FORT COLLINS — Long before the season began, Tom Hilbert said his team could be .500 heading into Mountain West play and still be a better squad than the one that opened 2013 with 27 straight wins.
The Colorado State volleyball coach was half right. As conference plays begins this week, Hilbert does believe this version of the Rams is even better than the last. But they are proving so as the No. 7 team in the nation, riding seven consecutive wins to a 12-1 mark, far from break even.
“Well, I didn’t say we would be, I said we could be,” Hilbert said. “What I’ve been pleased with is the resiliency of our team in close situations. We did that last year, too. We’re doing it again, and I’m excited about that, because in the Mountain West, we’re going to see that a lot.”
The Rams have been tested with three matches against top 20 teams, winning two of them — both away from Moby Arena. While they are the clear-cut favorite to win the conference title again, Hilbert and his squad know they’ll have to go out and earn the banner.
For one, teams in the league know the Rams, their players, the system. Secondly, none of them are too fond of the program because the Rams haven’t been very good about sharing, going for a sixth straight title.
As conference play begins Thursday, the Rams will do so on the road against Utah State (4-6) with a Saturday date at Boise State (7-5). Colorado State has won 14 straight MW matches on the road, last dropping one in 2012 at San Diego State. In two road dates with the Broncos, the Rams have yet to drop a set, while the Aggies did push the Rams to five last year.
“I think we have a certain mentality when going to an away gym,” defensive specialist Cassidy Denny said. “We know it’s going to be hard, we know there’s going to be fans heckling us. We know it’s going to be a difficult environment, but I think that lights the fire for us.”
Hilbert agrees his team brings a mental toughness to the table, which helps. But there are certain keys for the road he buys into, and that’s playing tough defense and serving well, areas his team has done extremely well this season.
Possibly better than any of them expected. Well, at least this soon.
“I’m really impressed. I don’t want to say that I didn’t have high expectations, but considering we’ve played three teams in the top 20 and only lost one of them, I didn’t expect us to have the record that we did or the higher ranking,” outside hitter Marlee Reynolds said. “It awesome. It’s a good way to end my senior preseason, and we worked hard for it. We definitely earned it.”
Progressing this far, this soon is not looked at as a peaking too soon by the Rams. They still have areas where they feel they can improve, which will be required for them to continue their conference dominance.
So yes, the team feels it is better. But all involved feels there is more to come now that the important part of the schedule is upon them.
“I know for me personally, it drives me,” Reynolds said. “If we’re already this good, just imagine how good we’re going to be at the end of the season. It helps me in practice every day to want to get better and work on the little things.”
As for this weekend, Hilbert expects both teams to provide a challenge, especially Utah State with its defensive style. The Aggies lead the conference in digs per set at 15.4, led by Ashley Rogers-Court, who is second in the MW behind CSU’s Jaime Colaizzi (4.63-4.59).
Boise State’s attack is led by freshman Sierra Nobley, who is second in the conference in kills per set at 3.69 while middle blocker Maddy O’Donnell is second in hitting percentage (.485) and leads with .48 aces per set.
Contact Sports Editor Mike Brohard at 970-635-3633 or mbrohard@reporter-herald.com and twitter.com/mbrohard
