MALIBU, Calif. — The Pepperdine women's volleyball team has three matches on the docket this week, including the season's home opener on Thursday against UC Santa Barbara.
 
MATCH #3 — Thursday (August 31) at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, Calif.: Pepperdine vs. UC Santa Barbara at 5 p.m. PT | Watch: ESPN+
 
MATCH #4 — Friday (September 1) at Aztec Court at Peterson Gym in San Diego, Calif.: Pepperdine at San Diego State at 6:30 p.m. PT | Tournament: San Diego State Invitational
 
MATCH #5 — Saturday (September 2) at Aztec Court at Peterson Gym in San Diego, Calif.: Pepperdine vs. #6 Oregon at 1 p.m. PT | Tournament: San Diego State Invitational
 
UP NEXT — After this week in California, the Waves will head back on the road set for Honolulu, Hawai'i and the OUTRIGGER Volleyball Challenge on September 7, 8 and 10.  Pepperdine will face UCLA, Hawai'i (RV) and Liberty on the trip.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA — Follow @WavesVolleyball on Twitter for updates and check out PepperdineWaves.com and Facebook (/WavesVolleyball) for releases and more information.
 
ESPN+ — Pepperdine's home match against UC Santa Barbara will be available on ESPN+.  The West Coast Conference and ESPN have expanded their longstanding media rights relationship. In addition to showcasing more than 25 games on ESPN's linear networks, ESPN+ will serve as the new, exclusive digital home for more than 900 conference events each year.  In the multi-year, multi-platform relationship, ESPN will continue to showcase 17 men's basketball regular season games, six WCC Men's and Women's Basketball Championship games, and four additional events across the WCC's 16 sports on its linear networks each year.  Conference-owned regular-season events in men's basketball, women's basketball, men's soccer, women's soccer, volleyball, men's water polo, baseball and softball that are not televised on ESPN networks or CBS Sports Network will be available on ESPN+ beginning with the 2023-24 seasons.
 
ADDITIONAL COVERAGE — Pepperdine's home match against UC Santa Barbara will be available on ESPN+.  Live stats for all matches will also be available, though the matches in San Diego will not be streamed.  All links can be found on PepperdineWaves.com. 
 
PROMOTIONS — The first 100 students to arrive and scan in at the ticket podium will receive a ticket for free shaved ice.  
 
TICKETS & SPECTATOR GUIDELINES — Tickets to all Pepperdine home women's volleyball matches in 2023 will be available via e-ticket only at tickets.pepperdinewaves.com.  Pepperdine faculty, staff and students must show Pepperdine ID card for entry — no ticket purchase is required.
 
Due to campus construction, nearby parking is limited and guests are advised to arrive early.  Each match costs $13 for adults, $8 for seniors (65+) and $5 for children and non-Pepperdine students. 
 
4,000 ASSIST CLUB — Graduate student setter Isabel Zelaya entered the exclusive 4,000 assist club this past weekend.  She entered the 2023 campaign with 3,995 assists and after the two matches now sits at 4,045 assists.  That mark puts her at fourth in the Pepperdine women's volleyball record books and the fifth Wave all-time to have surpassed the 4,000-assist mark and the first since 2009.  Becci Roehl (1994-97) leads the category with 5,020 assists all-time.  Kiah Fiers (2006-09) and Melissa Mehlhorn (2002-05) take up the #2 and #3 spots in the record books with 4,410 and 4,387 record books respectively.
 
SQUAD GOALS — Pepperdine started off the 2023 campaign with a pair of tough losses to Kansas, a team that was receiving votes in the AVCA coaches preseason poll and is now #23, and Texas A&M. 
 
As a team, the Waves averaged 10.00 kills/set on a .125 clip, with 9.67 assists, 1.00 aces, 12.17 digs and 1.83 blocks per set.  They have allowed opponents 16.00 kills/set on a .335 success rate, with 15.00 assists, 1.17 aces, 16.33 digs and 2.50 blocks per set.
 
Meg Brown and Birdie Hendrickson lead the pack with 2.33 kills per set.  Brown did so on a .233 clip, while leading the Waves with 0.50 aces/set as well.  Hendrickson also added 2.50 digs/set to her efforts thus far.  Isabel Zelaya led in playmaking duties with 8.33 assists/set, while also leading the Waves with 0.83 blocks/set at the net.  Riley Patterson had a team-high 3.33 digs/set as well.
 
LAST WEEK IN OMAHA — Last week, the Waves first faced off against another team receiving votes in the AVCA coaches preseason poll, Kansas.  Though it was a see-saw battle in the first set, the Jayhawks (1-0) were able to secure a 27-25 win over the Waves (0-1) to gain momentum, and used it to take the next two sets 25-15, 25-23 for a three-set victory.  Meg Brown led the squad with 10 kills on a .389 clip, adding three blocks, four digs and a pair of aces.  Birdie Hendrickson was as close to a double-double as she could be with nine kills and 11 digs.  Isabel Zelaya led with 31 assists and four blocks and Riley Patterson posted a team-best 14 digs.
 
Pepperdine then succumbed to a three-set loss (25-12, 25-21, 25-15) to Texas A&M on Saturday afternoon.  Grace Chillingworth, Emily Hellmuth and Hendrickson led with five kills apiece, while Brown posted four.  Hellmuth also added two aces, while Patterson once again led in digs with six and Zelaya in assists with 19.  Kenadie Patterson had a team-high two blocks.
 
THE COMPETITION — UC Santa Barbara has gone 3-0 so far this season with three-set wins over New Mexico State, Denver and North Florida.  Pepperdine leads UCSB 33-30 all-time, dating back to 1976 when the Waves first won in three sets before going on a seven-match winning streak.  The longest streak for the Gauchos was nine matches from 1990 to 1996.  Since 2007, Pepperdine has posted a 9-2 record against UCSB, including a pair of wins in 2021 and 2022.
 
San Diego State has gone 1-2 overall this season after winning their opener in four sets against Cal State Fullerton and then dropping in three to Kansas State and Portland State last weekend.  Pepperdine and UCSD have each won 21 matches against each other all-time, dating back to the 1976 season when the Waves won in three sets.  The Waves had a six-match winning streak to follow before the Aztecs won for the first time in 1978.  SDSU had an 11-match winning streak from 1980 to 1986, though the Waves have the most recent streak, having won the last eight matches since 1995, including wins in the last two seasons.
 
Oregon began the season 3-0 as well, sweeping past fellow WCC opponent and #13-ranked San Diego, as well as Northwestern and Hawai'i.  The Waves have gone 3-1 against the Ducks all-time, with all matches having been played in the 1980s.  Pepperdine won first in 1981 with a 2-0 result and also won most recently in 1986 with another 2-0 win - both on neutral courts.
 
WCC PRESEASON HONORS — Four Waves earned All-WCC preseason honors with Meg Brown, Grace Chillingworth, Riley Patterson and Emily Hellmuth receiving recognition.  Pepperdine was projected to finish second in the league this season by the coaches, though the Waves charted two first place votes.  #16 San Diego topped the WCC preseason coaches poll, while LMU was in the third spot.  Pacific and Saint Mary's round out the top five, while Santa Clara, San Francisco, Gonzaga and Portland close out the poll.
 
POSITION BREAKDOWNS:
CANNONS — Emma Ammerman, Grace Chillingworth, Emily Hellmuth, Birdie Hendrickson, Avery Shimaitis
MALIBU ROOFING COMPANY — Meg Brown, Sterling Parker, Kenadie Patterson, Vanessa Polk
PLAYMAKERS — Rosemary Archer, Brynne McGhie, Isabel Zelaya
CAN YOU DIG IT? — Laine Briggs, Riley Patterson, Trinity Stanger