Coug volleyball is about to find out if the last week was a breakthrough or just a good weekend. The team hits the road for Boise on Thursday, then comes home to host Fresno State on Saturday. That is a quick turn, a bus ride, and a chance to prove the win over Texas State meant something.
We said after that Texas State match that this team looked different. They moved to 3-1, and Emerson Matthews on the win, the grind, and proving it in Texas made it clear the locker room knows it, too. Now comes the real test. Not the talent test, we saw that in Texas. The consistency test. Boise State is a solid mid-major program that will not roll over on its home floor. Then Fresno State comes to Bohler, and the Bulldogs are always a little ornery. They know they can steal one in Pullman.
Here is the take you can text your buddy: if this team goes 2-0 this week, start paying attention to the conference schedule. If they split, it is still fine, but the margin for error gets thinner. The Cougs have not had a true road test yet. Boise is loud, the court is different, and the travel is a grind. How they handle that Thursday night will tell us more than the Texas State win did.
We also need to talk about the TV thing. Cougar Sports Returns to National TV with Saturday Visit from Oregon State is a big deal for the football program, but it also matters for volleyball. When the country sees Bohler Gym on a screen, it reminds people that Pullman still has a pulse. That Fresno State match is a chance to put on a show for a crowd that might be a little bigger than usual. The team should treat Saturday like an audition.
One thing to watch: the rotation. Coach Green has been mixing lineups, and the Texas State match saw some new faces step up. If that continues on the road, it means the depth is real. If it tightens up, it means the staff is still searching. Either way, we will know more by Saturday night than we do now.
Go Cougs.