Fresh off winning its fourth-straight Big Sky Conference Tournament championship, the Sacramento State volleyball squad (25-7) will enter this week’s Bankers Classic in Stockton, Calif., riding one of its longest winning streaks in the Div. I era (1991-pres.). The Hornets will take on host Pacific in the first round of the tournament on Friday, Nov. 25, at 7 p.m. inside the Spanos Center. Depending on the outcome of that match, the Hornets will then take on either Saint Mary’s or 20th-ranked Ohio on Saturday, Nov. 26. Friday’s match can be heard live via website broadcast, and Saturday’s match will be televised by Comcast SJTV in the Stockton area.

Winners of 15-straight matches and currently receiving votes in the CSTV/AVCA top 25 poll, Sacramento State is in the midst of its longest winning streak since the 1998 squad won 15 in a row. The Hornets are one victory shy of tying their longest winning streak during the Div. I era (16 straight victories in 1995). The winning streak comes during a season in which the team lost five in a row (the longest losing streak since 1991), and began the year 1-5. After the slow start, head coach Debby Colberg made the switch at setter from freshman Rose Burke to senior Natalie Melcher. The Hornets were 1-5 when Melcher was shifted from the team’s right-side hitter to setter. Since that time, Sacramento State is 24-2 with 16 of those victories coming via a three-game sweep.

Last week, the Hornets defeated Montana State in the semifinals (3-0) and Eastern Washington (3-1) in the championship match to win their fourth-consecutive Big Sky Tournament championship and seventh since joining the Big Sky in 1996. The Hornets defeated rival Eastern Washington in the championship match for the fourth-straight year and the sixth time in the last eight years. In fact, the Hornets, who also won the league’s regular-season championship with a 13-1 record, have won either the Big Sky’s regular season and/or tournament championship nine-consecutive years.

By virtue of its Big Sky Tournament championship, Sacramento State will receive an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament (first round taking place Dec. 1-2), marking its eighth appearance at the postseason event in the last nine years. One day after the conclusion of the Bankers Classic, the Hornets will find out who, when and where they will be playing on Sunday, Nov. 27, at 11:30 a.m. PST when ESPNEWS will air the NCAA selection show. Sacramento State has not had to travel far for the NCAA Tournament during each of the team’s last four appearances (Berkeley, Calif., in 2004; Stanford, Calif., in both 2002 and 2003; San Jose, Calif., in 2000).

What makes the Hornets’ current winning streak that much more impressive is the team has swept 12 of the 15 opponents, and have not been taken to five games. Sacramento State has limited its opposition to sub-.200 hitting percentages in 20-straight matches and the Hornets have not lost a contest since the month of September. Four of the Hornets’ seven losses this season have come against teams currently ranked in the top 25 (San Diego, Long Beach State, Santa Clara and Louisville). After losing to Santa Clara inside the Hornets Nest on Aug. 30, Sacramento State has won 14-straight matches at home.

A Look at the Bankers Classic Field

Pacific will enter Friday’s match against Sacramento State with a 16-12 record after splitting two road contests against Long Beach State (L, 3-0) and UC Irvine (W, 3-2) last week. The Tigers are in danger of not reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 25 years. Pacific is one of just four teams to reach the NCAA Tournament each of the last 24 years, including national championships in 1985 and 1986. The Hornets defeated Pacific last year in Sacramento, 3-0, but the Tigers own the series between the two teams, 25-3. In fact, Pacific has never lost to the Hornets in Stockton (13-0) in a series that dates back to the 1976 season.

Saint Mary’s, which defeated Sacramento State in the first round of last year’s NCAA Tournament (3-1), enters the week with an 18-8 record. That includes a 3-1 victory on the road over 12th-ranked Santa Clara last week. The Gaels, who are receiving votes in the CSTV/AVCA top 25 poll, reached last year’s NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, and have posted a perfect 6-0 record at neutral sites this season. The Hornets are 26-6 all-time against Saint Mary’s, but the Gaels have won each of the last two meetings between the two teams.

Ohio will enter the Bankers Classic having won 21-straight matches and the team’s third-consecutive Mid-American Conference championship over the weekend. The Bobcats are currently 29-2, ranked 20th in the nation, and have not lost since a 3-0 defeat at Purdue on Sept. 16. Ohio’s only other loss came at Louisville (3-0), a team that also dealt Sacramento State one of its seven losses earlier this year. The Hornets have faced the Bobcats just once, a 3-2 Ohio victory in 2003 at the Lobo Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M.

season.

For a PDF of the entire version of this week''s volleyball notes, please click on the link above the story.