Freshman Shannon Arts

Although the Hornets'' victory over Eastern Washington was considered an upset because it came over a nationally ranked opponent, the team has a tendency to do well against the Eagles in Hornet Gym. Over the last six years, the Hornets have now won six-consecutive regular-season matches at home against Eastern Washington.

Overall this season, Sacramento State has won each of its last three matches and seven of the last nine. The Hornets take to the road this week as the team travels to Weber State (Friday, Oct. 25, at 6 p.m. PDT) and Idaho State (Saturday, Oct. 26, at 3 p.m. PDT). The Hornets are 5-3 on the road this season, including 2-1 against conference competition (victories at Northern Arizona and Montana, loss at Montana State).

Sacramento State has just one homestand left on the schedule as the team plays four-consecutive matches in Hornet Gym from Nov. 1-9. After last week''s victories over Portland State and Eastern Washington, the Hornets own a regular-season home record of 46-5 against Big Sky competition (including 4-0 this season).

Weber State enters the week with a 13-7 overall record and a 4-3 mark in the Big Sky. The Wildcats, who have won four of their last five including a three-game sweep of Idaho State last week, host Wyoming on Monday, Oct. 21, before hosting the Hornets Friday night. Traditionally, Sacramento State has not fared well in Ogden, Utah, as the team has lost on the road to Weber State each of the last two seasons (including a 3-1 loss last year). The Hornets, who are 12-4 all-time against the Wildcats, defeated Weber State, 3-1, earlier this year in Hornet Gym.

Idaho State enters the week with a 7-13 overall record and a 1-6 conference mark. After beginning the season 6-6, the Bengals have dropped seven of their last eight matches, including three straight. Idaho State swept Montana at home three weeks ago for its only conference victory. The Hornets have won 11-consecutive matches against Idaho State over the last six years, including a 3-2 win earlier this season in Hornet Gym. Overall, Sacramento State is 12-1 all-time against Idaho State with the team''s last loss coming in Pocatello, Idaho, in 1996.

A Look At Last Week

The Hornets won both of their matches last week, defeating both Portland State (30-25, 30-23, 27-30, 30-23) and Eastern Washington (30-18, 30-28, 30-25). The victory over the Vikings marked the Hornets'' 18th-consecutive win over Portland State spanning the last 14 years. With the victory over Eastern Washington, Sacramento State defeated its second-highest ranked opponent in the program''s Div. I history (the Hornets beat then No. 13 Pacific at home in 1997). Not only had Eastern Washington not lost a match all season long, the team had lost just eight games during the entire season prior to Saturday''s loss.

Head Coach Debby Colberg

For the 27th-straight season, Debby Colberg will control the Hornet sidelines. During her tenure, Colberg has posted a 687-245 record (.737 winning percentage) and has led the team to 13 league titles and 21 postseason berths. Her 687 wins ranks seventh on the all-time NCAA list among coaches with at least five years of Div. I experience. Last season, Colberg was named Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year for the fourth time in the last five years. During her tenure, she has been honored as coach of the year seven times and Region Coach of the Year on four occasions.

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 25.8 wins per year.

The Hornets have posted a 267-127 record since moving to Div. I in 1991. In addition to leading the Hornets to four NCAA Tournament appearances over the last five years, she also had the added responsibility of serving as the school’s athletic director from February of 1999 until June of 2002.

Wright On Track

After struggling a bit against the Montana schools two weeks ago, senior outside hitter Jayme Wright got back on track with two impressive performances last week. The Pleasanton, Calif., native combined to average 4.57 kills and 4.43 digs per game in two matches. In Thursday''s win against Portland State, Wright led all players with 17 kills and 18 digs, as her dig total was just two short of her season high (20 at San Jose State). In Saturday''s win against Eastern Washington, Wright returned to post 15 kills, a .289 hitting percentage (15-4-38) and 13 digs. It marked her 13th and 14th double-doubles of the season.

Saturday''s hitting percentage of .289 was her highest mark since hitting .407 against Sam Houston State on Aug. 31 (a span of 18 matches). Wright, who is one of just three seniors and three Hornets to start all 23 matches this season, currently leads the team and is eighth in the Big Sky Conference in digs (3.34 per game). She has tallied double figures in digs 14 times and has also recorded double-figure kills on 14 occasions. The senior, who has started 73-consecutive matches over the last three years, leads the team in double-doubles (kills and digs) with nine, and now has 38 during her four-year career.

First Game Is The Charm

With two more victories last week, Sacramento State is now 14-1 when winning the first game of a match this season. The team''s only defeat came in Reno, Nev., where the Hornets lost in five to Cal State Northridge. Conversely, when Sacramento State drops the first game, the team''s record in those matches is 2-6.

Leaping To New Heights

One year after competing in a little over half of the Hornets'' matches, sophomore outside hitter Sandra Bandimere has become Sacramento State''s go-to player. The Roseville, Calif., native has led the team in kills in eight of the last 10 matches (including a career-high 27 at Montana on Oct. 12) and is averaging 4.32 kills per game over that span. She led all players with 16 kills against Eastern Washington and has now tallied double-figure kills in 10-straight matches and 13 of the last 14 overall. Her 27 kills were a conference season high and were the most by a Hornet since Sarah Chlebana had 30 at Montana during the 2000 season.

After averaging 2.27 kills per game through the first seven matches of the season, the sophomore is averaging 3.90 per game over her last 16 contests. Over that span, she has more kills (234) than anyone on the team. Three weeks ago, she overtook senior Jayme Wright for the team lead in kills and is now ninth in the Big Sky with 284 this season (3.46 per game). Against conference competition, Bandimere ranks fourth in the Big Sky with 4.29 kills per game.

Bandimere, who has the best vertical leap on the team, is hitting .248 overall after recording a .109 hitting percentage last season. She has hit at least .235 in nine of her last 10 matches, including a .433 mark (16-3-30) against Eastern Washington.

Conference Dominance

Since joining the Big Sky in 1996, Sacramento State has posted the best conference winning percentage of the league’s eight teams. The Hornets are 83-18 (.822), followed by Eastern Washington (73-28), Northern Arizona (63-38) and Montana State (62-39) as the schools with winning league records. Weber State (43-58), Montana (36-65), Idaho State (25-76) and Portland State (14-87) round out the rest of the field.

Beauchene Receives Second Big Sky POW Award

Junior setter Lisa Beauchene was named Big Sky Conference Player of the Week for the second time this season (Sept. 30) after leading Sacramento State to a 2-0 record last week, including a three-game sweep of 15th-ranked Eastern Washington. The Auburn, Wash., native combined for 82 assists (11.71 per game), 18 kills (2.57 per game), 17 digs (2.43 per game), a .516 hitting percentage and six blocks (0.86 per game) in the two matches. Her 18 kills came with just two errors in 31 total attacks.

Against Eastern Washington, Beauchene narrowly missed her fourth triple-double of the season despite the match lasting just three games. She finished the contest with eight kills, a match-high .533 hitting percentage, 38 assists and 10 digs. Her eight kills came without an error in 15 attacks. In the team''s victory over Portland State on Thursday, Beauchene tallied 10 kills, a .500 hitting percentage, 44 assists, seven digs and six blocks. Her 10 kills, which were one short of her season high, came with just two errors in 16 attacks.

Beauchene is now hitting a conference-best .377 this season, and despite being a setter, she has tallied at least seven kills in four-consecutive matches. Among team leaders, she is currently first in assists (10.54 per game), second in digs (2.86 per game), and fourth in both kills (1.96 per game) and blocks (0.73 per game). She has now been named conference player of the week five times during her career.

Youth Is Served

Before the season began, head coach Debby Colberg stressed that this year might be a rebuilding one with seven underclassmen on the roster, and only three seniors. Now that the Hornets are tied for first place in the conference standings with a 16-7 overall record and a 6-1 Big Sky mark, Colberg may have underestimated her team a bit. The youngsters have stepped up huge of late, including the team''s four underclassmen starters: Sophomore outside hitter Sandra Bandimere (leading the team with 3.46 kills per game), sophomore middle hitter Emily Wilson (second on the team with 0.99 blocks per game), freshman libero Mallory Hook (third on the team with 2.44 digs per game) and freshman middle hitter Shannon Arts (has started the last three matches and has combined for 12 kills, a .321 hitting percentage and 12 blocks over that span). With two freshmen and two sophomores in the starting lineup, things will only get better in the future.

Other Notables

The Hornets have yet to allow an opponent to hit above .300 this season and have allowed only seven opponents to hit above .200...junior Kazmiera Imrie, who is listed as a middle hitter, has started the last three matches as the team''s right side hitter.