A Look at This Week

After beating Montana and falling to Montana State on the road last

week, the Sacramento State volleyball team takes a 13-9 overall record and

a 6-2 mark in the Big Sky Conference into this week''s homestand against

Montana State and Weber State. The contest against MSU this Thursday, Oct.

19, at 7 p.m., is of utmost importance because both teams share first place

in the Big Sky with 6-2 conference records. Montana State defeated

Sacramento State last week in Bozeman, Mont., 3-2, so if the season were to

end right now, the Bobcats would own the tiebreaker and the right to host

the conference championships Nov. 16-18.

Montana State (16-3 overall) is currently riding a four-match

winning streak which includes a five-game victory over Montana last week.

The Bobcats, however, have lost their last two matches on the road (Cal

State Northridge and Northern Arizona on Sept. 28 and 30, respectively) and

are 3-2 away from their home floor this season. Sacramento State had beaten

Montana State six-consecutive times over the last three seasons until last

week''s loss.

The Hornets also host Weber State this week on Saturday, Oct. 21,

at 7 p.m. Saturday''s match marks "Pack the Place Night" with pregame

ceremonies honoring head coach Debby Colberg''s 25th season with the

program. The Wildcats, who defeated the Hornets earlier this season in

Ogden, Utah, 3-0, enter the week with an 8-10 overall record and a 5-5 mark

in the Big Sky. Weber State hosts Wyoming on Monday, Oct. 16, and Montana

on Thursday, Oct. 19, before making the trip to Sacramento on Saturday.

Prior to the Hornets'' loss to the Wildcats earlier this season, the team

had beaten Weber State on eight-consecutive occasions over the last four

years.

Although the Hornets had their three-match winning streak snapped

by Montana State last week, the team has still won six of its last eight

outings. In addition, Sacramento State is 4-0 this season at home against

conference opponents. Spanning matches last year, the Hornets have now won

eight-straight regular season contests against Big Sky foes in Hornet Gym.

A Look at the Coaches

For the 25th-straight season, Debby Colberg controls the Hornet

sidelines. During her tenure, Colberg has posted a 642-225 record (.740

winning percentage) and has led the team to 10 league titles and 19

postseason berths. Her 642 wins is tied for ninth all-time with UC Santa

Barbara''s Kathy Gregory among coaches with at least five years of Div. I

experience. She has also captured league coach of the year honors five

times and Region Coach of the Year honors 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. After two third-place

finishes in the Div. II playoffs, Colberg guided the Hornets to the

championships game in 1989. That season she was named AVCA National Div. II

Coach of the Year.

In addition to leading the Hornets to three-consecutive NCAA

Tournament appearances over the last three years, she has also had the

added responsibility of serving as the school''s athletic director.

Montana State is coached by Dave Gantt who has a 115-74 record in

seven years as head coach of the Bobcats. In 11 years as a head coach at

the collegiate level, Gantt has posted a 172-138 record.

Weber State is led by Al Givens who owns a 90-131 record in eight

years as head coach of the Wildcats. Givens has an overall 242-268 mark in

16 years as an intercollegiate head coach.

A Look at Last Week

The Hornets went 1-1 last week including a victory over Montana on

Thursday, 3-1 (15-11, 14-16, 15-6, 15-8) and a five-game loss to Montana

State on Friday (12-15, 15-5, 13-15, 15-9, 15-11).

Thursday, Sarah Chlebana recorded a career-high 30 kills to pace

Sacramento State to the 3-1 victory over Montana. Three other Hornets

recorded double-figures in kills including Jayme Wright (17), Tasman Dwyer

(13) and Esther Rogers (11). Freshman setter Lisa Beauchene posted a

season-high 76 assists while the Hornets limited the Grizzlies to a .171

hitting percentage.

In Friday''s loss at Montana State, Sacramento State hit just .117,

the team''s lowest mark since hitting .094 at Nevada on Sept. 23. The

Hornets eclipsed the .200 mark in just one game (game three, .259) and

accumulated just 50 assists in five games. The Bobcats hit just .198, but

outdug the Hornets, 83-66, and recorded nine service aces in the process.

Chlebana and Dwyer both paced Sacramento State with 15 kills.

A Look at the Hornets

GAME ONE VICTOR STREAK SNAPPED

Friday''s five-game loss at Montana State marked the first time this

season the Hornets have lost a match after winning the first game. Prior to

the loss, the team had won 10-straight matches after winning the first

game.

Even with Friday''s loss, the Hornets still own a commanding edge

over its opponent after winning the first game. Of the team''s 10 victories

after taking game one, nine have resulted in 3-0 sweeps and one ended 3-1

(last week''s victory over Montana).

CHLEBANA MAKES IMPRESSIVE RUN IN MONTANA

In two matches last week, senior outside hitter Sarah Chlebana

posted averages of 5.00 kills and 2.67 digs per game. She recorded

double-doubles in both matches and led or was tied for the team lead in

kills in both.

In the Hornets'' win at Montana on Thursday, Chlebana recorded a

career-high 30 kills to go along with 12 digs. Her previous career high in

kills was 25, set earlier this season against Santa Clara. She followed up

that effort a day later with 15 kills, 12 digs and two blocks at Montana

State.

Chlebana has now posted double-doubles (kills and digs) in six of

her last seven matches while recording double-figures in digs in all but

four matches this season.

DWYER CONTINUES TO SIZZLE

With 13 and 15 kills, respectively, in last week''s matches, junior

middle hitter Tasman Dwyer has now recorded double-figures in kills in

eight-consecutive matches and 15 of the last 16. Of 22 contests this

season, she has recorded a hitting percentage above .300 in 12 of those and

is currently hitting .300 this season. With 10 total blocks against Montana

State, she now has at least 10 blocks in three matches this season.

The Hornets are 7-1 when Dwyer hits above .400 in a match and 11-5

when she posts double-figures in kills. Among team leaders, Dwyer is first

in kills (279), kills per game (3.77), hitting percentage, blocks (109) and

blocks per game (1.47). This season, she has established single-match

career highs in kills (24 vs. two teams), attempts (53) and solo blocks

(four).

In Big Sky games this season, Dwyer ranks second in the conference

in both hitting percentage (.358) and blocks (1.55 per game).

CONFERENCE DOMINANCE