`Runner Volleyball To Open WAC Play At Home

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Rematches of the 2017 Western Athletic Conference Volleyball Tournament semifinals and final are on tap for this weekend as CSU Bakersfield is preparing to open league play. The Roadrunners are preparing to host UT Rio Grande Valley and NM State, two of the teams CSUB defeated on the way to its second WAC Tournament title last season.

"We are excited to open WAC at home," said Giovana Melo, CSUB's Director of Volleyball. "We have two very tough teams coming to play, so, we have to step up this week." The `Runners will play their first WAC match of the season on Thursday, Sept. 20, against UTRGV. NMSU and CSUB will clash in the Icardo Center on Saturday, Sept. 22.

UTRGV (9-5) comes to Bakersfield on the heels of hosting their own tournament last weekend. Fresh off a 3-2 upset over No. 15 Baylor, the Vaqueros went 2-1 in their tournament with victories over Texas Southern and Houston Baptist. UTRGV fell 3-1 against a Texas Tech squad that defeated the `Runners 3-0 in Irvine, Calif. three weeks ago. In the 2017 WAC Tournament final, the `Runners knocked off the Vaqueros on their home court to claim the crown.

NM State (10-3) is on a hot streak, taking wins in eight of its last nine matches. The Aggies' only loss in that span was this past weekend against a strong Arizona squad. Tatyana Battle and Savannah Davison lead NM State with the pair both averaging more than three kills per set. CSUB upset the Aggies last season in the WAC Tournament semifinals en route to the NCAA Tournament.

The `Runners and Vaqueros are scheduled to play at 7 p.m. on Thursday with free pizza being handed out to students before the match. On Saturday, CSUB and NMSU will face off at 1 p.m. in the Icardo Center. The weekend match is CSUB's Golden Game, so fans are encouraged to come out and give the `Runners extra support. For fans who cannot make it out, both matches will be streamed live on WatchESPN. Links to live stream, live stats, and tickets are available at the CSUB volleyball schedule page.

~GoRunners.com~

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