The Sacramento State volleyball team (23-7, 11-3 Big Sky Conference) enters this week''s Big Sky Tournament (Nov. 18-20) as the No. 2 seed. For the third year in a row, the tournament will take place at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash. (home floor for the regular-season champion and No. 1 seed Eastern Washington), and Sacramento State will try to win the tournament championship for the third-consecutive season. The Hornets defeated Eastern Washington in the championship match in both 2002 (3-1) and 2003 (3-2).

Sacramento State has finished at least second in the Big Sky every year since joining the conference in 1996 (including five-consecutive regular-season championships from 1997-01). In fact, the Hornets have won the conference''s regular season and/or tournament championship each of the last seven seasons. The team has advanced to the tournament championship match every year except 1999 (a 3-2 loss to Cal State Northridge in the semifinals). Sacramento State won the tournament championship in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002 and 2003.

Sacramento State enters the tournament after completing one of its better weeks of the season, blowing out both Idaho State (30-10, 30-9, 30-30-14) and Weber State (30-12, 30-18, 30-17) at home. In fact, the victory over Idaho State was easily the team''s biggest blowout win since the NCAA went to rally scoring in 2001. The Hornets completed the regular season with a 13-1 record at home, with the only loss coming to 16th-ranked Saint Mary''s in five games. Of those 13 victories on the home floor, 11 came in just three games.

The Hornets'' 23-7 record assures the team of finishing with single digits in losses for the first time since the 2001 season. The team''s record is also the best after 30 matches since the 1995 Hornet squad was 27-3. Sacramento State has won eight of its last nine, and 12 of its last 14 dating back to Oct. 2. The Hornets have four winning streaks of at least four matches, which includes a pair of five matches.

A Look At The Tournament

Besides Eastern Washington (19-7, 12-2) and Sacramento State, the remaining field for the Big Sky Tournament is comprised of Montana State (No. 3 seed; 18-7, 10-4), Idaho State (No. 4; 12-16, 8-6), Portland State (No. 5; 13-14, 5-9) and Northern Arizona (No. 6; 7-18, 4-10).

On Thursday, Nov. 18, Montana State and Northern Arizona will square off at 5 p.m., while Idaho State and Portland State will face each other at 7 p.m. In the semifinals, Sacramento State will face the highest remaining seed (Montana State, Idaho State or Portland State) at 5 p.m., and Eastern Washington will host the lowest remaining seed at 7 p.m. The winner of the two semifinal matches will play for the conference championship on Saturday at 6 p.m.

The Big Sky Tournament champion receives an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, which is set to begin on Dec. 2. The Hornets have reached the NCAA postseason event six times in the last seven years (1997-00, 2002-03). The NCAA has taken just one team from the Big Sky in 12 of the last 13 years, making the automatic berth that much more important. Sacramento State has been the only team from the Big Sky to appear in the tournament each of the last two years despite Eastern Washington combining for a 51-10 record over that span (including a No. 24 final ranking in the 2002 AVCA/USA Today top 25 poll). Three Big Sky teams appeared in the 1999 NCAA Tournament comprised of Northern Arizona, Sacramento State and Eastern Washington.

For those making the trip from Sacramento to Cheney, tickets are being sold as all-session passes (total of five matches) for $16 reserved seating (all ages) and $12 for general admission (adults). General admission all-session passes for seniors and juniors (ages 6-18) are $6, while youth (ages 3-5) are $4.

Head Coach Debby Colberg

For the 29th-straight season, Debby Colberg controls the Hornet sidelines. During her tenure, Colberg has posted a 741-268 record (.734 winning percentage) and has led the team to 15 league titles and 24 postseason berths. Her 741 wins are 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.

Sacramento State''s Big Sky Tournament History

Sacramento State has posted a 12-3 all-time record in Big Sky Tournament play, including a perfect 4-0 mark over the last two seasons. The Hornets are 4-0 in the tournament against Montana State, including semifinal victories over the Bobcats in three of the last four seasons. Sacramento State is 4-1 against Eastern Washington as the two teams have squared off in the championship match each of the last four years and five of the last six overall. When entering the tournament as the No. 2 seed, the Hornets are 5-1 overall with their only loss coming in the 1996 championship match (3-2) to Cal State Northridge.

2003 – Semifinals: defeated Idaho State, 3-0. Finals: defeated Eastern Washington, 3-2.

2002 – Semifinals: defeated Montana State, 3-2. Finals: defeated Eastern Washington, 3-1.

2001 – Semifinals: defeated Montana State, 3-0. Finals: lost to Eastern Washington, 3-1.

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

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

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

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

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

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 111-25 (.816), followed by Eastern Washington (105-31), Montana State (84-52) and Northern Arizona (77-66) as the schools with winning league records. Weber State (53-83), Idaho State (44-92), Montana (42-94), and Portland State (25-111) round out the rest of the field. Sacramento State has never lost more than four Big Sky matches in a single season.

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 23-7 record.

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 2.56 kills and 3.01 digs.

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 missed each of the last 10 matches. However, Lutes began practicing again this week and will be back in the lineup at the Big Sky Tournament. During Lutes'' absence, junior Mallory Hook, who played the final 15 matches of her freshman year as the team''s libero (2002) because of similar circumstances, has played well in Lutes'' absence. Over the last 10 matches as the team''s libero, Hook has responded with 3.94 digs per game, including a career-high tying 26 digs in the Hornets'' win over Montana State.

Until the match against Portland State on Nov. 6, 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). Melcher is now back to full strength and has averaged 2.09 kills per game and a .420 hitting percentage over her last three matches.

Hornet Notables

Senior outside hitter Sandra Bandimere has 460 kills and 421 digs this year, and is just 21 kills shy of cracking into Sacramento State''s single-season top 10 list...senior middle hitter Emily Wilson, who had 4.17 kills per game to go along with a .548 hitting percentage in two matches last week, is currently seventh in program history with 415 career blocks...senior setter Stephanie Gamst has moved into second place among conference leaders with 12.02 assists per game...including a season-high .452 hitting percentage against Idaho State, Sacramento State is hitting .349 over its last three matches...the Hornets have never lost a Big Sky Tournament semifinal match at a neutral site.