(MATCH NOTES)

OPENING SERVE: Dixie State (14-8/11-3 PacWest) will look to remain on top of the Pacific West Conference standings this week as the Storm returns home for a pair of crucial conference matches inside the DSU Student Activities Center (SAC). DSU opens the homestand on Wednesday, Nov. 4, against California Baptist (17-5/10-4 PacWest) at 6 p.m., followed by a match vs. Point Loma (15-8/9-5 PacWest) on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 12 noon. Live stats and live video links for this week's matches can be found at www.dixieathletics.com.

DSU has won seven-straight and 11 of its last 12 overall to climb into first place in the PacWest standings at 11-3, one full game ahead of second-place California Baptist (10-4), and two games ahead of Point Loma (9-5), which is currenlty in fourth-place and has also won seven-straight heading into this week.

DIXIE STATE VS. THIS WEEK'S OPPONENTS: Dixie State is 2-8 all-time vs. California Baptist, which includes a tough five-set loss earlier this season in Riverside and a split of two matches last season. DSU won the last meeting played between the two teams St. George by a 3-2 count. DSU is 3-3 in its series with Point Loma, including a 3-0 loss to the Sea Lions in September in San Diego. The last time these two teams met in the DSU SAC, the Storm posted a 3-1 victory. 

COACHING STAFF: Head Coach Robyn Felder (Eastern Washington, 2002) is in her fourth season on the Storm bench. Felder has posted a 60-41 overall record during her tenure, including a 22-9 mark in 2014 in leading the Storm all the way the NCAA West Region final (Sweet 16). Felder is joined on the bench by assistant coaches Liz Fisher (fourth season), Whitnee Tupe (fourth season) and volunteer assistant Nate Capps (first season). 

DURYEA NAMED PACWEST FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK: Dixie State freshman outside hitter Taylor Duryea (Logan, Utah/Sky View HS) was named PacWest Freshman of the Week Monday for her efforts in the Storm's SoCal road sweep last weekend. Duryea averaged 13.0 kills and hit .270 with 1.5 aces, 5.0 digs and 2.0 total blocks in DSU's two big road wins at Azusa Pacific and Concordia, which propelled the Storm into first place in the PacWest standings. Duryea recorded a team-high 18 kills, including six kills in the deciding fifth set, and hit .395 in the victory at APU to go with three digs and three blocks. Then at CUI, she had eight kills, seven digs, one block and two aces in the five-set come-from-behind win vs. the Eagles.

QUICK HITS: Friday's match at APU was the 100th-match of Head Coach Robyn Felder's career at DSU and her 70th PacWest match as DSU coach ... 10 of DSU's 14 wins this year have come in four sets or less, while DSU improved to 4-2 in five-set matches with its road sweep last week ... this season the Storm is 11-2 when they win the first set and 8-1 when up 2-0 ... DSU notched its second win of the season when trailing 2-1 in a match last Saturday at Concordia ... Dixie won the first set, but dropped the next two before storming back to take the final two sets to claim the 3-2 win ... senior middle blocker Makenzi Bird-Murphey (St. George, Utah/Snow Canyon HS) had a career weekend on the SoCal road trip and was DSU's PacWest Offensive Player of the Week nominee ... Bird-Murphey averaged 15.5 kills and hit .482 with 5.0 digs and 3.0 total blocks in the two wins ...  she had 14 kills and hit .312 in the Storm's five-set win at APU, then followed that up with a career-high 17 kills with no errors and hit .708 in the five-setter at Concordia ... in the fifth-set at CUI, she recorded five kills to help the Storm clinch the come-from-behind victory ... Bird-Murphey also recorded six block assists in the two matches to move into sole possession of second place on the career list, and now needs just six more block assists to become DSU's career leader ... Bird-Murphey (24) needs three more solo blocks to move into third place on DSU's career solo blocks list, and she is also ranked #3 all-time in total blocks (245) ... junior setter Kailey Frei (Orem, Utah/Timpanogos HS) has reached 50+ assists five times this season, including 51 dimes at APU last Friday and 50 more in the win at CUI ... Frei also had 50 assists in the win at Fresno Pacific (Oct. 21), 53 vs. Academy of Art (Sept. 17), and a career-high 54 assists earlier this season vs. Notre Dame de Namur Sept. 23 ... senior libero Alex Anderson (Prescott, Ariz./Prescott HS) collected 46 digs last week and now has 1,620 digs for her career (#2 all-time) ... Anderson stands just 179 digs shy of becoming DSU's career digs leader ... Anderson (72) also moved into a tie for fourth-place on the Storm's career aces list with five service aces last week, including match-high three at CUI ... junior middle blocker Lindsay Jones (St. George, Utah/Desert Hills HS) averaged 11.5 kills and 4.5 blocks in the two wins last week ... she rebounded from a .111 attack percentage at APU to hit .391 at CUI ... Jones still stands as DSU's career leader in hitting percentage at .287, while sophomore Brette Anderson (Prescott, Ariz./Prescott HS) has moved to second on the list at .268 after she hit .333 with 14 kills at CUI, and Bird-Murphey is t-fifth at .260.

HEAD COACH ROBYN FELDER ON THE STORM: "?We are looking forward to being home again. We had a great weekend in SoCal, but it's back to work. Both of these teams are the best of the conference and we are going to have to play clean, disciplined volleyball if we are going to win. The girls are excited to be back at home and are playing with a lot of momentum and confidence right now." 

UP NEXT: Dixie State heads to the Hawaiian Islands for its final road trip of the 2015 regular season next week. The Storm will play three matches in three days, beginning at BYU-Hawai'i on Nov. 12, followed by a match at Chaminade Nov. 13, and the finale at Hawai'i Hilo Nov. 14.