Thank goodness this fall for volleyball, arguably BYU’s best overall sport. The Cougars are coached by a pair of siblings from Santa Barbara, Calif. — Shawn Olmstead heads up the men’s program that has played for the last two NCAA national championships and Heather Olmstead leads the women’s program that has advanced to the Sweet 16 five straight seasons. BYU’s volleyball programs are carrying the banner in 2017.
The Cougar women are ranked No. 7 in the country and have a sparkling record of 17-1, their only loss a five-set thriller to Baylor. Heather Olmstead, in her third season as coach after assisting her brother from 2011 to 2014 before he moved to the men’s team, said the Cougars are getting better, a scary thought for West Coast Conference teams that have watched BYU win the last three WCC titles.