
• @ Pacific: Don Gubbins
• @ Saint Mary's: Anthony Schultz & Betsy Sedlak
• @ San Diego: Chris Loucks
• Loyola Marymount: Robbie Bullough & Dave Neeley
• Pepperdine: Jarom Jordan, Kristen Kozlowski, & Andy Boyce
• @ Santa Clara: No announcers (video only)
• @ San Francisco: Pat Olson
• Saint Mary's: Spencer Linton, Kristen Kozlowski, & Andy Boyce
• Pacific: Spencer Linton, Kristen Kozlowski, & Andy Boyce
• San Diego: Spencer Linton, Kristen Kozlowski, & Andy Boyce
• @ Portland: No announcers (video only)
• @ Gonzaga: No announcers (video only)
• @ Loyola Marymount: Steve Quis & Dustin Avol
• vs. Seton Hall: No announcers (video only)
• @ Arizona: No announcers (video only)
• vs. Florida State: Sam Gore & Holly McPeak
• vs. Nebraska: Sam Gore & Holly McPeak
• vs. Texas: Beth Mowins, Karch Kiraly, & Holly Rowe
• vs. Penn State: Beth Mowins, Karch Kiraly, & Holly Rowe

References

1. "West Coast Conference Announces 2014 Volleyball Preseason Poll and All-WCC Team". Campus Insiders. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
2. "AVCA Division I Coaches Final Poll: December 22, 2014". Retrieved 2014-12-22.
3. "BYU women's volleyball takes home WCC honors, starts NCAA Tournament Thursday". The Universe. Retrieved 2014-12-04.
4. "Cougars beat Nebraska, reach Final Four". Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 2014-12-14.
5. "Three Cougars receive All-America accolades". Deseret News. Retrieved 2014-12-17.
6. "Shawn Olmstead named AVCA coach of the year". Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 2014-12-18.
7. "BYU has OKC looking like Cinderella City again". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 2014-12-18.
8. http://byucougars.com/roster/w-volleyball
9. "AVCA Division I Coaches Preseason Poll: August 11, 2014". Retrieved 2014-08-11.
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78. "BYU @ Arizona". Stat Broadcast. Retrieved 2014-12-05.
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80. "BYU vs. Florida State". Stat Broadcast. Retrieved 2014-12-12.
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82. "BYU vs. Nebraska". Stat Broadcast. Retrieved 2014-12-13.
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84. "BYU vs. Texas". Stat Broadcast. Retrieved 2014-12-18.
85. "Hamson and Gray step up big to get BYU past Texas and into the NCAA championship game". Deseret News. Retrieved 2014-12-18.
86. "BYU vs. Penn State". Stat Broadcast. Retrieved 2014-12-20.
87. "Penn State sweeps BYU for a record seventh women's volleyball championship". Deseret News. Retrieved 2014-12-20.