Pepperdine women’s volleyball hits the road this week for a West Coast Conference swing, visiting newcomer Denver on Thursday, October 8, before traveling to Southern California to face San Diego on Saturday, October 10. The Waves carry a 47-39 advantage in the series against the Toreros, though they enter the weekend looking to snap a four-match skid against their conference rivals.
Into the Altitude Against the Pioneers
Thursday evening’s 5 p.m. PST matchup at Denver marks the first-ever meeting between the Waves and the Pioneers. Denver enters the contest at 8-7 overall and 1-2 in WCC play after making the jump from the Summit League this past offseason. Head coach Megan Pendergast, who signed a multi-year extension on October 1, steers a squad that made history on September 24 by recording their first WCC victory with a 3-0 shutout of Pacific in Denver.
The Pioneers present distinct challenges defensively and offensively. Sophomore defensive specialist Madison Winkler anchors the back row with a WCC-leading 271 digs, a mark that ranks 29th nationally. Meanwhile, the offensive engine runs through Alicia Thibodeau and Jamia Johnson, who have notched 151 and 148 kills respectively. At the net, Elise Hart paces the Denver defense with 37 blocks, backed by Jamia Johnson with 34.
Pepperdine arrives in Colorado following a productive stretch that featured a seven-match winning streak, the program’s longest since a nine-match win streak from Oct. 11-Nov. 8 last year. The blue and orange have capitalized on fast starts, remaining undefeated this season whenever they capture the opening set. Junior setter Tristen Raymond orchestrates the attack with 534 assists—good for third in the conference and 50th nationwide—putting her on a trajectory toward the program’s all-time top 10 in career assists.
Defensive Anchors and Rising Freshmen
The Waves boast a formidable presence at the net, leading the conference with 165 team blocks. Junior Ella Piskorz spearheads this defensive wall, tied for the third-most blocks in the country with 89. Piskorz currently sits seventh in program history with 372 career blocks, needing just five more to climb into fifth place all-time.
Back-row defense remains a cornerstone for Pepperdine, powered by defensive specialist Laine Briggs. Briggs has racked up 245 digs this season, placing her second in the WCC right behind Denver’s Winkler. Offensively, Chloe Pravednikov paces the Waves with 190.0 total points, ninth-best in the conference, while junior outside hitter Maggie Beauer adds 160 kills.
Seven newcomers join this experienced group to form the 2026 squad: Nikol Dvornikova, Sullivan Leonard, Ellie Sandoz, Eliya Dev, Claire McNeal, Isabella Rasi, and Reese Poerner. With graduate outside hitter Iva Popovic sidelined as she recovers from a knee injury that cut her 2025 campaign short, reserves such as McNeal and Poerner step in to supply essential support on the perimeter.
The program’s pedigree extends beyond collegiate courts. 2024 alumna Birdie Hendrickson, a two-time All-WCC First Team selection during her tenure in Malibu, recently signed a professional deal with Major League Volleyball expansion team DC Flight, becoming the 30th former Wave to reach the professional ranks.
Facing the Preseason Favorite in San Diego
Following the Thursday clash in Colorado, Pepperdine returns to Southern California for a noon showdown on Saturday, October 10, against San Diego. The match serves as the first of two monster matches against the WCC preseason favorite. While the Waves hold the upper hand historically with 47 wins to the Toreros’ 39, the Waves have dropped four consecutive against San Diego.
Pepperdine looks to draw confidence from early-season benchmarks, including a victory over No. 19 USC on September 19. That victory marked the program’s highest-ranked road win since September 15, 2022, when the Waves defeated No. 6 Minnesota. With conference positioning tightening, Thursday’s opening serve in Denver gets underway at 5 p.m. PST on ESPN+, followed by Saturday’s broadcast at 12 p.m. PST.
