2021 BYU Cougars women's volleyball team

2021 BYU Cougars women's volleyball
2021 BYU Cougars women's volleyball
2021 WCC Champions
NCAA volleyball tournament, Sweet Sixteen
Conference	West Coast Conference
Record	30–2 (18–0 WCC)
Head coach	Heather Olmstead (7th season);
Assistant coaches	David Hyte (8th season); Jonny Neeley (6th season);
Home arena	Smith Fieldhouse
	Seasons ← 2020–21 2022 →

The 2021 BYU Cougars women's volleyball team represented Brigham Young University in the 2021 NCAA Division I women's volleyball season. The Cougars were led by seventh year head coach Heather Olmstead and played their home games at the Smith Fieldhouse. The Cougars are members of the WCC.

BYU came off a season where they finished first and won the WCC regular season championship. The Cougars received an automatic big to the NCAA tournament falling to Wisconsin.

2021 West Coast Conference fall volleyball standings
v t e	Conf				Overall
Team	W		L	PCT	W		L	PCT
No. 4 BYU ‍†‍‍^y	18	–	0	1.000	30	–	2	.938
No. 25 Pepperdine ‍‍‍^y	14	–	4	.778	22	–	5	.815
San Diego ‍‍‍^y	14	–	4	.778	21	–	7	.750
Pacific ‍‍‍	10	–	8	.556	13	–	16	.448
Saint Mary's ‍‍‍	9	–	9	.500	15	–	12	.556
Santa Clara ‍‍‍	8	–	9	.471	12	–	15	.444
Loyola Marymount ‍‍‍	8	–	10	.444	17	–	11	.607
Gonzaga ‍‍‍	5	–	13	.278	9	–	20	.310
Portland ‍‍‍	2	–	14	.125	5	–	20	.200
San Francisco ‍‍‍	0	–	17	.000	0	–	25	.000
Portland games at San Francisco and Santa Clara were cancelled due to COVID-19 protocols. Since neither game had an impact on determining the conference champion, neither game was rescheduled.^[3]

† – Conference champion y – Invited to the NCAA Tournament As of December 19, 2024 Rankings from AVCA Source:West Coast Conference

Roster

2020–21 BYU Cougars roster^[4]

Defensive Specialist/Libero

3 Morgan Bower - Junior
14 Aria McComber - Graduate
18 Madi Allen - Sophomore
25 Gretchen Reinert - Graduate

Opposite hitters

4 Kenzie Koerber - Graduate
12 Kate Grimmer - Junior

Outside hitters

1 Taylen Ballard-Nixon - Senior
9 Alyssa Montoya - Freshman
10 Erin Livingston - Sophomore
11 Abbey Dayton - Junior
15 Elyse Stowell - Freshman
22 Sophia Callahan - Freshman

Setters

6 Zayna Meyer - Freshman
7 Whitney Bower - Junior
8 Tayler Tausinga - Senior

Middle blockers

2 Heather Gneiting - Junior
5 Bri Albright - Freshman
21 Whitney Llarenas - Senior
24 Kennedy Eschenberg - Graduate

Schedule

Date Time	Opponent	Rank ^{(Tournament Seed)}	Arena City (Tournament)	Television	Result	Attendance	Record (WCC Record)
08/27 12 p.m.	Southern Utah	#15	Smith Fieldhouse Provo, UT (dōTERRA Classic)	BYUtv	W 3–0 (25–11, 25–16, 25–13)	457	1–0
08/27 7 p.m.	LIU	#15	Smith Fieldhouse Provo, UT (dōTERRA Classic)	BYUtv	W 3–0 (25–11, 25–10, 25–9)	4,823	2–0
08/28 7 p.m.	UNLV	#15	Smith Fieldhouse Provo, UT (dōTERRA Classic)	BYUtv	W 3–0 (25–14, 25–16, 25–15)	4,453	3–0
09/02 7 p.m.	Weber State	#13	Smith Fieldhouse Provo, UT (BYU Invitational)	BYUtv	W 3–2 (25–23, 23–25, 18–25, 25–19, 15–4)	2,852	4–0
09/03 7 p.m.	Dixie State^[5]	#13	Smith Fieldhouse Provo, UT (BYU Invitational)	BYUtv	W 3–0 (25–8, 25–16, 25–20)	2,855	5–0
09/04 7 p.m.	Michigan State	#13	Smith Fieldhouse Provo, UT (BYU Invitational)	BYUtv	W 3–0 (25–14, 25–21, 25–19)	2,486	6–0
09/10 10 a.m.	vs. Bowling Green	#12	Fitzgerald Field House Pittsburgh, PA (Panther Challenge)		W 3–0 (25–13, 25–16, 25–19)	100	7–0
09/10 5 p.m.	@ #4 Pitt	#12	Fitzgerald Field House Pittsburgh, PA (Panther Challenge)	ACCN Extra	L 1–3 (21–25, 25–21, 20–25, 24–26)	1,258	7–1
09/11 2 p.m.	vs. High Point	#12	Fitzgerald Field House Pittsburgh, PA (Panther Challenge)		W 3–0 (25–17, 25–19, 25–19)	100	8–1
09/16 7 p.m.	#10 Utah	#15	Smith Fieldhouse Provo, UT (Deseret First Duel)	BYUtv	W 3–0 (25–23, 25–23, 25–16)	5,140	9–1
09/18 6 p.m.	@ Utah Valley	#15	Lockhart Arena Orem, UT (UCCU Crosstown Clash)	ESPN+	W 3–0 (25–16, 25–18, 25–20)	1,564	10–1
09/23 7 p.m.	Pacific*	#11	Smith Fieldhouse Provo, UT	BYUtv.org	W 3–0 (25–13, 25–12, 25–17)	2,490	11–1 (1–0)
09/25 1 p.m.	Saint Mary's*	#11	Smith Fieldhouse Provo, UT	BYUtv	W 3–0 (25–18, 25–17, 25–18)	2,351	12–1 (2–0)
09/30 1 p.m.	@ Santa Clara*	#10	Leavey Center Santa Clara, CA	WCC Network	W 3–0 (25–17, 25–17, 25–9)	322	13–1 (3–0)
10/02 1 p.m.	@ San Francisco*	#10	The Sobrato Center San Francisco, CA	WCC Network	W 3–0 (25–23, 25–16, 25–18)	193	14–1 (4–0)
10/07 7 p.m.	Portland*	#9	Smith Fieldhouse Provo, UT	BYUtv.org	W 3–0 (25–16, 25–15, 25–10)	2,624	15–1 (5–0)
10/09 12 p.m.	Gonzaga*	#9	Smith Fieldhouse Provo, UT	BYUtv.org	W 3–0 (25–7, 25–20, 25–14)	2,187	16–1 (6–0)
10/14 8 p.m.	@ Loyola Marymount*	#8	Gersten Pavilion Los Angeles, CA	WCC Network	W 3–1 (22–25, 25–16, 25–22, 25–19)	300	17–1 (7–0)
10/16 1 p.m.	@ #24 Pepperdine*	#8	Firestone Fieldhouse Malibu, CA	WCC Network	W 3–1 (21–25, 25–19, 25–10, 25–16)	737	18–1 (8–0)
10/22 7 p.m.	#21 San Diego*	#8	Smith Fieldhouse Provo, UT	BYUtv	W 3–0 (25–17, 25–13, 25–13)	2,828	19–1 (9–0)
10/28 7 p.m.	San Francisco*	#7	Smith Fieldhouse Provo, UT	BYUtv	W 3–0 (25–19, 25–15, 25–14)	2,466	20–1 (10–0)
10/30 1 p.m.	Santa Clara*	#7	Smith Fieldhouse Provo, UT	BYUtv	W 3–0 (25–14, 25–10, 25–17)	2,413	21–1 (11–0)
11/04 7 p.m.	@ Gonzaga*	#6	Charlotte Y. Martin Centre Spokane, WA	WCC Network	W 3–0 (25–9, 25–19, 25–21)	755	22–1 (12–0)
11/06 1 p.m.	@ Portland*	#6	Chiles Center Portland, OR	WCC Network	W 3–0 (25–21, 25–17, 25–12)	414	23–1 (13–0)
11/11 7 p.m.	Pepperdine*	#5	Smith Fieldhouse Provo, UT	BYUtv	W 3–0 (25–15, 25–17, 25–18)	2,973	24–1 (14–0)
11/13 1 p.m.	Loyola Marymount*	#5	Smith Fieldhouse Provo, UT	BYUtv	W 3–1 (25–20, 24–26, 25–21, 25–22)	3,592	25–1 (15–0)
11/18 8 p.m.	@ Pacific*	#4	Alex G. Spanos Center Stockton, CA	WCC Network	W 3–0 (25–20, 25–17, 29–27)	468	26–1 (16–0)
11/20 2 p.m.	@ Saint Mary's*	#4	University Credit Union Pavilion Moraga, CA	WCC Network	W 3–1 (25–17, 25–15, 19–25, 25–14)	313	27–1 (17–0)
11/23 8 p.m.	@ San Diego*	#4	Jenny Craig Pavilion San Diego, CA	WCC Network	W 3–1 (25–10, 14–25, 25–21, 25–22)	1,213	28–1 (18–0)
12/3 7 p.m.	y- Boise State	#4 (11-seed)	Smith Fieldhouse Provo, UT (NCAA Tournament 1st Round)	ESPN+	W 3–0 (25–6, 25–19, 25–10)	5,340	29–1
12/4 7 p.m.	y- Utah	#4 (11-seed)	Smith Fieldhouse Provo, UT (NCAA Tournament 2nd Round)	ESPN+	W 3–1 (17–25, 25–22, 25–23, 25–23)	4,729	30–1
12/9 11 a.m.	y- #8 (6-seed) Purdue	#4 (11-seed)	Fitzgerald Fieldhouse Pittsburgh, PA (NCAA Tournament Regional semifinal)	ESPNU	L 2–3 (12–25, 25–16, 25–21, 13–25, 16–18)	1,479	30–2

*-Indicates Conference Opponent

y-Indicates NCAA Playoffs

Times listed are Mountain Time Zone.

^[6]

Announcers for televised games

All home games will be on BYUtv or the BYUtv App. Most road games will also be televised or streamed on WCC Network, with the game at Pitt on ACC Network Extra, Utah Valley on ESPN+, and the other two Panther Classic matches being untelevised.

Southern Utah: Jarom Jordan, Amy Gant, & Kiki Solano
LIU: Jarom Jordan & Amy Gant
UNLV: Jarom Jordan, Amy Gant, & Kiki Solano
Weber State: Jarom Jordan, Amy Gant, & Kiki Solano
Dixie State: Jason Shepherd & Amy Gant
Michigan State: Brandon Crow & Amy Gant
Pitt: Josh Rowntree & Amanda Silay
Utah: Jarom Jordan, Amy Gant, & Kiki Solano
Utah Valley: Matt Baiamonte^{[permanent dead link‍]} & Madison Dennison
Pacific: Jarom Jordan & Amy Gant
Saint Mary's: Jarom Jordan, Amy Gant, & Kiki Solano
Santa Clara: Anthony Passarelli
San Francisco: Joaquin Wallace
Portland: Spencer Linton, Amy Gant, & Kiki Solano
Gonzaga: Jarom Jordan, Amy Gant, & Kiki Solano
Loyola Marymount: Jonathan Grace & Joely Karrer
Pepperdine: Al Epstein
San Diego: Jarom Jordan, Amy Gant, & Kiki Solano
San Francisco: Jarom Jordan, Amy Gant, & Kiki Solano
Santa Clara: Jarom Jordan, Amy Gant, & Kiki Solano
Gonzaga: Thomas Gallagher & Bella Fontaine
Portland: Bryan Sleik & Carly Dumanon
Pepperdine: Jarom Jordan, Amy Gant, & Kiki Solano
Loyola Marymount: Jarom Jordan, Amy Gant, & Kiki Solano
Pacific: Paul Muyskens & Carmelo DeLa Fuente
Saint Mary's: Ben Ross
San Diego: Jack Cronin^{[permanent dead link‍]}
Boise State: Jarom Jordan & Amy Gant
Utah: Jarom Jordan & Amy Gant
Purdue: Alex Loeb & Missy Whittemore

References

For information on BYU's other athletic sports this season please check out the following:

^ "Brother and sister Shawn and Heather Olmstead named as men's and women's volleyball coaches". Deseret News. June 22, 2015. Archived from the original on June 23, 2015. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
^ "Sports Briefs for Thursday". Daily Herald. Archived from the original on August 21, 2019. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
^ "Portland Volleyball Matches this Week Canceled". Portland Pilots. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
^ "Women's Volleyball Roster". Byucougars.com. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
^ known as Utah Tech University as of Summer 2022
^ "BYU Women's Volleyball 2021 Schedule Features Five In-State Opponents". Kslsports.com. July 14, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2021.

[1] "Brother and sister Shawn and Heather Olmstead named as men's and women's volleyball coaches". Deseret News. June 22, 2015. Archived from the original on June 23, 2015. Retrieved June 22, 2015.

[2] "Sports Briefs for Thursday". Daily Herald. Archived from the original on August 21, 2019. Retrieved February 8, 2016.

[3] "Portland Volleyball Matches this Week Canceled". Portland Pilots. Retrieved November 11, 2021.

[4] "Women's Volleyball Roster". Byucougars.com. Retrieved November 6, 2021.

[5] wn as Utah Tech University as of Summer 2022

[6] "BYU Women's Volleyball 2021 Schedule Features Five In-State Opponents". Kslsports.com. July 14, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2021.

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