Bulldogs are the new team to beat in Mountain West volleyball

Don’t look now, but there’s a new team on top of Mountain West Conference volleyball.

And it plays at the Save Mart Center.

Playing before yet another 1,000-plus crowd, Fresno State knocked off defending MW champion Colorado State 25-17, 21-25, 25-18, 26-24 Saturday afternoon.

The Bulldogs (11-5, 3-0) stayed atop the early conference standings while knocking the Rams (11-5, 3-1) down a peg.

It completes a start to the MW season that’s seen Fresno State knock off the top three teams in the preseason predictions including Wyoming on Thursday at home and at San Diego State last week.

Taylor Slover and Aubrey Folk each had 12 kills to pace the Bulldogs against Colorado State, which has won or shared eight of the last nine MW championships and was receiving votes in the American Volleyball Coaches Association national poll.

Fresno State showed grit in the final game, rallying from 14-10. The Rams made two straight attack errors for the final points of the match.