The Sacramento State volleyball team (21-7, 9-3 Big Sky Conference) enters its final week of the regular season by welcoming Idaho State (Thursday, Nov. 11, 7 p.m.) and Weber State (Saturday, Nov. 13, 7 p.m.) for the final two home matches of the season. The Hornets are currently in second place in the Big Sky standings, two games behind first-place Eastern Washington (11-1). The Eagles could clinch first place and the right to host the Big Sky Tournament with a win over either Montana or Montana State this week on the road. Eastern Washington has hosted the tournament each of the last two years, but Sacramento State has defeated the Eagles each time in the championship match.

The Hornets are one game ahead of third-place Montana State (8-4) in the conference standings, but do not own the tiebreaker over the Bobcats. Should Sacramento State win both of its matches this week, the team would clinch a first-round bye in the Big Sky Tournament (the top two finishers in the conference automatically advance to the semifinals) and extend its streak to nine-straight years with at least a second-place finish in the Big Sky. The winner of the Big Sky Tournament receives an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, which begins Dec. 2.

Sacramento State has won 10 of its last 12 matches and has been nearly unbeatable (11-1) at home. In fact, the Hornets only home loss of the season came in five games to Saint Mary''s (who is currently ranked 12th in the nation). Should Sacramento State win both of its matches this week, the seven losses would rank as the team''s lowest mark in the regular season since the 1995 squad had only three losses.

The Hornets have won the Big Sky regular season and/or tournament championship each of the last seven years (regular season 1997-01, tournament 1997-98, 2000, 2002-03) and will be seeking their seventh NCAA Tournament in the last eight years (1997-00, 2002-03).

Idaho State (11-15, 7-5), which was selected to finish second in the Big Sky standings in the preseason coaches poll, snapped a three-match losing streak last week with home victories against Portland State and Weber State. The Bengals are currently in fourth place in the conference standings and defeated the Hornets (3-1) earlier this season in Pocatello, Idaho. The Bengals have struggled on the road this season (1-8) with their only win coming at Weber State on Oct. 9. Sacramento State had its 15-match winning streak over Idaho State snapped with the loss earlier in the year, but still owns a 16-2 all-time record over the Bengals.

Weber State (4-24, 2-10) enters the week in the midst of a six-match losing streak. The team''s two Big Sky wins came at home against Montana and Northern Arizona. The Wildcats are winless on the road (0-10) and have won just seven games all season on the opponents'' home floor. Sacramento State defeated Weber State in five games earlier this year in Ogden, Utah, and own a 15-5 all-time record over the Wildcats.

Head Coach Debby Colberg

For the 29th-straight season, Debby Colberg controls the Hornet sidelines. During her tenure, Colberg has posted a 739-268 record (.734 winning percentage) and has led the team to 15 league titles and 24 postseason berths. Her 739 wins ranks tied for fifth on the all-time NCAA list (with UC Santa Barbara''s Kathy Gregory) among active coaches with at least five years of Div. I experience. Colberg has been named the Big Sky Coach of the Year a conference-record six times in the last seven seasons (1997-98, 2000-03). During her tenure, she has been honored as coach of the year 13 times, including Region Coach of the Year on four occasions. She has led the Hornets to the NCAA Tournament six of the last seven years and has posted 23 career 20-win seasons.

Colberg came to Sacramento State in 1976 and finished 9-8 in her first season. The long coaching sojourn has taken Colberg through the ranks, from AIAW play in the late 1970s, through Division II and now Division I (1991-pres.). In 28 years, she has coached just two losing squads and her teams have averaged 25.7 wins per season. The 1989 American Volleyball Coaches Association Division II Coach of the Year and the coach with the best winning percentage in any sport at Sacramento State, 2004 marks Colberg’s 14th season as a Division I coach. During that time, she has led Sacramento State to winning seasons in 12 of the program''s 13 Division I years. She also had the added responsibility of serving as Sacramento State’s athletics director from February of 1999 until May of 2002.

Streak Busters

Two streaks came to a close with the Hornets'' five-game victory over Portland State this past Saturday. The first streak that ended was the team''s inability to win a match after dropping the first game. Entering the Portland State contest, Sacramento State had been 20-0 when the winning the first game of a match and 0-6 when dropping the opening game. Therefore, things looked bleak after Portland State won the first game, 30-25. However, the Hornets stormed back, winning games two, three and five.

The Hornets'' 16-14 victory in the fifth game also snapped another streak. Sacramento State had been winless (0-2) in five-game matches this season (both to ranked opposition) and 1-7 in five gamers dating back to last season.

Home Sweet Home

Since 1995, Sacramento State is 110-21 (.840 winning percentage) at home, while losing just nine times over the last five years. Five of those nine losses came against ranked opposition (Pacific twice, Santa Clara twice and BYU). Sacramento State had its 11-match home winning streak snapped in a five-game loss to Saint Mary''s on Sept. 21. In regular-season play, the team is 61-5 against Big Sky competition at home since joining the league in 1996. Moreover, the Hornets have won 38-consecutive regular-season matches against conference competition inside the Hornets Nest and haven''t lost since Oct. 14, 1999 (3-2 loss to Montana).

Depth Winning Out

Sacramento State''s depth has been tested throughout the season, as the Hornets have played the entire year without one projected starter at outside hitter (Jennifer Ferguson), and substantial parts of the season without starting libero Kristin Lutes and starting rightside hitter Natalie Melcher. Even with the injuries, the Hornets have still managed to post a 21-7 record, the team''s best mark after 28 matches since the 1995 squad was 25-3.

Ferguson, who started 34 matches last season, battled a back injury during the offseason before coaches decided to redshirt her because of the problem. Sophomore Atlee Hubbard, who transferred to Sacramento State after playing the 2003 season at Rhode Island, has filled in admirably for Ferguson, posting per game averages of 2.60 kills and 3.00 digs including five double-doubles in the last seven contests.

In the first game of the Weber State match on Oct. 15, Lutes, who was named Big Sky Libero of the Year last season, went down with a broken knuckle on her hand. Despite playing out the Weber State match with the injury, Lutes has since not returned to the lineup, missing each of the last eight matches. In stepped junior Mallory Hook, who played the final 15 matches of her freshman year as the team''s libero (2002) because of similar circumstances. Since taking over the starting job (eight matches ago), Hook has responded with 4.03 digs per game, including a career-high tying 26 digs in the Hornets'' win over Montana State.

Until last Saturday''s performance against Portland State (10 kills and a .409 hitting percentage), Melcher had played sparingly or not at all over a 10-match span while battling physical problems. Junior Shannon Arts, who had started the entire season as one of the team''s starting middle hitters, shifted to the right side for the first time in her career to fill in for Melcher. Senior Jackie Coudert, who transferred from Cal State Stanislaus prior to this season, filled in at defensive specialist (Hook''s old position). Arts has at least seven kills in six of her last nine matches while Coudert is averaging 2.22 digs per game over the last eight matches.

Bandimere Named Player of the Week Again

Senior outside hitter Sandra Bandimere was named Big Sky Conference Volleyball co-Player of the Week after posting averages of 5.67 kills and 3.11 digs per game to go along with a .336 hitting percentage. Bandimere, who also received conference player of the week honors on Sept. 6, shared the award with Eastern Washington’s Ashley Jensen.

In the Hornets’ victory over Portland State last Saturday, Bandimere had a career-high 36 kills to go along with nine digs and a .431 hitting percentage. Bandimere’s 36 kills were the most by a Hornet since Jill Haas had 40 against Cal State Northridge in 1996. In fact, the 36 kills were the second-most by a Hornet since Sacramento State joined the Div. I ranks in 1991.

In the Hornets’ loss to Eastern Washington on Thursday, Bandimere had 15 kills and 19 digs to notch her Big Sky-best 18th double-double of the season. She is now just two digs shy (438 kills and 398 digs) of becoming the second Sacramento State player in the last four years to join the 400-400 club (Jayme Wright in 2002).

Bandimere has led or tied for the team lead in kills in all but six matches this season, and currently ranks second in the Big Sky Conference in kills (4.42 per game) and sixth in digs (4.02 per game). She is one of two Hornets who have yet to miss a game in any match this season (Stephanie Gamst) and has posted double figures in kills in a team-best 23 contests. In addition, Bandimere’s eight matches with at least 20 kills this year is the top mark in the Big Sky while her 398 digs has already shattered her previous season high of 280, set last season.

Hornet Briefs

Senior setter Stephanie Gamst has posted four-straight matches with at least 52 assists and has raised her season average to 11.95 assists per game (third in the Big Sky)...should the Hornets win one match this week, they would assure themselves of no more than four conference losses every year since joining the league in 1996...senior middle hitter Emily Wilson is averaging 2.90 kills and 1.37 blocks per game over her last eight matches.