Ericson ‘kill’ ing it for Pack

Teal Ericson, a 2004 North Tahoe High grad and standout on the University of Nevada volleyball team, is two shy of becoming the eighth Wolf Pack player to record 1,000 career kills.

The next opportunity for the 6-foot-1 outside hitter to reach the milestone is Thursday at Brigham Young University (20-4 overall, 10-3 Western Athletic Conference). Nevada (15-10, 9-4) then plays at Utah State (12-15, 5-8) on Saturday before wrapping up the regular season at Idaho and Boise State the following week.

Playing in every one of the Pack’s 93 games this season (25 matches), Ericson leads the team with 384 kills ” a 4.13 average per game, or nearly one-third of the team’s average of 14.8. Karly Sipherd is second on the team with 252 kills. Twenty times this season Ericson has led or tied for the team lead in kills, with 11 of those being match highs.

Ericson has a .219 hitting percentage, 71 digs and 45 blocks. She has been named WAC Player of the Week twice, most recently after recording a career-high 26 kills against Boise State on Oct. 19, and has 407.5 points this season and 1,070 in her career. Her 407.5 points ranks eighth best in school history ” 10 more will move her into the seventh spot ” and her career total ranks fourth.