Aug. 26, 2015
RENO, Nev. -The Nevada volleyball team will kick off the 2015 season in Berkeley, Calif., at the Molten Classic where the Wolf Pack will face Cal, Seattle University and Eastern Washington from Friday, Aug. 28, to Saturday, Aug. 29.
The host Golden Bears await the Pack at 7 p.m. on Friday before head coach
Lee Nelson's squad squares off against Seattle at noon and EWU at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. Nevada comes off an 8-20 overall mark and a 5-13 Mountain West record in 2014 but enters the 2015 campaign with new leadership in former UC Santa Barbara and Miami assistant coach Lee Nelson.
Follow The Match Live • Live stats for all of the matches this weekend can be found on CalBears.com
Welcome Lee Nelson • After three-year run as the top assistant with the Hurricanes women's volleyball program that included three-straight appearances to the NCAA Tournament, head coach Lee Nelson enters his first season leading the Wolf Pack
• Prior to joining the Miami coaching staff in 2012, Nelson was the associate head coach of the men's program at UCSB for four years, which included an appearance in the NCAA Championship match in 2011. That was his second stint with the men's program at UCSB, having worked there from 1997-99.
• Nelson previously served as an assistant coach for the Wolf Pack in 1999 where he earned his master's degree and coached a number of all-conference selections including Kelli LaBossiere and Nevada Hall of Famers Suzanne Stonebarger and Michelle More.
Top Returners • Despite losing three seniors from last year's squad, the Pack returns starters
Sam Willoughby in the middle, libero
Kara Kasser and setter
Lyndsey Anderson.
• Willoughby led Nevada last season in both hitting percentage (.283) and with 34 service aces for the top serving team in the Mountain West.
• Kasser's 311 digs paced the Pack's play in the back row while Anderson, who played with the MW Volleyball All-Stars in the Europe this summer, led the team with 801 assists to also rank ninth in the conference.
