Additionally, Sacramento State became the first team in the conference’s history (1982-pres.) to win five-consecutive regular season championships. Portland State won four straight (1982-85) when the Big Sky was the Mountain West Conference.

In this year’s tournament, both Sacramento State and No. 2-seed Northern Arizona (16-6, 10-4 Big Sky) receive a first-round bye. Also competing in the single-elimination tournament will be No. 3 Eastern Washington (17-5, 9-5), No. 4 Weber State (13-13, 9-5), No. 5 Montana State (17-6, 8-6) and No. 6 Idaho State (10-16, 5-9). On Thursday, Eastern Washington and Idaho State will square off at 5 p.m., and Montana State and Weber State will battle at 7:30 p.m. In the semifinals on Friday, Northern Arizona will face the highest remaining seed at 5 p.m., while Sacramento State will face the lowest remaining seed at 7:30 p.m. The winner of the two semifinal matches will play in the championship match on Saturday at 7 p.m.

The Big Sky Tournament champion receives an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, where the Hornets have made four-consecutive appearances. The NCAA has taken just one team from the Big Sky nine of the last 10 years, making the automatic berth that much more important. Three Big Sky teams appeared in the 1999 NCAA Tournament including Northern Arizona, Sacramento State and Eastern Washington. Other than that season, never has more than one team from the Big Sky appeared in the NCAA’s.

Tickets for the tournament can be purchased at the Sacramento State Box Office located on the first floor of the Student Union or at Hornet Gym prior to the match. Ticket prices are as follows:

Thursday, tickets are $5 for adults/general admission, $4 for seniors and non-Sacramento State students, and $2 for Sacramento State students and kids ages 6-12. Children five and under are free

Friday, ticket prices are $6, $5, $3 and Free, respectively.

Saturday, ticket prices are $8, $6, $4 and Free, respectively.

3-Day Pass are availabe at $15, $12, $6 and Free, respectivley.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

All Matches Played in Hornet Gym on the Sacramento State Campus

Quarterfinal 1

Thurs., Nov. 15 - No. 6 Idaho State vs. No. 3 Eastern Washington, 5 p.m.

Quarterfinal 1

Thurs., Nov. 15 - No. 5 Montana State vs. No. 4 Weber State, 7:30 p.m.

Semifinal 1

Fri., Nov. 16 - Highest Remaining Seed vs. No. 2 Northern Arizona, 5 p.m.

Semifinal 2

Fri., Nov. 16 - Lowest Remaining Seed vs. No. 1 Sacramento State, 7:30 p.m.

Championship Match

Sat., Nov. 17 - Winner of Semifinal 1 vs. Winner of Semifinal 2, 7:00 p.m.

A Look at the Tournament Field

Sacramento State enters the tournament with a 19-8 overall record and a 12-2 mark in the Big Sky. The Hornets have not lost a match to a conference opponent at home in over two years (a span of 17-consecutive victories). The Hornets went 7-0 against Big Sky opposition in Hornet Gym this season and dropped just three games over that span (two against Northern Arizona and one to Portland State). In fact, since dropping two games to NAU on Sept. 29, the Hornets have won 18 of their last 19 games at home against conference teams.

Northern Arizona (16-6, 10-4), which tied Sacramento State for the regular season title last season, is making its seventh-consecutive Big Sky Tournament appearance. The Lumberjacks have reached at least the semifinal round in each of its league postseason appearances. NAU has won each of its last four matches and has lost only two times since Oct. 13 (3-2 loss at Arizona State and a 3-0 home loss to Sacramento State).

Eastern Washington (17-5, 9-5) has lost its last two matches on the heels of a six-match winning streak. The Eagles went a perfect 8-0 against non-conference opponents and have now appeared in the Big Sky Tournament six-consecutive seasons. EWU went 5-0 on neutral courts, including a five-game victory over former Big Sky member Cal State Northridge. The team reached the Big Sky Tournament final last season before falling in three to Sacramento State.

Weber State (13-13, 9-5) will be making just its second appearance in the last seven years at the Big Sky Tournament. The Wildcats’ fourth-place finish was the highest since the team finished fourth in 1994. WSU started the season on fire, winning six of its first seven conference matches. Since that time, however, the team has dropped seven of its last 10 overall and four of its last seven Big Sky contests.

Montana State (17-6, 8-6) is making its sixth-straight appearance in the Big Sky Tournament. The Bobcats, who have never advanced to the championship match, have posted seven-consecutive winning seasons and have notched at least 16 wins per year since 1995. MSU opened the season by winning 12-straight matches, but has gone 5-6 since. The Bobcats lead the Big Sky and rank eighth in the country with 3.35 blocks per game.

Idaho State (10-16, 5-9) will be making its first appearance in the tournament since 1995. The Bengals went 4-8 over their last 12 matches, including a five-game loss at Weber State last Saturday. Among Big Sky leaders (all games), Idaho State did not rank among the top four teams in any statistical category. The team played six of its final eight matches of the season on the road and posted a 4-8 record away from Reed Gym (ISU’s home floor) this season.

Sacramento State in the Big Sky Tournament

1996 – Semis: defeated Montana, 3-2. Finals: lost to Cal State Northridge, 3-2.

1997 – Semis: defeated Montana State, 3-0. Finals: defeated Northern Arizona, 3-0.

1998 – Semis: defeated Northern Arizona, 3-0. Finals: defeated Eastern Washington, 3-0

1999 – Semis: lost to Cal State Northridge, 3-2.

2000 – Semis: defeated Montana State, 3-2. Finals: defeated Eastern Washington, 3-0

Beauchene Named Big Sky Player of the Week, Part II

Sophomore setter Lisa Beauchene was named co-Big Sky Conference Volleyball Player of the Week for her efforts in leading the Hornets to a 2-0 record and the team’s fifth-consecutive regular season conference championship last week.

Beauchene, who shared this week’s honor with Eastern Washington’s Janelle Ruen, was also named Big Sky Player of the Week on Oct. 8. In two victories last week, the Auburn, Wash., native combined to record a .645 hitting percentage (22-2-31) and per game averages of 3.14 kills, 12.71 assists, 1.86 digs and 0.29 services.

In the Hornets’ victory over Portland State on Saturday, Beauchene recorded an .867 hitting percentage, which was the second best mark in Sacramento State single-match history. She has now hit at least .300 in six-consecutive matches and has recorded a .488 hitting percentage over that span. She is currently first among team leaders in hitting percentage (.377) and assists (11.36 per game), second in digs (3.09 per game), third in service aces (0.28 per game), fourth in blocks (0.63 per game) and fifth in kills (2.06 per game).

Beauchene’s current season hitting percentage of .377 would rank as the best mark in school history. The program record is .355, set by Kerry Lewis in 1994.

Kaz-ma-Taz

Sophomore Kazmiera Imrie and senior Tasman Dwyer have become one of the more formidable middle hitter combinations in the Big Sky. The duo has combined for 5.76 kills and 2.30 blocks per game. Dwyer has either led or tied for the team lead in kills in 12 matches and blocks 15 times. Imrie has led or tied for the team lead in kills four times and blocks on 13 occasions. In fact, either Dwyer or Imrie has paced the team in blocks in all but two matches this year.

For the season, Dwyer is first on the team in kills (3.36 per game), and second in hitting percentage (.333) and blocks (1.14 per game). Imrie, who has become a full-rotation player this season, is first on the team in blocks (1.16 per game), third in kills (2.40 per game), fourth in hitting percentage (.236) and fifth in digs (1.97 per game). Imrie is sixth in the conference in blocks while Dwyer is second in hitting percentage, seventh in blocks and eighth in kills.

Sacramento State Head Coach Debby Colberg

For the 26th-straight season, Debby Colberg will control the Hornet sidelines. During her tenure, Colberg has posted a 670-237 record (.739 winning percentage) and has led the team to 13 league titles and 21 postseason berths. Her 670 wins rank eighth on the all-time NCAA list among coaches with at least five years of Div. I experience. Last season, Colberg was named the Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year for the third time in the last four years. During her tenure, she has been honored as league coach of the year six times, regional coach of the year four times and national coach of the year once.

Colberg came to Sacramento State in 1976 and finished 9-8 in her first season. She captured her first league title in 1978 when the team posted a 12-2 mark in the Golden State Conference. Colberg guided the Hornets to the Div. II national championship in 1981, including two third-place finishes (1983-84) and a second-place finish in 1989. She has coached just two losing squads and her teams have averaged 26.0 wins per year.

The Hornets have posted a 250-83 (.751) record since moving to Div. I in 1991. In addition to leading the Hornets to four-consecutive NCAA Div. I Tournament appearances, she has also had the added responsibility of serving as the school’s athletic director since February of 1999.

Conference Dominance

Since joining the Big Sky Conference in 1996, Sacramento State has finished at least second in the conference standings every season. After finishing second in 1996 behind Cal State Northridge, Sacramento State has at least tied for a share of the regular season title every year thereafter. In fact, the team has yet to finish with a record worse than 12-4.

Since 1996, the Hornets have easily posted the best conference winning percentage of the league’s eight teams as well. The Hornets are 77-17 (.819), followed by Eastern Washington (67-27) with the second best winning percentage. Northern Arizona (59-35) and Montana State (57-37) are the other schools with winning league records. Weber State (39-55), Montana (35-59), Idaho State (24-70) and Portland State (13-81) round out the field.

Additional Notes

Junior Jayme Wright has led the team in digs in 10 of the last 13 matches and is first in the Big Sky in digs against conference competition (3.90 per game)...senior Alison Gahr is hitting .316 over her last 12 matches and has increased her hitting percentage 45 points over that span to its current mark of .251...all 12 players on Sacramento State’s roster (non-redshirts) appeared in last Saturday’s match against Portland State...the Hornets’ .302 hitting percentage against EWU on Friday marked the first time this season an opponent had hit above .300 against the Eagles.