21 Consecutive NCAA Tournaments 18 Mountain West Championships 15 AVCA All-Americans 267 Total Weeks Ranked Top 15 Nationally For Attendance

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1 COLORADO STATE RAMS VOLLEYBALL 21 Consecutive NCAA Tournaments 18 Mountain West Championships 15 AVCA All-Americans 267 Total Weeks Ranked Top 15 Nationally For Attendance Contact: Zach Balside, Assistant SID 970/ SCHEDULE - (0-0, 0-0 ) August 26 North Dakota State 6 p.m. 27 Saint Mary s 7 p.m. 30 at Northern Colorado 7 p.m. September 2 vs. Baylor & 11 a.m. 3 vs. Pittsburgh & 11 a.m. 3 at UC Santa Barbara & 5:30 p.m. 8 Wichita State ^ 7 p.m. 9 Texas (White Out) ^ 7 p.m. 16 New Orleans 7 p.m. 17 vs. Chicago State 1 p.m. 17 at Colorado 7:30 p.m. 22 Fresno State * 7 p.m. 24 San Jose State * 1 p.m. 29 at Utah State * 7 p.m. October 6 at New Mexico * 6:30 p.m. 8 at UNLV * 4 p.m. 13 Nevada * 7 p.m. 15 San Diego State * 1 p.m. 20 at San Jose State * 7 p.m. 22 at Fresno State * 2 p.m. 25 at Wyoming * 6:30 p.m. 29 Utah State * 1 p.m. November 3 UNLV * 7 p.m. 5 New Mexico * 7 p.m. 10 at San Diego State * 7 p.m. 12 at Nevada * 2 p.m. 16 at Boise State * 7:30 p.m. 19 Air Force * TBA 22 Wyoming * (Senior Night) 7 p.m. Times are Mountain Standard Time (MT) Home matches are in BOLD ^ Rams Volleyball Classic (Fort Collins, Colo.) % UCSB Tournament (Santa Barbara, Calif.) * Mountain West match # NCAA tournament match (TBA) & NCAA tournament match (Columbus, Ohio) #25 CSU RAMS General Information 2015 Record: 26-4 (18-0 ) Streak: L1 Head Coach: Tom CSU SET TO OPEN AT HOME RAMS HOST NDSU, SAINT MARY S BEFORE HEADING TO GREELEY NORTH DAKOTA STATE BISON General Info 2015 Stat Leaders 2015 Record: (10-6 Summit) K/S: J. Fassbender (3.41) Head Coach: Kari Thompson A/S: B. Rasmusson (6.29) Series History: CSU leads, 1-0 SA/S: M. Samec (0.25) CSU Streak: W1 D/S: M. Purnell (3.86) B/S: E. Minnick (0.73) SAINT MARY S GAELS General Info ROSTER 2015 Stat Leaders 2015 Record: 6-22 (1-17 WCC) K/S: L. Knudsen (2.78) Head Coach: Rob Browning A/S: M. Hernandez (9.70) Series History: CSU leads, 1-0 SA/S: L. Knudsen (0.24) CSU Streak: W1 D/S: M. Wilkerson (3.94) B/S: L. Calvin (0.93) NORTHERN COLORADO BEARS General Info 2015 Stat Leaders 2015 Record: (10-6 Big Sky) K/S: K. Cunningham (3.31) Head Coach: Lyndsey Oates A/S: A. Guthrie (10.23) Series History: CSU leads, 20-6 SA/S: A. Guthrie (0.17) CSU Streak: W15 D/S: M. Garcia (4.72) B/S: E. O Neil (0.85) No. Name Ht. Pos. Cl. Exp. Hometown (Last School) 2 Cassidy Denny 5-8 DS SR 3L Sacramento, Calif. (El Camino) 3 Olivia Nicholson 6-0 OH/OPP FR HS North Platte, Neb. (North Platte) 4 McKenna Thornlow 5-9 DS JR TR Colorado Springs, Colo. (North Texas) 6 Jasmine Hanna 6-1 OH JR 2L Queen Creek, Ariz. (Queen Creek) 7 Katie Craig 5-9 DS SO 1L Newport Beach, Calif. (Corona del Mar) 8 Amanda Young 5-8 DS FR HS Gretna, Neb. (Gretna) 9 Paulina Hougaard-Jensen 6-1 MB FR HS Copenhagen, Denmark (Falkonergaarden) 10 Sanja Čizmić 6-1 OH JR 2L Split, Croatia (IV. Gimnazija Marko Marulic) 13 Kirstie Hillyer 6-6 MB/OH RS FR RS Bayfield, Colo. (Bayfield) 14 Alexandra Poletto 6-3 MB JR 2L Toronto, Ontario (De La Salle) 15 Breana Runnels 5-10 OH FR HS Bakersfield, Calif. (Independence) 17 Mariah Green 5-4 DS RS SO RS Fort Collins, Colo. (Heritage Christian) 21 Jessica Jackson 5-11 OH/MB RS FR RS Denver, Colo. (Thomas Jefferson) 22 Katie Oleksak 5-10 S FR HS Phoenix, Ariz. (Sunnyslope) Head Coach Tom Hilbert (Oklahoma, 84; 20th Season) Assistant Coach Luke Murray (Penn State, 08; Third Season) Assistant Coach Emily Hiza (Iowa, 08; First Season) Director of Operations Bri Olmstead (Colorado State, 06; Ninth Season) PRONUNCIATION GUIDE Sanja Čizmić...sawn-yuh cheez-mich Jasmine Hanna...han-nuh Paulina Hougaard-Jensen...Ho-gard Yen-sin Bri Olmstead... BREE Katie Oleksak... Oh-lek-sak Alexandra Poletto...poh-LET-toe 311 McGraw Athletic Center, Fort Collins, Colo Phone: 970/ Fax: 970/ Tickets: RAMS

2 MATCH NOTES 2 CSU VOLLEYBALL MEDIA POLICIES & INFORMATION QUICK FACTS WELCOME! The Colorado State athletic media relations office genuinely appreciates your coverage of CSU volleyball, and looks forward to each and every time it can welcome you to Fort Collins. Members of the office, including volleyball contact Zach Balside, director Paul Kirk, assistant directors Nic Hallisey and Danny Mattie, as well as the team of student-assistants, are available to assist with your coverage. The office is happy to help you however it can. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with the policies relevant to your coverage of the volleyball program, as outlined on this page and the next. Please feel free to contact Zach Balside via phone or with questions regarding the media policy. GENERAL POLICIES All interviews with any member of the volleyball program, including Head Coach Tom Hilbert, the coaching staff and student-athletes must be coordinated through Zach Balside in the athletic media relations office. Members of the media are strictly prohibited from approaching any coach, staff member or student-athlete by any means including text messages, , phone calls (cell, office or home) or social media, such as Facebook and Twitter without first approaching the athletic media relations office. Regarding unique subject matter, such as human-interest angles, members of the media are welcome to approach the media relations office at least 24 hours in advance with requests to interview any member of the program. INTERVIEW GUIDELINES Interviews, either in person or via telephone, with members of Colorado State s volleyball coaching staff and student-athletes must be coordinated through assistant director of media relations Zach Balside. Media are asked not to request an individual s personal contact information, including and cell number, but rather to contact Zach Balside. Student-athletes and coaches are available for interviews at the conclusion of daily practice sessions. Student-athlete interviews will not conflict with classes, meetings, medical treatment or practice times. Interviews are not permitted in the locker room or training room. Interviews will not be granted on match days until following the contest. Telephone interviews should be requested at least 24 hours in advance and coordinated through Zach Balside. All interviews will be processed on an availability basis involving the requested interviewee. MEDIA CREDENTIALS Single-match credentials must be requested through Zach Balside in writing at least three days in advance of a match. Approved requests will be mailed or can be picked up in the media relations office or at the match. On days of matches, credentials can be obtained just outside the west side of the Moby Arena court. Media members are asked to enter through the McGraw Athletic Center doors (just east of the Moby Arena parking lot) and follow the ramp on the right down to the court. At the bottom of the ramp, a table will be set up with credentials. PARKING Media parking is available at Moby Arena. Please contact the CSU media relations office to request a Moby Arena parking pass. Access to the parking lot will require an A permit from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays during the academic year. A limited number of single-day passes are available through the media relations office. Annual permits can be purchased through the Office of Parking Management website: PRACTICE GUIDELINES All Colorado State volleyball practices are open to the media and public, unless otherwise noted. During the season, practice will generally run from 12:30-3 p.m. during the week, except on match and travel days. Please note, practice times are subject to change on short or no notice. At times, practice will end early, so please plan to arrive early. Practice will usually take place in Moby Arena, but contact Zach Balside for the most updated schedule. All interviews must take place after the conclusion of practice. If this is an issue, contact Zach Balside, and the media relations staff will try and accommodate your schedule. Media should remain on the sidelines, standing a safe distance from the boundary to prevent collisions. Members of the general public attending practice are asked to sit in Moby Arena upper seating. GAMEDAY Near the end of each home match, the media relations staff will ask those on hand representing the media whom they wish to speak with. Approximately 10 minutes after the conclusion of each match, Head Coach Tom Hilbert and the selected student-athletes will be brought to the Coors Auditorium, located in the McGraw Athletic Center, and will be available for questions. No student-athlete or coach can appear on a live postgame television or radio interview without permission obtained prior to the match from Zach Balside. GAMEDAY SERVICES In-game services include live online statistics and box scores following each set. Notes, transcribed quotes and statistics will be available following the conclusion of the match. The media room, which is located just west of the court at the bottom of the ramp connecting Moby Arena and the McGraw Athletic Center, will be open at least two hours prior to the start of a match, and will provide updated notes on both teams, statistics and other information. Moby Arena offers complimentary wireless Internet access. Check the media room for access information. ROAD MATCHES We appreciate your coverage, and if you would like to cover the Rams in person during a road match, please notify Zach Balside at least seven days in advance to provide ample time to request a credential from the opposing team. If you would like to talk to Head Coach Tom Hilbert after the conclusion of a road match via telephone, please notify Zach Balside prior to the start of the match. After the match, a member of the media relations staff will call you so you can talk with Coach Hilbert. Student-athletes will try to be made available, as well, if requested. REPORTING OF INJURIES At all times throughout the year, Head Coach Tom Hilbert will serve as the sole source for injury information. All questions related to injuries should be directed to Hilbert, and not to any other member of the program, including athletic trainers, doctors, the injured student-athlete or her teammates. CSURAMS.COM The official website of Colorado State athletics is com, featuring the latest news, information, statistics and rosters for all of the Rams 16 athletic programs. VOLLEYBALL LIST To receive updates on the Rams, assistant director of media relations Zach Balside at nic.hallisey@colostate.edu with a message stating that you would like to be added to the distribution list. WEEKLY RELEASES Weekly news releases are available 48 hours prior to the first match of each week on the school s official website, CSURams.com. News releases also will be ed to media outlets upon request. MOBY ARENA DIRECTIONS From the south (Denver): Take Interstate 25 north into Fort Collins. Exit I-25 (exit 268) and head west on Prospect Road. Turn right onto Shields. Moby Arena will be ahead and to your right. Enter the parking lot at the corner of Shields and Elizabeth streets. From the north (Cheyenne): Take Interstate 25 south into Fort Collins. Exit I-25 (exit 268) and head west on Prospect Road. Turn right onto Shields. Moby Arena will be ahead and to your right. Enter the parking lot from the corner of Shields and Elizabeth streets. GENERAL INFORMATION Location...Fort Collins, Colo. Founded Enrollment...32,236 Nickname...Rams Colors...Green and Gold Conference...Mountain West Elevation... 5,004 feet Arena (Capacity)... Moby Arena (8,745) President...Dr. Anthony A. Frank Director of Athletics...Joe Parker Senior Associate A.D./SWA...Christine Susemihl Faculty Representative...Jim Francis PROGAM HISTORY First Season All-Time Record (.687) NCAA Tournaments...27 ( , ) All-Time Mountain West Record (.876) Conference Championships (Regular Season) ( , 1998, , 2007, ) Tournament Championships , , 2006, 2011 (ran from , 11) COACHING STAFF Head Coach Tom Hilbert...20th Season (Oklahoma, 84) Record at CSU/Years (.812)/19 Career Record/Years (.782)/26 Assistant Coaches Luke Murray...Third Season (Penn State, 08) Emily Hiza...First Season (Oregon State, 11) Director of Operations Bri Olmstead... Ninth Season (Colorado State, 06) Volleyball Office Phone / TEAM INFORMATION 2015 Record Record (Place) (1st) 2015 Postseason Play... NCAA Champtionship (1st round) Highest/Final National Ranking... 9/23 Letterwinners Returning/Lost...5/6 Starters Returning/Lost...1/6+1 Newcomers... 6 MEDIA RELATIONS Volleyball Contact...Zach Balside ... zach.balside@colostate.edu Cell Phone / FAX...970/ Athletic website... Interactive #CSURams Facebook... Ticket #PointRams #CSURams Facebook /CSUvolleyball #NCAAvb #VBscores Instagram CSUvolleyball CSUathletics YouTube CSUathletics

3 MATCH NOTES 3 No. 25 Colorado State Rams: 0-0 Head Coach: Tom Hilbert: at CSU (20th Season); overall (28th) 2 Cassidy Denny DS 5-8 SR Sacramento, Calif. El Camino Kills - 1 (at Fresno State, 11/23/13) Assists - 4 (vs. North Carolina Central, 9/20/14) Service Aces - 4 (Twice, last: vs. Wyoming, 10/13/15) Digs - 17 (vs. Boise State, 9/26/15) Blocks - 1 (at San Diego State, 10/19/13) 3 Olivia Nicholson MB/OH 6-0 FR North Platte, Neb. North Platte 4 McKenna Thornlow DS 5-9 JR Colorado Springs, Colo. North Texas 2015* *at North Texas Assists - 3 (Four times, last: Middle Tennessee, 11/12/15) Digs - 15 ( vs. Cleveland State, 9/20/14) Service Aces - 4 (Twice, last: at La. Tech, 10/9/15) 6 Jasmine Hanna OH 6-1 JR Queen Creek, Ariz. Queen Creek Kills - 23 (at UNLV, 11/1/14) Attack % ( ) (vs. SDSU, 10/29/15) Digs - 5 (at New Mexico State, 9/12/14) Blocks - 4 (4 times) 7 Katie Craig DS 5-9 SO Newport Beach, Calif. Corona Del Mar Assists - 1 (Twice, last: at Wyoming, 11/24/15) Digs - 4 (vs. Arizona State, 9/4/15) 8 Amanda Young DS 5-8 FR Gretna, Neb. Gretna 10 Sanja Čizmić OPP/OH 6-1 JR Split, Croatia IV. Gimnazija Marko Marulić Kills - 11 (Twice, last: at Wyoming, 11/24/15) Attack % ( ) (at Wyoming, 11/24/15) Assists - 6 (vs. San Jose State, 11/12/15) Digs - 10 (at UTEP, 9/13/14) Blocks - 5 (5 times) Service Aces - 3 (vs. North Carolina Central, 9/20/14) 13 Kirstie Hillyer MB 6-6 RS FR Bayfield, Colo. Bayfield 2015 (Redshirt) Notes: 14 Alexandra Poletto MB 6-3 JR Toronto, Ontario De La Salle Kills - 13 (Twice, last: at Texas A&M, 9/15/15) Attack % ( ) (vs. Iona, 9/13/15) Assists - 1 (four times) Digs - 5 (vs. Northern Iowa, 8/29/15) Blocks - 12 (vs. Fresno State, 11/21/15) Blocks solo - 5 (at New Mexico, 11/7/15) Block assist - 10 (vs. Fresno State, 11/21/15) 15 Breana Runnels OH 5-10 FR Bakersfield, Calif. Independence Notes:

4 MATCH NOTES 4 17 Mariah Green DS 5-4 SO Fort Collins, Colo. Heritage Christian 18 Amazing Ashby MB 6-0 FR Aurora, Colo. Cherokee Trail 21 Jessica Jackson OH/MB 5-11 RS FR Denver, Colo. Thomas Jefferson 2015 (Redshirted) 22 Katie Oleksak S 5-10 FR Phoenix, Ariz. Sunnyslope OPPONENT INFORMATION Quick Hits: North Dakota State went overall in 2015, including a 10-6 mark in Summit League play, good for fourth in the conference... NDSU ran a 6-2 offense last season, and both setters return... Mikaela Purnell, the Bison s leader in digs, also returns and is listed as an OH/DS... CSU and NDSU did not play a mutual opponent last season, but the Bison did face current Ram McKenna Thornlow and her North Texas squad in the second match of the year... Series History - CSU vs. NDSU: The only meeting between the programs took place on Oct. 1, 1983, as the Rams took a 2-0 victory in Greeley, Colo., in Rich Feller s first season as CSU s head coach. Quick Hits: Saint Mary s went 6-22 (1-17 WCC) last season, and returns its leaders in kills, assists, digs and blocks... Lindsey Knudsen returns as the team leader in kills and service aces, and was named to the All-WCC Freshmen Team in SMC swept Fresno State and lost twice to Loyola Marymount, but did take LMU to five sets at home... Series History - CSU vs. Saint Mary s: CSU and Saint Mary s have met once, a matchup in Moby Arena on Sept. 21, CSU swept the match 3-0, its seventh match of the season... The Rams went on to go 29-4 and 15-0 at home that year NCAA TEAM RANKINGS CATEGORY AVG RANK ACES ASSISTS BLOCKS DIGS HITTING KILLS OPP. HITTING NCAA INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS NAME AVG RANK SA/S A/S B/S D/S HIT % Emily Minnick K/S Jenni Fassbender PTS/S NCAA TEAM RANKINGS CATEGORY AVG RANK ACES ASSISTS BLOCKS DIGS HITTING KILLS OPP. HITTING NCAA INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS NAME AVG RANK SA/S A/S Mary Hernandez B/S D/S HIT % K/S PTS/S Quick Hits: Northern Colorado went (10-6 Big Sky), tying for first in the Big Sky s North Division... The Bears return four starters and 10 letterwinners from last season, including their top setter and top two middle blockers... Returning setter Ashley Guthrie was named First Team All-Big Sky after ranking second in the league with assists/set... The Bears won their final six matches of the regular season before falling in the Big Sky quarterfinals... Series History - CSU vs. UNC: The Rams are 20-6 all-time against the Bears, and have not lost since CSU is 9-4 all-time in Greeley against the Bears... UNC won the first three meetings between the programs, CSU swept UNC at Moby Arena last season NCAA TEAM RANKINGS CATEGORY AVG RANK ACES ASSISTS BLOCKS DIGS HITTING KILLS OPP. HITTING NCAA INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS NAME AVG RANK SA/S A/S Ashley Guthrie B/S D/S Meagan Garcia HIT % Timarie Nymeyer K/S PTS/S North Dakota State s Emily Minnick

5 MATCH NOTES 5 COLORADO STATE NOTES RAMS READY TO OPEN SEASON AT HOME The CSU Rams enter similarly to how they ve entered the previous six seasons - as the defending Mountain West champions. The team s lineup heading into the season opener will be a little less familiar, however. Eight freshmen (including two redshirts) make up more than half of the team s 15-player roster. Add in junior transfer McKenna Thornlow (North Texas), and there will be a lot of new faces on the court for. CSU has only one senior - Cassidy Denny - on its roster. Even with the roster turnover, the Rams were still chosen by the league s coaches as the favorite to win the Mountain West in, and were voted No. 25 in the AVCA Preseason Division I Coaches Poll. CSU opens the year hosting North Dakota State (Friday, 6 p.m. MT) and Saint Mary s (Saturday, 7 p.m.) at Moby Arena. The Rams will then play their next four matches away from home, starting with a visit to Greeley to play Northern Colorado on Aug. 30. Denny is joined by Preseason All- honoree Alexandra Poletto, Jasmine Hanna and Sanja Čizmić and Katie Craig as the only five Rams to see playing time in Thornlow saw significant action in her two seasons ( ) at North Texas. Head Coach Tom Hilbert is entering his 20th season at CSU, having taken the Rams to the NCAA Tournament every year of his tenure. He is accompanied by assistant coach Luke Murray (third year) and first-year assistant coach Emily Hiza, who joins the Rams after serving in the same role at Oregon State. Former CSU All-American and Canadian National Team member Dana Cranston will serve as a volunteer assistant this season. HILBERT IN HOME OPENERS The Rams have won their home opener in 15 of their 19 seasons under Head Coach Tom Hilbert, including eight of the last nine years. CSU beat Baylor, 3-0, in its home opener a year ago, marking the sixth straight season that CSU has opened its season with a sweep. REGULAR SEASON STREAKING The Rams enter riding a 20-match regular season win streak, dating back to Sept. 20, 2015 against Eastern Kentucky. The stretch is the second-longest of its kind in program history. CSU won 35 consecutive regular season matchups from Oct. 12, 2012-Nov. 23, MOUNTAIN WEST DOMINATION CSU has won 60 of its last 62 Mountain West matches, and overall, the Rams have won more than 87 percent of their contests all-time (233-33,.876 winning percentage), far greater than any current or former opponent. CSU has also started league play with at least 10 wins three-straight years and six times since joining the Mountain West in The Rams went 18-0 in Mountain West action last year, marking the second time CSU had gone unbeaten in league play (14-0 in in 2003). 20 ONCE AGAIN With its four-set win at Air Force on Nov. 5, 2015, CSU reached the 20-win plateau for the 21st straight season, marking every year since Entering 2015, only Nebraska (39 entering 2014), Penn State (37), Florida (23) and Hawai i (20) have longer streaks than CSU. In 18 complete seasons under Head Coach Tom Hilbert, CSU has averaged 25.68wins per season. PRESEASON ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST AND COACHES POLL Rk Team (1st Place) Points 1 Colorado State (6) 96 2 Boise State (4) 92 3 Wyoming (1) 80 4 New Mexico 66 5 San Diego State 64 5 UNLV 64 7 Nevada 47 8 Fresno State 35 9 Utah State San Jose State Air Force 12 Name Pos. Cl. School Sierra Nobley OH JR Boise State Maddy O'Donnell MB SR Boise State Maddi Osburn L/DS JR Boise State Alexandra Poletto MB JR Colorado State Bree Hammel MB SR UNLV Alexis Patterson S JR UNLV Laura Beach MB SR Wyoming Preseason Player of the Year: Sierra Nobley, OH, JR, Boise State AVCA AVCA DI COACHES DI COACHES PRESEASON TOP 25 TOP Rank Team Points Record Prev. 1 Nebraska (60) Texas (3) Minnesota Wisconsin Kansas Hawai i T-7 Washington T-7 Southern California Penn State Florida Stanford (1) UCLA Illinois Ohio State Texas A&M Florida State Creighton North Carolina Purdue Loyola Marymount Western Kentucky Louisville Kentucky NR 25 Colorado State RECEIVING VOTES: San Diego 113; Michigan State 107; Missouri 97; Oregon 85; Michigan 83; Arizona 68; Iowa State 59; Long Beach State 25; Arkansas State 23; Wichita State 21; Arizona State 16; Dayton 6; Marquette 6; TCU 3 BOLD = 2015 opponent RPI TOP 50 (DEC. 21, 2015) Rank Team Conference 1 Nebraska Big Ten 2 Texas Big 12 3 Minnesota Big Ten 4 USC Pac-12 5 Florida SEC 6 Kansas Big 12 7 Wisconsin Big Ten 8 Washington Pac-12 9 Texas A&M SEC 10 Penn St. Big Ten 11 WCC 12 UCLA Pac Stanford Pac Creighton Big East 15 Hawaii Big West 16 Western Ky. C-USA 17 Ohio St. Big Ten 18 Missouri SEC 19 Loyola Marymount WCC 20 Arkansas St. Sun Belt 21 Louisville ACC 22 Dayton Atlantic Illinois Big Ten 24 Kentucky SEC 25 Colorado St. 26 Iowa St. Big North Carolina ACC 28 Florida St. ACC 29 San Diego WCC 30 Wichita St. MVC 31 Michigan Big Ten 32 Purdue Big Ten 33 Northern Ariz. Big Sky 34 SMU AAC 35 Missouri St. MVC 36 Marquette Big East 37 Santa Clara WCC 38 Michigan St. Big Ten 39 Villanova Big East 40 Arizona St. Pac Southern Ill. MVC 42 Wyoming 43 Boise St. 44 Miami (FL) ACC 44 Oregon Pac Pittsburgh ACC 47 Baylor Big Long Beach St. Big West 49 Ohio MAC 50 Arizona Pac-12 BOLD = 2015 opponent

6 MATCH NOTES 6 RAMS NO. 25 IN AVCA DIVISION I COACHES POLL The Rams checked in at No. 25 in the preseason AVCA Division I Coaches Poll, and have now been ranked in 46 consecutive polls, the third-longest streak in program history. The Rams began the 2015 campaign ranked No. 12, and reached a season-best No. 9 national ranking after CSU closed the first week of the season with a 3-0 record. CSU has been ranked in 282 total polls, a figure which ranks tied for 13th in the NCAA. CSU has been ranked in the top 10 for a total of 76 weeks in its history, which ranks 18th among all schools Top-25 Rankings Preseason 12 Week 1 9 Week 2 14 Week 3 15 Week 4 19 Week 5 20 Week 6 21 Week 7 21 Week 8 20 Week 9 18 Week Week Week Week Week Final 23 FRESH FACES SET TO LEAD CSU CSU will have its youngest team during Head Coach Tom Hilbert s tenure, with eight freshmen (six true, two redshirt) on the roster. Multiple freshmen figure to have key roles in, including redshirt freshman middle blocker Kirstie Hillyer. Hillyer competed for the Mountain West All-Star squad at the European Global Challenge this summer, leading all players in hitting percentage and earning a bronze medal. Olivia Nicholson, an outside hitter from North Platte, Nebraska, has proven to be versatile in fall camp and could become a six-rotation player. Katie Oleksak will start at setter as a true freshman, and Amanda Young will likely see significant time as a defensive specialist. Paulina Hougaard- Jensen, a native of Denmark, has been a strong blocking presence in the middle, while Breana Runnels and Jessica Jackson have impressed with their athleticism on the outside. Amazing Ashby, a middle blocker who also be on the CSU track squad, will likely redshirt. FRESHMAN OLEKSAK SET TO RUN RAMS OFFENSE Katie Oleksak, a freshman setter from Phoenix, Arizona, arrived on campus this semester, already slotted into a starting role for the Rams beginning day one. An Under Armour All-America selection as a high school senior, Oleksak has impressed the coaching staff early with her maturity and focus. She also will join a list of CSU freshmen setters that includes recent legends Deedra Foss and Ashley Fornstrom, who each started all four years of their career and rank fifth and third on CSU s career assists list, respectively. CSU VOLLEYBALL TABBED AS MOUNTAIN WEST FAVORITES FOR Colorado State, the seven-time defending Mountain West champions, were once again pegged as conference favorites heading into by the league s coaches. Alexandra Poletto was also named to the Preseason All-Mountain West squad. CSU, who is ranked 25th in the AVCA Division I Preseason Coaches Poll, received six out of a possible 11 first-place votes, totaling 96 points. Boise State snagged four first-place markers and totaled 92 points for second on the list, while Wyoming earned one first-place vote and 80 points for third place. The Rams have won 13 of the 17 regular-season Mountain West titles and holds an.876 winning percentage (247-35) during that span. CSU has been slotted first in the Mountain West preseason poll nine times and has received at least one first-place vote every season. Of the previous eight times the Rams were chosen first, they went on to win the league seven times. Poletto, a junior middle blocker from Toronto, received All-Mountain West recognition for the first time in 2015 after leading the team in blocking and ranking second in hitting percentage. She posted 10-plus kills on nine occasions and had at least six blocks in each of the final nine matches of the season. Her 1.33 blocks per set was good for 29th in the NCAA. SUSTAINED SUCCESS With 21 consecutive berths in the NCAA tournament, CSU has established a winning tradition matched by few programs across the country. However, CSU is currently experiencing one of its best periods, going 85-9 (.904) since the start of the 2013 season. The Rams went 59-5 (.923) between The.923 mark is the best two-year winning percentage in program history, eclipsing the team s stretch between , when the team went a combined 62-8 (.886) and when to consecutive NCAA Sweet 16 s. FOUR RAMS RECEIVE SCHOLAR ATHLETE NODS CSU student-athletes earned a total of 82 Scholar-Athlete awards from the Mountain West for their class work in the academic year. Four of those athletes were Rams volleyball players. Alexandra Poletto, Jaime Colaizzi, Grace Gordon and Alex Reid all received the honor. The Scholar-Athlete award is the highest academic honor bestowed by the conference. To be eligible for selection, student-athletes must have completed at least two academic terms at the member institution, while maintaining a cumulative grade-point average of 3.5 or better, and have participated in varsity competition in an NCAA-sponsored sport. OUR STATE Head Coach Tom Hilbert is (.836) against the Centennial State, including going 4-0 in The Rams most-recently defeated Air Force on Nov. 5. Hilbert has never lost a home match to a team from the state of Colorado, and boasts a 45-0 all-time home record against Colorado teams. The Rams last home loss to a team from the Centennial State came in 1995 to Colorado. All-time at Moby Arena, CSU is 56-5 (.918) against its Colorado foes Air Force, Colorado, Denver and Northern Colorado. TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN Since the Mountain West formed in 1999, the Rams have won 13 regular-season championships in addition to five tournament crowns in nine years. The figure is more than all other teams past and current combined. The Rams also won two HCAC championships in the 1980s, plus the WAC Mountain Division title in 1998, giving them 21 overall conference championships to their credit, more than any other sport at CSU. They have won either the regular-season or conference tournament title or both all but two years since 1998 (2005 and 2008). Of those who have played four years under Head Coach Tom Hilbert, every player has won at least two conference championships, with all but three winning three or more. In 2014, Deedra Foss, Kelsey Snider and Marlee Reynolds became the third, fourth and fifth Rams to win five league titles. Jaime Colaizzi and Adrianna Culbert each completed their careers in 2015 boasting four titles in four years ( ). NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS Lasting parts of three seasons, CSU won 16-consecutive regularseason non-conference matches before falling to No. 4 Wisconsin on Sept. 6, Previously, the Rams most-recent regular-season non-conference loss came Sept. 15, 2012 to No. 2 UCLA. Beginning in 2012, the streak included a 10-0 mark in 2013, and extended into the first two weeks of the 2014 season. The Rams concluded non-conference play in 2014 at 12-1, defeating two top-20 teams in addition to two teams receiving top-25 votes at the time. Overall, CSU is 28-4 (.875) in non-conference action since the beginning of the 2013 season.

7 MATCH NOTES 7 TOP OF THE TOURNAMENT CSU has fared extremely well in regular season tournaments. Since 2009, the Rams are 43-7 (.860), including going 3-0 with three sweeps at the 2015 Rams Volleyball Classic on Aug At home tournaments under Head Coach Tom Hilbert since 1997 CSU is (.846). The Rams will host Wichita State and Texas for the Rams Volleyball Classic on Sept HOW SWEET IT IS After building quality wins and a strong RPI, CSU was selected to host NCAA tournament sub-regional matches at Moby Arena in The Rams opened the tournament with a straight-sets victory over Denver before beating No. 19 Colorado in a five-set instant classic. The win advanced CSU to the regional semifinal (Round of 16) for the first time since 2009, and the 10th time in program history. CSU has qualified for the NCAA tournament all 19 years under Head Coach Tom Hilbert, and dating back to 1995, has played in the postseason in 21-consecutive seasons. It is the seventh-longest active streak in the nation and the 10th-longest in NCAA women s volleyball history. RAM FOR LIFE The winningest coach in Colorado State athletics history will remain a Ram for life. Head Coach Tom Hilbert who has led the CSU volleyball program since 1997 signed a new contract in August, keeping him in Fort Collins through the 2018 season. His base salary of $200,000 puts him among the five highest-paid public-university coaches in the sport of volleyball. Colorado State has always answered the bell, and I really appreciate that, Hilbert said. I want to continue coaching here as long as they ll have me. This really means that Colorado State is my final resting place. Hilbert also added that the stability will help in elevating the program to a new level. Our department is making a statement about how important volleyball is at Colorado State. This is a great program. Kids come here and they look around and they go, Wow, volleyball matters at this school. Colorado State is someplace special. That is what you want to be able to sell. If you re at Colorado State, that s how you re going to beat a bigger school on a recruit. We can show them that it s better here from a support standpoint, because it is. MOUNTAIN WEST NETWORK Now in its third season, the Mountain West Network which won a 2013 Emmy Award through the Heartland chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for its technical achievement will again broadcast all home and conference road matches. The N allows CSU volleyball fans to live stream every home match and all conference road matches from their computer, smart phone or handheld device. The service is free of charge, and for home contests, the stream is a high-quality broadcast featuring multiple camera angles and instant replay. Additionally, all N streams are immediately archived, and can be re-viewed online at any time. For all streams and video content, please visit COLORADO STATE S TWO-YEAR RUN PUTS SCHOOL IN RAREFIED AIR After a tremendous year in athletics, the Colorado State Rams continued their momentum into a stellar campaign, giving the school a two-year run of athletics success that puts the university in rarified air. Between Colorado State s four revenue-generating sport programs -- football, volleyball, men s basketball and women s basketball -- no college sports fans across the country have had occasion to cheer their teams to victory as consistently as CSU s loyal following over the last two years. combined to claim four of Colorado State s eight Mountain West team championships won in the last two years, with women s track and field (2 outdoor and one indoor) and men s track and field (one outdoor) rounding out the championship total. Combining the success of the four major programs over the past two years, the Rams have a cumulative record of The 173 wins rank as the third most nationally over the past two years out of the 125 schools that compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) -- the nation s top college football tier -- and also sponsor Division I hoops and volleyball programs, while the.779 winning percentage is tops in the country, ahead of nationally-acclaimed schools like (.754), Kentucky (.753) and Florida State (.751). With its athletic success, Colorado State sits well above the next best Mountain West team in Boise State, which has tallied a record (.685) over the past two seasons, as well as front-range foes in Wyoming (120-91;.569), Colorado ( ;.477), and Air Force (74-141;.344). Additionally, Colorado State has been as dominant as ever playing at home in front of their loyal supporters. Over the past two seasons, The Rams have amassed a (.875) home record in the four ticketed sports, including an astonishing 56-6 (.903) home mark against Mountain West opponents. Over the past three seasons, CSU is (.852) overall at home, including (.862) against Mountain West opponents. HILBERT S HAPPY HOUR For an even deeper look inside CSU volleyball, fans are encouraged to attend Hilbert s Happy Hour, a weekly show at The Boot Grill from 5-6 each Tuesday. The hour-long get-together allows the veteran coach to review the week prior, preview the week ahead, answer questions and give a brief chalk talk where he breaks down a certain aspect of the sport of volleyball to his fans. Each week, Hilbert also brings a player guest with him. The Boot is located at 130 W. Laurel St., Unit B. Food and drink specials will be available. ROOT SPORTS COACHES SHOW Head Coach Tom Hilbert will once again make weekly apperances during the season on ROOT Sports Rams Report, which will air at 6:30 p.m. MT every Thursday. SOCIAL RAMS Colorado State offers fans and media members several ways to follow the CSU volleyball team. In addition to CSURams.com, which is updated daily with all of the latest news on CSU athletics, fans can log onto for an inside look into all things Rams volleyball. CSU has also expanded its volleyball coverage on social media. Like the team on Facebook ( and follow the team on Twitter and Instagram (@CSUvolleyball) for daily photos, videos and breaking news. Fans can also get insight from Coach Hilbert by following him on Twitter (@CoachHilbert). Those tweeting are encouraged to use the hashtags #PointRams, in addition to #CSURams and #NCAAvb. For live, in-game updates for all 16 of CSU s Division I programs, on Twitter. The account provides up-to-date scores and insight for CSU athletic events. Two of those programs--volleyball and women s basketball--have

8 MATCH NOTES 8 THE LAST TIME A RAM... Had 30+ kills in a match: Jaime Strauss (30) at (9/22/07) Had 30+ kills in consecutive matches: Jill Johnson (30) at Ball State (9/1/90), (41) vs. LSU (9/7/90) Had 20+ kills in three consecutive matches: Danielle Minch (20) at Utah (11/12/09), (21) at (11/14/09), (23) vs. UNLV (11/21/09) Had double figure kills in 10+ consecutive matches: Tess Rogers - 11 straight - (12) at Denver (9/6/05) through (21) vs. Utah (10/9/05) Had two players with 20+ kills in the same match: Jaime Strauss (21), Mekana Barnes (21) at Hawai i (8/25/07) Had four or more players with 10+ kills in the same match: Alex Reid (11), Acacia Andrews (10), Adrianna Culbert (10) and Alexandra Poletto at San Jose State (10/17/15) Had a hitting percentage of.700 (min. 12 kills) Acacia Andrews (.706, ) vs. Western Michigan (9/5/15) Had 60+ attack attempts Alex Reid (63) vs. Boise State (9/26/15) Had 60+ assists in a match: Deedra Foss (66) at Wyoming (10/8/11) Had 60+ assists in consecutive matches: Evan Sanders (62) at (11/14/09), (60) vs. UNLV (11/21/09) Had 20+ digs in a match: Jaime Colaizzi (21) vs. Boise State (9/26/15) Had 20+ digs in consecutive matches: Jaime Colaizzi (21) vs. Utah State (9/24/15), (20) vs. Boise State (9/26/15) Had double figure digs in 10+ consecutive matches: Jaime Colaizzi - 12 straight - (13) at Utah State (9/25/14) to (21) at UNLV (11/1/14) Had two players with 20+ digs in the same match: Dana Cranston (25), Carlie Foust (20), Izzy Gaulia (23) at Wyoming (10/8/11) Had five players with 10+ digs in the same match: Jaime Colaizzi (22), Kaitlind Bestgen (16), Deedra Foss (16), Cassidy Denny (15), Adrianna Culbert (10) at UNLV (10/17/13) Had 10+ blocks in a match: Alexandra Poletto (12) vs. Fresno State (11/21/15) Had 10+ blocks in consecutive matches: Diane Saba (10) at Santa Clara (10/8/86), (10) vs. San José State (10/9/86) Had two players with 10+ blocks in the same match: Acacia Andrews (12) and Adrianna Culbert (11) at San Jose State (10/17/15) Had 5+ aces in a match: Deedra Foss vs. Air Force (11/15/13) Had 5+ aces in consecutive matches: Angela Knopf (5) vs. Air Force (11/15/01) *, (7) vs. UNLV (11/16/01) * Had two players with 5+ aces in the same match: Dre Downs (5), Becky Sarauer (5) vs. Columbia (9/27/02) THE LAST TIME THE RAMS... Had 90+ kills in a match: 97 vs. Northern Iowa (9/3/05) Had 100+ kills in a match: 102 at Wyoming (10/23/85) Had 200+ attacks in a match: 203 vs. UNLV (11/21/09) Hit.400 or better in a match:.404 at Boise State (10/22/15) Hit.500 or better in a match:.529 ( ) vs. Baylor (8/30/13) Hit.400 or better in consecutive matches:.494 ( ) vs. San José State (10/26/13),.434 ( ) at Boise State (10/31/13) Had 75+ digs in a match: 91 at Utah State (11/2/13) Had 100+ digs in a match: 109 vs. Texas (11/27/93) # Had 25+ total blocks in a match: 26.0 vs. Cal State Fullerton (12/3/10) # Had 10+ aces in a match: 13 at Texas A&M (9/15/15) Had 10+ aces in consecutive matches: 13 vs. New Mexico (11/15/03), 13 vs. New Mexico (11/20/03) * Lost consecutive home matches: Pepperdine (8/28/09), Oregon State (8/29/09) Lost consecutive road matches: at Texas (9/13/15) and at Texas A&M (9/14/15) * indicates Mountain West Tournament; # indicates NCAA Match

9 MATCH NOTES 9 MOBY ARENA THE GREATEST VOLLEYBALL VENUE IN AMERICA Head Coach Tom Hilbert doesn t shy away when talking about Moby Arena the home court for the Colorado State volleyball program calling it the greatest volleyball venue in America. It is one of the most distinctive and effective home-court playing facilities in the nation. Thanks to its dedicated fans, Moby Arena is home to crowds and winning percentages matched by few programs across the country. HOME COOKING Since the start of the 2011 season, CSU has been nearly unbeatable on its home court, going Only four teams have better winning percentages at home since the 2011 season. Best Home Winning Percentage, Team Florida State Western Kentucky Penn State North Carolina Colorado State Including 2015 (15-1), CSU has gone 20-straight seasons with at least 10 home wins. The Rams went 16-1 at home in 2013, marking the 12th time they have lost one or fewer home matches in a season. Pct STREAKING AT HOME The Rams have had tremendous success at Moby Arena, winning nearly 90 percent of their home matches under Head Coach Tom Hilbert. Since 1997, Consecutive Home Wins Hilbert s first season in Fort Collins, /18/98-11/18/00 CSU is (.897) at home /27/12-11/15/ /27/07-11/16/08 From Sept. 27, 2012 through Nov. 15, /1/00-9/5/ , CSU won 21 consecutive home /11/85-9/13/86 matches. The streak was tied for the second-longest in program history and was the third-longest active streak in the NCAA at the time. MOBY MADNESS MOUNTAIN WEST DOMINATION CSU has been ranked in the top 25 for average annual attendance each season since the NCAA began calculating attendance figures in 1986, including the top-10 eight times and No. 1 in TAKING DOWN THE BEST A large part of CSU s home-court dominance is the large crowds the Rams draw. CSU averaged 3,231 fans per match in 2014, sixth-best in the NCAA. The Rams attracted five crowds larger than 4,000 last season, the second time they ve accomplished that feat (1987). Opponent Wisconsin Nebraska Duke Colorado UCLA Denver Wyoming Top 10 Home Crowds Attendance 7,018 6,750 6,333 6,260 6,011 5,641 5,486 5,399 5,389 5,317 Year Result L, 3-0 W, 3-2 W, 3-1 L, 3-0 W, 3-2 L, 3-2 W, 3-0 W, 3-0 W, 3-1 W, 3-1 RECORD-BREAKING CROWD A program and Mountain West record crowd of 7,018 watched No. 13 CSU take on No. 4 Wisconsin on Sept. 6. The figure surpassed CSU s previous high of 6,750, set on Sept. 2, 2011 vs. No. 5 Nebraska. In total, six of CSU s top-10 single-match crowds have occurred since CSU is 9-3 in home matches with at least 5,000 fans in attendance. The Rams have dominated the Mountain West since its inception in 1999, going Prior to CSU s loss to San Diego State on Nov. 27, 2013, the Rams had won 25-straight conference home matches, a streak that began during the final regular-season match of the 2010 season. One of the most impressive stats, however, was CSU s 50-match home winning streak against current members of the, which dated back to Nov. 4, With large crowds come big wins. At home since 1987, the Rams have defeated nine teams ranked in the top 10, plus more than a dozen additional wins against ranked opponents. Top-10 Wins at Moby Arena During Hilbert s tenure, CSU has hosted 39 No nationally ranked teams, coming away with No. 4 Nebraska 1987 victories in 26 of those contests, including No. 5 Nebraska 2011 seven of the last 10 dating back to No CSU s most recent win over a ranked foe at No. 6 Washington 2009 Moby Arena was on in the second round of No. 8 Florida 2008 the NCAA tournament a year ago, against No No. 19 Colorado. No. 8 New Mexico 1992 No. 9 LSU 1990

10 MATCH NOTES 10 THIS IS CSU VOLLEYBALL NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY The Colorado State volleyball program began in 1976, and since has been synonymous with winning and success, averaging nearly 21 victories per season and entering with an all-time record of (.688 winning percentage). The Rams have won 20 conference titles, which is more than any other sport at CSU. The program s success is seen on a national level, and can be broken down into three main categories: NCAA TOURNAMENTS The Rams have competed in 27 NCAA tournaments, including 21 straight dating back to Just 10 Division I programs have earned more overall tournament berths, and the Rams stretch of 21 consecutive appearances is the seventh-longest active streak in the country. TOP-25 RANKINGS CSU has appeared in the final top-25 poll in 18 of 34 seasons since the AVCA began ranking teams in 1982, including seven of the past eight. Overall, CSU has been ranked in 282 all-time weekly polls, which is the T-13th-most in the NCAA. The Rams highest-ever ranking was No. 3, in 2000, and their highest final ranking was No. 6, in CSU has been ranked in the top 10 a total of 76 weeks 18th-most in the NCAA and is one of 25 teams to ever be ranked in the top three. ALL-AMERICANS With five All-America selections in the past five seasons, the Rams have now had 13 players earn a total of 15 AVCA All-America awards in their history. Just 16 teams across the nation have more All-Americans than CSU. In addition to CSU s 15 selections, the program has also earned 25 AVCA or Volleyball Magazine Honorable Mention selections, plus 48 AVCA All-Region nods. Adrianna Culbert was a Third Team All-America selection in 2015 after earning honorable mention status in First Round San Diego, Calif. L, at #8 San Diego State, W, vs. #14 Arizona, 3-1 Regional Semifinal San Diego, Calif. L, vs. #3 Stanford, W, vs. Rhode Island, 3-0 Regional Semifinal Stanford, Calif. L, at #2 Stanford, First Round Kalamazoo, Mich. L, at #18 Western Michigan, W, vs. #13 USC, 3-1 Regional Semifinal Stanford, Calif. L, at #3 Stanford, First Round Tallahassee, Fla. W, at Florida State, 3-1 Regional Semifinal Austin, Texas L, at #6 Texas, First Round Long Beach, Calif. L, at #16 Long Beach State, W, vs. Houston, 3-0 Second Round Stanford, Calif. L, at #2 Stanford, First Round Pullman, Wash. W, vs. American, 3-1 Second Round Pullman, Wash. L, at #11 Washington State, First Round Austin, Texas W, vs. South Carolina, 3-2 Second Round Austin, Texas L, at #12 Texas, W, vs. Loyola-Chicago, 3-0 W, vs. #19 Kansas State, 3-1 Regional Semifinal Honolulu, Hawai i L, vs. #6 Long Beach State, W, vs. Radford, 3-0 W, vs. Colorado, 3-2 Regional Semifinal Los Angeles, Calif. L, vs. #8 Penn State, W, vs. Baylor, 3-1 W, vs. Colorado, 3-2 Regional Semifinal Lincoln, Neb. L, at #2 Nebraska, First Round Honolulu, Hawai i L, vs. Washington, First Round College Park, Md. W, vs. George Mason, 3-0 Second Round College Park, Md. W, at #25 Maryland, 3-0 Regional Semifinal Gainesville, Fla. L, at #3 Florida, L, vs. Purdue, W, vs. Colorado, 3-1 L, vs. #3 Washington, First Round Boulder, Colo. L, vs. #6 Washington, First Round Ann Arbor, Mich. W, vs. Illinois State, 3-0 Second Round Ann Arbor, Mich. L, vs. Michigan, First Round Gainesville, Fla. W, vs. FIU, 3-1 Second Round Gainesville, Fla. L, at #11 Florida, W, vs. Middle Tennessee, 3-2 W, vs. #6 Washington, 3-1 Regional Semifinal Minneapolis, Minn. L, at #11 Minnesota, First Round Stanford, Calif. W, vs. #24 Cal State Fullerton, 3-2 Second Round Stanford, Calif. L, at #2 Stanford, First Round Honolulu, Hawai i W, vs. #13 Oregon, 3-2 Second Round Honolulu, Hawai i L, at #3 Hawai i, First Round Tallahassee, Fla. L, vs. #22 Purdue, First Round Los Angeles, Calif. L, vs. Cal State Northridge, W, vs. Denver, 3-0 W, vs. #19 Colorado, 3-2 Regional Semifinal Fort Collins, Colo. L, vs. #6 Texas, First Round Palo Alto, Calif. L, vs. LMU, 3-1

11 MATCH NOTES 11 Cassidy Denny Olivia Nicholson McKenna Thornlow Jasmine Hanna SR DS 5-8 Sacramento, Calif. FR OH/OPP 6-0 North Platte, Neb. JR DS 5-9 Colorado Springs, Colo. JR OH 6-1 Queen Creek, Ariz Amanda Young Paulina Hougaard Sanja Čizmić Kirstie Hillyer FR DS 5-8 Gretna, Neb. FR MB 6-1 Copenhagen, Denmark JR OH 6-1 Split, Croatia RS FR MB 6-6 Bayfield, Colo Katie Craig 6 SO DS 5-9 Newport Beach, Calif. Alexandra Poletto 13 JR MB 6-3 Toronto, Ontario Breana Runnels Mariah Green Amazing Ashby Jessica Jackson Katie Oleksak FR OH 5-10 Bakersfield, Calif. RS SO DS 5-4 Fort Collins, Colo. FR MB 6-0 Aurora, Colo. FR OH/MB 5-11 Denver, Colo. FR S 5-10 Phoenix, Ariz Tom Hilbert Emily Hiza Luke Murray Bri Olmstead Head Coach 20th Season Assistant Coach First Season Assistant Coach Third Season Director of Operations Ninth Season 14 22