2021 BYU Cougars women's volleyball team

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[1] (7th season)
Assistant coaches	David Hyte (8th season) Jonny Neeley[2] (6th season)
Home arena	Smith Fieldhouse

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 January 22, 2025 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:

See also: 2021 BYU Cougars football team, 2021 BYU Cougars women's soccer team, 2021–22 BYU Cougars men's basketball team, 2021–22 BYU Cougars women's basketball team, 2022 BYU Cougars men's volleyball team, 2022 BYU Cougars baseball team, and 2022 BYU Cougars softball team

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. known 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.