Beavers Return Home For Matches Against Arizona, Arizona State

Oregon State is 3-11 overall, and 0-5 in Pac-10 play.

Photo: OSU Athletics

CORVALLIS - The Beavers return home for matches against a pair of unranked teams in Arizona (9-8, 0-5) and Arizona State (9-7, 1-4).

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION:

Oregon State’s first encounter of the week comes against Arizona, which holds a 19-match winning streak. The Wildcats lost three of its top players in the program’s history to graduation. Then UA’s season took another hit when senior MB Kristina Baum went down with a knee injury during the preseason. The Wildcats are currently suffering through a six-match losing streak. OSU’s last victory over the ‘Cats came in a four-game win Sept. 27, 1996 in Corvallis.

Sophomore OH Brooke Buringrud leads the Wildcats with 3.76 kills per game and freshman OH Whitney Dosty adds 3.15 kpg. Junior MB Dominique Lamb contributes 2.55 kpg and leads the defense at the net with 1.55 blocks per game to rank third in the conference. Senior S Stephanie Butkus leads the ‘Cats attack and recently became the fourth player in Arizona history to record 3,000 assists.

The Beavers have beaten ASU three times in a row and in four of the last five meetings. However, OSU trails in the all-time series 14-27.

The Sun Devils’ offense is led by senior OH Nicole Morton (3.43 kpg) and sophomore OH Margie Giordano (3.09 kpg). Redshirt-freshman S Marina Mercer directs Arizona State’s offense the majority of the time distributing the ball at an 8.08 assists per game clip, but the Sun Devils also use to a multi-setter system at times with junior Rachel Mittelstaedt providing relief. Junior L Sydney Donahue leads the Devils’ defense 6.66 digs per game, which leads the conference.

RECAPPING LAST WEEK IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

• Oregon State lost a five-game marathon at Washington State. The loss marked the end of a six-match winning streak against the Cougars. The Beavers staved off three match points to send the match to a fifth game and then committed only three errors in the deciding game force WSU to earn the win. Rachel Rourke finished with 20 kills and Camilla Ah-Hoy tallied a career-high 48 assists. Lexie Rathgeber enjoyed the best outing of her career with 12 kills and nine total blocks.

• The Beavers were outgunned against No. 5 Washington, the defending national champions. Rourke led the Beavers in kills for the eighth straight match with 10. OSU outblocked the Dawgs 8.5 to 3.5 in the loss.

CAHOON STEADILY GAINS ON OSU’S BEST:

Senior OH/MB Brittany Cahoon continues to move up the career records lists in a couple categories of OSU’s all-time lists. With 13 kills last week, Cahoon moved into 23rd on the OSU’s kills list with 649 passing Krista Kinsman (1997-99)... Cahoon also recorded six block assists last week to break a tie with Tami Good (1984-87) for 11th in OSU history and needs only one more to break into OSU’s top ten... In addition, Cahoon’s six total blocks last week pushed her past teammate Abby Windell into 12th on the total blocks list.

WINDELL PUTTING THE ROOF ON THE RECORD BOOK:

Senior MB Abby Windell remains in ninth place in block assists in OSU history having passed Rachel Hochgesang (1993-96) two weeks ago. Windell, who now has 199 block assists in her career, needs 28 to catch Shelly Smith (1991-94) for eighth on the all-time list. Windell has 224 total blocks in her career which now ranks 13th in OSU history after teammate Brittany Cahoon passed her last week.

ROURKE PACKS PUNCH:

With 30 kills last week OH Rachel Rourke became the first freshman to tally 200 kills at OSU since 1998 when Gina Schmidt recorded 226. In all Rourke, who currently has 222 kills, is the 12th freshman in OSU history to record 200 kills. If she continues at her current rate of 4.35 kills per game, Rourke would finish with highest kpg rate in for a freshman in school history... Rourke ranks fifth in the conference with 4.35 kills per game. Rourke is also seventh in the Pac-10 with 4.87 points per game (kills + aces + blocks). Rourke has posted 26 kills twice this season (against South Dakota State and UNLV), the second-highest total by any player in the conference this season.

HEAD COACH TARAS LISKEVYCH:

Oregon State head coach Taras Liskevych is in his second season at OSU and 11th overall as a collegiate head coach. In his first season in Corvallis, Liskevych led the Beavers to a 11-13 record overall including a win at then-No. 15 California, marking the first win over a ranked opponent since 2000. The Beavers also recorded seven conference wins for only the fourth time in OSU history. Liskevych enters the season with a 278-98 (.739) college coaching record that includes a nine year stint at the University of the Pacific. Liskevych also coached the U.S. Women’s National Team for 12 years winning a bronze medal at the 1992 Olympics and led his team to gold at the 1995 World Grand Prix.

UP NEXT:

Next week, the Beavers travel to take on a pair of Top 10 teams in the Bay Area, with a match at No.6 Stanford on Thursday and No. 7 California.

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