MW Championship Preview: Broncos Aim for MW Title

Wednesday, November 26

Las Vegas, Nev.

1 p.m. PT/2 p.m. MT

Boise State

Grand Canyon

11/25/2025 4:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

The Broncos open the tournament as the No. 4 seed, face No. 5 Grand Canyon on Wednesday

FIRST SERVE
Boise State is set to compete in the Mountain West Volleyball Championship for the third straight season as it will be the No. 4 seed in this year's six-team field. The Broncos, who ended the season with its most conference wins in nine years, will face No. 5 seed Grand Canyon in the first round on Wednesday. The winner will take on No. 1 seed Utah State on Friday to fight for a spot in the title match on Saturday.

Match 30 (November 26, 1 p.m. PT/2 p.m. MT)
No. 4 Boise State (19-10, 11-7 MW) vs. No. 5 Grand Canyon (17-12, 9-9 MW)
Series: Boise State leads, 3-0
Notes: Boise State won the first and only meeting against GCU earlier this year on Sept. 25 in Phoenix … The Broncos dropped the first set but came from behind to beat Grand Canyon in four sets behind four different Broncos reaching double figures in kills … Boise State swept the first two meetings in the all-time series, with the first occurring in 2013.

Semifinal (November 28, 1 p.m. PT/2 p.m. MT)
No. 1 Utah State vs. Winner of Boise State/Grand Canyon
Notes: Boise State lost both matches to Utah State this season, but beat the Aggies in the 2024 edition of the Mountain West Championship for its last win in the series.

Championship (November 29, 3 p.m. PT/4 p.m. MT)
Notes: Boise State last played in the championship match in 2021 (W, vs. UNLV, 3-1)

FOLLOW THE ACTION
All matches in the Mountain West Volleyball Championship can be streamed on the MW Network.

THE SEASON, IN SHORT
After getting out to an 8-3 start in nonconference play, Boise State has turned in a conference season in which it posted its most Mountain West wins since 2016. Lifted by the fifth-best blocking unit in the country, the Broncos earned a top-four finish in the Mountain West standings and will aim for their first conference title and trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2021.

BOISE STATE IN THE MW CHAMPIONSHIP

Boise State is making its third straight appearance in the Mountain West Volleyball Championship and fourth in the last five years since the tournament returned from a 10-year hiatus. The Broncos have won the tournament once, picking up the MW title in 2021.
The Broncos won the 2021 tournament as the No. 6 seed, taking down No. 3 San Jose State in straight sets, No. 2 Utah State in four sets, and No. 4 UNLV in four in the championship match.
Boise State has advanced out of the first round in two of its previous three appearances.

NCAA RANKINGS
Boise State is among the best in the nation in several defensive categories.

Team Blocks/Set
1. Utah Valley - 3.47
2. Louisville - 3.21
3. South Dakota State - 3.06
4. Fordham - 2.914
5. Boise State - 2.905

Team Total Blocks
1. Utah Valley - 337.0
2. Louisville - 334.0
3. Arkansas State - 328.0
4. James Madison - 325.5
5. Boise State - 322.5

TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN (WEST)
Boise State leads or is among the Mountain West in several categories.

Team Blocks/Set (All Matches)

Boise State - 2.91
Colorado State - 2.79
Wyoming - 2.72

Team Digs/Set (All Matches)

Wyoming - 15.40
Boise State - 15.11
New Mexico - 14.86

Team Assists/Set (All Matches)

Utah State - 13.15
Boise State - 12.58
Colorado State - 12.57

AGAINST THE FIELD
Boise State is 4-5 against the teams in the MW Championship field, but 3-2 away from Boise … Of the nine matches, seven were decided in four sets … The Broncos are 4-3 in those four-set matches.

STANDOUT ON THE BLOCK

Junior middle blocker Layla Smith is among the best blockers in the country - and Boise State history.
Smith is averaging a team-best 1.46 blocks this season, and 1.54 blocks in conference-only matches.
She is second in the MW and 16th in the country in blocks/set and second and 10th in total blocks.
Smith has 156 total blocks, which are tied for the fourth-most all-time in Boise State history. The 156 blocks are also the most by a Bronco since Jessica Donahue had 163 in 2019.
Smith is looking to become only the fourth Bronco in school history to have 160 blocks in a season and potentially, with 14 more blocks, the only Bronco ever to have 170 or more in a single season.
Smith is currently third in Boise State's rally-scoring era with the 1.46 blocks/set. Heather Malashak (2004) holds the rally-scoring era record with 1.59 blocks/set.
Over the last three matches, Smith is averaging 2.33 blocks/set.

SHARP BLOCKING

In addition to Smith, redshirt freshman middle blocker Eliza Sharp has had a breakout season for the Broncos as she is third in the MW in total blocks (136) and fourth in blocks/set (1.30).
Sharp is 31st in the nation in total blocks and 45th in blocks/set.
Her 136 blocks are seventh-most in a single-season in Boise State's rally-scoring era.
Sharp also entered the week as the nation's top freshman in total blocks.
Sharp has stepped up against the five other teams in the Mountain West Championship field, as she is averaging 2.53 kills/set on a .356 hitting percentage with 1.41 blocks in nine matches.

Most Season Blocks, Boise State History (Rally Scoring Era)
1. 169 - Heather Malashak (2004)
2. 163 - Jessica Donahue (2019)
3. 156 - Layla Smith (2025)
4. 145 - Maddy O'Donnell (2016)
5. 140 - Alisha King (2010)
140 - Alyssa Wissinger (2021)
7. 136 - Eliza Sharp (2025)

BLOCK PARTY

Lifted by Smith and Sharp, Boise State's block is ranked fifth-best in the nation entering this week.
The Broncos are fifth in the country in blocks/set and total blocks.
The 322.5 total blocks by Boise State are the eighth-most in program history and third-most in the rally-scoring era.
The last time Boise State had 300+ team blocks in a campaign was 2021 - the last time it won the Mountain West Championship.

Total Blocks (All-Time)
1. 463.5 - 1981
2. 390.0 - 1986
3. 358.5 - 2021
4. 351.5 - 1989
5. 334.0 - 1987
6. 331.0 - 1995
7. 328.0 - 2019
8. 322.5 - 2025

Total Blocks (Rally-Scoring Era)
1. 358.5 - 2021
2. 328.0 - 2019
3. 322.5 - 2025
4. 306.0 - 2018

ON THE BACK LINE

Senior libero Bre Mitchell enters this week with a team-best 438 digs, which are a career-high.
Mitchell's 438 digs are currently the eighth-most in a single-season in Boise State program history. They are the most since Maddi Osburn had 539 in 2017, which are the second-most in a season in school history.
With 12 more digs, Mitchell would only become the fifth different Bronco to notch 450 digs in a single season. It would be the seventh time that has happened as well.
Mitchell has double-digit digs in seven straight matches entering this week's tournament.

Most Digs, Single-Season
Boise State history
1. 544 - Maddi Osburn (2016)
2. 539 - Maddi Osburn (2017)
3. 521 - Jackie Stroud (2006)
4. 512 - Kersti Whitney (2012)
5. 493 - Maddi Osburn (2015)
6. 472 - Amanda Remy (2011)
7. 446 - Lauren Hamm (2007)
8. 438 - Bre Mitchell (2025)
9. 435 - Bre Mitchell (2024)

WHAT A CAREER

Senior libero Bre Mitchell enters this week with 1,236 career digs, which are the fifth-most in Boise State's rally-scoring era.
Mitchell is also eighth in career digs in Boise State's all-time history.

Career Digs (Rally-Scoring Era)
Boise State history
1. Maddi Osburn (2014-17) - 1,756
2. Jackie Stroud (2003-06) - 1,491
3. Lauren Hamm (2007-10) - 1,250
Amanda Remy (2008-11) - 1,250
5. Bre Mitchell (2023-Current) - 1,236

Career Digs/Set (Rally-Scoring Era and All-Time)
Boise State history
1. Maddi Osburn - 4.06 (2014-17)
2. Bre Mitchell - 3.80 (2023-Current)
3. Jackie Stroud - 3.76 (2003-06)
4. Amanda Remy - 3.32 (2008-11)

CLUB 400

Boise State volleyball head coach Shawn Garus is the longest tenured coach at their current school in the six-team field this week. He is in his 17th season leading the Broncos and holds a 297-208 record at the helm.
Garus is second in Mountain West history in regular season conference career wins with 152.
He earned his 400th career win earlier this season when the Broncos defeated Idaho State on Sept. 13.
In 25 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Garus is 412-328.

ACCOLADES
Arianna Bilby
All-Mountain West Honorable Mention
All-Boise State Invitational Team

Sydney Dreves
Boise State Invitational MVP

Kailyn Jager
All-Utah Valley Invitational Team
All-Boise State Invitational Team

Bre Mitchell
Preseason All-Mountain West
All-Utah Valleyball Invitational Team
Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 1)
Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 6)

Eliza Sharp
Mountain West Freshman of the Year
All-Mountain West
Utah Valley Invitational MVP
All-Boise State Classic Team

Layla Smith
All-Mountain West
Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week (Nov. 24)