MALIBU, Calif. — After an opening week on the road, the Pepperdine women's volleyball returns to Firestone Fieldhouse to host the Pepperdine Tournament and the team's home opener.  The Waves' first match in Malibu will be against California Baptist at 6 p.m. on Thursday, with matches against Fairfield and Texas A&M on Friday and Saturday respectively.
 
MATCH #4 — Thursday (September 5) at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, Calif.: Pepperdine vs. California Baptist at 6 p.m.
 
MATCH #5 — Friday (September 6) at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, Calif.: Pepperdine vs. Fairfield at 6 p.m.
 
MATCH #6 — Saturday (September 7) at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, Calif.: Pepperdine vs. Texas A&M at 6 p.m.
 
LIVE — Live stream and live stats will be available, with all Pepperdine matches going live on the WCC Network.  All non-Pepperdine matches will be streamed live by FloVolleyball.  Links can be found on PepperdineWaves.com.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA — Follow @WavesVolleyball on Twitter for updates and check out PepperdineWaves.com and Facebook (/WavesVolleyball) for releases and more information.
 
SQUAD GOALS — After three matches, the Waves have marked 13.07 kills/set on a .312 hitting percentage, while giving up 11.43 kills/set on a .262 success rate.  As a team, Pepperdine has marked 11.50 assists/set, 1.29 aces/set, 16.36 digs/set and 2.07 blocks/set.
 
Leading attackers include Rachel Ahrens on the right side and Kayleigh Hames and Shannon Scully on the outside.  Ahrens marked 5.44 kills/set with 49 smashes on a .342 success rate, while Hames posted 4.33 kills/set on a .283 and Scully marked 4.00 kills/set on a .236 output.  Ahrens also added 1.56 blocks/set and 0.56 aces/set, while Hames posted 1.00 block/set and Scully added 0.22 aces/set and 0.56 blocks/set.
 
Tarah Wylie and Alli O'Harra held down the middle.  Wylie posted 3.22 kills/set on a .578 success rate, with 0.33 aces/set and 0.22 blocks/set.  O'Harra was good for 2.33 kills/set and 1.67 blocks/set.
 
Hana Lishman more than impressed on the back line, averaging 8.00 digs/set, while Tayah Mahi posted roughly 11.78 assists/set.  *Some stats are incorrect due to host-site technical difficulties.  These will be corrected and adapted when possible.*
 
LAST WEEK, TODAY — The Waves played three matches last week, falling to Tulsa and North Texas on opening day, before rallying to take care of Illinois State with a four-set win on Saturday.
 
Against ISU, Rachel Ahrens led the team wit 16 kills on a .429 output.  She also added five blocks including two solos and two aces.  Kayleigh Hames and Tarah Wylie put up 12 kills apiece, Wylie with a .435 success rate.  Wylie also marked three aces and Hames marked nine digs.  Shannon Scully and Alli O'Harra posted seven kills apiece, with O'Harra adding four blocks and Scully adding six digs.  Hana Lishman held down the back line with 16 digs and Tayah Mahi took care of the playmaking duties with 44 assists and eight digs.
 
POSITION BREAKDOWNS:
CANNONS — Hannah Frohling, Shannon Scully, Rachel Ahrens, Taylor Akason, Savana Greene and Kayliegh Hames.
MALIBU ROOFING COMPANY — Tarah Wylie, Alli O'Harra and Rosie Ballo
PLAYMAKERS — Isabel Zelaya, Tayah Mahi and Lily Dyer.
CAN YOU DIG IT? — Hana Lishman, Madison Shields and Aubrey Roberts.
 
THE COMPETITION — The Waves will face California Baptist for the first time this season.  The Lancers started off with an 0-3 record last week, falling to Illinois-Chicago, Idaho and Eastern Washington.  Against Fairfield, Pepperdine has faced them only once, winning the bout in 2000.  The Stags have gone 2-1 this season thus far, with a loss to Temple and five-set wins over UMBC and Lafayette.  The Waves have gone 5-3 over Texas A&M since 1977, winning the first contest 2-0 and falling in the most recent match in 2018 in three sets.  This season, the Aggies have gone 1-1 with a win over Dayton and a loss to #25 Louisville.
 
MORE THAN A PEEK INTO THE 2018 SEASON — This week, the Waves took an in-depth look at the trials and tribulations faced during the end of the 2018 season in a three-part docuseries.  Also included in the feature were team philosophies and an inside look at the momentum towards the team's future this season.  All three chapters, as well as the full video, can be found on any of Pepperdine women's volleyball social channels (@WavesVolleyball on Facebook and Twitter) or on the Pepperdine Athletics YouTube channel.
 
WCC PRESEASON POLL & HONORS — The Waves had four honored with an All-WCC Preseason Team selection, including Hannah Frohling, Tarah Wylie, Shannon Scully and Rachel Ahrens.  Pepperdine was picked to finish 3rd in the West Coast Conference this season, close behind BYU and San Diego, and out in front of PCH Cup rival Loyola Marymount, Saint Mary's, Pacific, Portland, Gonzaga, Santa Clara and San Francisco.
 
2018 RECAP — Last season, the Waves went 22-9 overall and 14-4 in the West Coast Conference, posting a 12-1 output at home, a 6-7 record on the road and a 4-1 record on neutral courts.  The Waves made the NCAA Tournament for the 24th time in 44 seasons and the first time since the 2012 campaign, finishing in the second round of the tournament after posting a solid victory over Northern Iowa in the opening round in Wisconsin. The Waves won the final five matches of the regular season, including a 3-2 defeat of Hawai'i and WCC-victories over Gonzaga, Portland, PCH Cup rival LMU and San Diego to finish 2nd in the conference.
 
LISHMAN AND TEAM USA — Senior Hana Lishman had quite the summer, first being invited to the Team USA National Team tryout in Colorado Springs, and then by being selected to the 28-player U.S. Women's Collegiate National Team, Anaheim roster in April.  She trained with the squad in from June 23-29.
 
WAVES ON ICE? — Sophomore defensive specialist Madison 'Mad Dog' Shields didn't just grow up playing volleyball, she started her athletic career playing ice hockey.  Her stepsiblings played the sport and after taking basic lessons, she started to love it so much she joined a team.  That team happened to be an all-guys team, but checking was not yet allowed.  Shields stated, "I was on the team for two years and it was mentally challenging. It made me a more disciplined athlete and it made me want to work harder.  It helped me realize how to be a next-level athlete.
 
SCOTT WONG — Pepperdine alum Scott Wong was named head coach in December 2014, becoming the fifth head coach in program history.  In first four seasons at the helm of the Waves, he amassed a 68-55 overall record for Pepperdine.  He helped the program to its first NCAA appearance since 2012 in the 2018 campaign after leading the Waves to a 22-9 overall season and a NCAA second round finish.   He was an assistant with the Waves' men's program from 2005-09 (and was part of the 2005 NCAA championship-winning team) before moving back to his home state of Hawaii and serving as associate coach with the Rainbows' women's squad for five seasons.  He was also Hawaii's sand volleyball head coach.  Wong was a three-time All-American with the Waves between 1998-01.
 
NEW FACES ON THE SIDELINES — Head Coach Scott Wong has recruited some new help on the sidelines for the 2018 season, bringing in Tara Hittle, Lindsey Berg and Blossom Sato to help coach the squad.  Hittle is a former NCAA Division I multi-sport student-athlete and professional volleyball player.  She graduated from University of Hawai'i after playing both basketball and volleyball and helping the Rainbow Wahine to a pair of NCAA Elite 8 appearances in 2006 and 2007 as well as Sweet 16 berths in 2004 and 2005.  Berg is a three-time Olympian and two-time silver medalist.  She helped lead Team USA to a pair of silver medal finishes in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games, while also playing in Italy on the professional circuit for seven season.  Sato is a recent graduate of Pepperdine and spent two years leading the Waves as the primary setter, earning All-WCC first team honors in 2018.  She made an immediate impact after transferring from Mississippi State and posted 1,915 total assists, averaging 10.35 assists/set for the Waves.  Director of Operations Haley Thompson also returned to the sidelines to help the Waves this season.
 
INDOOR VOLLEYBALL HISTORY — The Pepperdine women's volleyball program is synonymous with the word excellence, as the Waves are a perennial national power.  The Waves have advanced to postseason play 28 times in 44 seasons, including 14 trips to the NCAA Championships in the last 21 seasons.  Pepperdine's best finishes in recent years came when the team made the regional final of the NCAA Tournament in 2002 and again in 2011.  Ten players have earned AVCA or Volleyball Magazine All-American honors a combined 19 times, while six players have been dubbed the WCC Player of the Year nine total times.  Nina Matthies, who stepped down after the 2013 season, was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame in December, 2015.
 
ABOUT PEPPERDINE — Pepperdine boasts a one-of-a-kind athletic department with unprecedented success for a school of its size. The Waves have won NCAA Division I Championships in five different men's sports — one of just 17 schools to have accomplished this feat — and nine overall. Of this elite group, Pepperdine has the smallest undergraduate enrollment, is the only school without football and is the only university that has not been affiliated with a "major" conference. The Waves have won a total of 25 team or individual national championships in their history. Pepperdine has also earned the Division I-AAA All-Sports Trophy, an award based on postseason success that's given to the top non-football school, three times (most recently in 2011-12). Located in scenic Malibu, Calif., the university overlooks the Pacific Ocean and its campus and athletic facilities are regularly voted among the nation's most beautiful.  Pepperdine, which is affiliated with the Church of Christ, ranks No. 46 overall on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best colleges.