Three volleyball matches in 30 hours may sound like a challenge made for an episode of “Survivor,” but for No. 19 BYU, the Cougars wouldn’t want it any other way.
BYU opens the women’s volleyball season with a trio of games in the DoTERRA Classic at the Smith Fieldhouse, starting Friday against Fairleigh Dickinson at noon, Central Michigan at 7 p.m.; and wrapping up Saturday with High Point (4 p.m.).
“We are excited. We are talking to each other about not really listening to the good things people are saying about us and not really listening to the bad stuff people are saying about us,” BYU coach Heather Olmstead told the “Y’s Guys” livestream show this week. “We believe in ourselves. We are winners and we are humble enough to know we can get better.”
The Cougars are picked to win the Big 12 and attached to the early accolades are plenty of individual props. Clair Little Chambers (junior) is the conference preseason player of the year with Alex Bower (sophomore) and Brielle Kemavor (junior) joining her with first-team All-Big 12 honors.
“They know there is some buzz, and we are one year older. We are excited. They are hungry and curious, and they want to get better, and they are seeking that growth,” Olmstead said. “What our experienced players bring is the understanding and knowledge that, ‘We know every game in the Big 12 is a grind. We know they are exciting. We know the gyms.’ They are more emotionally able to understand the highs and lows of what we are going to go into, and they can chat with the younger players about that.”
Among the seven newcomers is freshman Suli Davis. The 6-foot-2 outside hitter from Euless, Texas, is to the volleyball team what AJ Dybantsa (basketball), Bear Bachmeier (football), Jane Hedengren, and Kihei Akina (golf) are to their respective BYU squads — nationally heralded freshman who can change the game.
“She is a feisty one. She wants to win,” Olmstead said. “She knows what she wants. She believes in herself, and I think magic can happen when those two things get put together.”
Behind Davis, the USA U-19 national team won the silver medal at the 2025 World Championships last month in Croatia. The reigning prep volleyball player of the year was named the tournament’s best outside hitter.
“She is super excited to represent BYU. She is a fighter. She plays with great energy and emotion. She has a high volleyball IQ,” said Olmstead. “We are excited for her to get out on the court and show everyone what she’s capable of doing, but in doses. This is a four-month season.”
For Olmstead, she begins her 11th season at BYU with the highest active winning percentage of any NCAA Division I women’s volleyball coach (.848). She is 257-46 and her Cougars have reached the NCAA tournament every year. Remarkably, over the last decade, BYU has been unranked for just two weeks.
Olmstead also has a new gold medal for coaching the USA U-21 national team to the championship at the 2025 NORCECA Pan American Cup last month in Costa Rica. While giving more than 10 years of her summers to the national team has been exhaustive, it’s also proven to be priceless for her players in Provo.
“Just the opportunity to learn from those coaching staffs that represent USA, to wear the jersey and try to learn more about international volleyball,” she said. “We (BYU) have more pros than we have ever had playing international and we have players on our team now that want to play.
“So, being able to bring that back and help them understand, ‘Hey, this is what it’s like and what it’s going to be like.’ To go on foreign trips, all of that, is for the development of our players,” she continued. “It’s all about our players and if I can do anything to help them, I want to. I’ve been given the opportunity and it’s been priceless.”
Priceless and golden at the same time.
Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts “Y’s Guys” at ysguys.com and is the author of the children’s book “C is for Cougar,” available at deseretbook.com
DoTERRA Classic
Friday
- 10 a.m. — High Point vs. Central Michigan
- Noon — FDU at No. 19 BYU
- 4:30 p.m. — FDU vs. High Point
- 7 p.m. — Central Michigan at No. 19 BYU
Saturday
- 10 a.m. — Central Michigan vs. FDU
- 4 p.m. — High Point at No. 19 BYU
Note: All matches at Smith Fieldhouse