VOLLEYBALL HOSTS UC DAVIS TONIGHT, TRAVELS TO ILLINOIS THIS WEEKEND
9/15/2009
Preview Of The Week Ahead
Fresh off a second-place showing at last weekend’s Hornet Invitational, the Sacramento State volleyball squad (4-5) returns this week for four matches, including a rivalry match with UC Davis on Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 7 p.m. The team will then play in the DePaul Invitational later in the week where the Hornets will take on Western Kentucky on Friday at 3 p.m. PDT, and both Eastern Michigan (8 a.m. PDT) and host DePaul (5:30 p.m. PDT) on Saturday.
On Tuesday, the Hornets and UC Davis (7-3) will play each other for the 66th time in a rivalry that has been one sided in favor of Sacramento State. In fact, the Hornets are 48-17 all-time against the Aggies. Sacramento State had won 12 straight matchups in the series dating back to 1993 until the Aggies won in Davis last season by the score of 3-1. The match will count as 10 points towards the Causeway Cup, the annual all-sports challenge between the two schools. Currently, UC Davis leads this year’s standings, 12.5 - 2.5. The Hornets have won three Cup titles (2005-06, 2006-07, 2008-09) while UC Davis has won two (2004-05, 2007-08) since the programs began competing for the prize in 2004.
The DePaul Invitational marks the fourth time in as many weeks the Hornets will compete in tournament play. Western Kentucky enters the week with a 7-3 record, followed by DePaul (5-5), the Hornets (4-5) and Eastern Michigan (1-10). Sacramento State has never faced DePaul, and will be playing both Western Kentucky and Eastern Michigan for the second time ever. The Hornets swept both Eastern Michigan and Western Kentucky during the 2006 season. Current Sacramento State senior Melissa Melcher helped the Hornets win both those matches.
Last Week
Sacramento State posted a 2-1 record and finished second out of four teams at last week’s Hornet Invitational. The Hornets lost to San Francisco on Friday night before rebounding to beat Fresno State and Alabama on Saturday. Junior middle hitter Maddison Thivierge and sophomore middle hitter Kelsey Elston represented Sacramento State on the all-tournament team. San Francisco was crowned tournament champions by virtue of its perfect 3-0 record.
Free Video Stream, Stats and Audio
Like every home match this season,free video stream and live stats will be offered for Tuesday’s match against UC Davis. In addition, live audio of the matchup will be offered live with Brian Berger calling all the action. At the DePaul Invitational, live stats will be offered for all three of the Hornets’ matches via www.depaulbluedemons.com.
Going To Five
Six of Sacramento State’s nine matches thus far have resulted in five-set marathons. The Hornets have posted a 2-4 record in those contests, including a 15-12 victory in the fifth set of last Saturday’s win over Fresno State. Prior to the victory over the Bulldogs, the Hornets had dropped four straight five-set decisions, which included 18-16 fifth-set losses to both Cal State Bakersfield and Santa Clara. Sacramento State combined for seven match point opportunities during those two matches, but could not convert any of those chances.
Setting The Middle
Two big reasons the Hornets were able to snap a five-match losing streak and knock off both Fresno State and Alabama on Saturday were middle hitters Maddison Thivierge and Kelsey Elston. In fact, both players represented Sacramento State on the all-tournament team. The two combined for 50 kills, 18 blocks and a .324 hitting percentage during Saturday’s victories, which included just 14 errors in 111 total attacks. Thivierge was nearly unstoppable against Alabama, finishing with a career-high 18 kills, a .444 hitting percentage and five blocks. The 18 kills were six more than any other player on the floor. Elston’s nine blocks against Fresno State were a season best while Thivierge had 13 kills and hit .550 in that match. Among conference leaders, Thivierge is now fifth in hitting percentage (.312) and Elston is third in blocks per set (0.97).
Carrying The Load
It could be argued that the Hornets’ outside hitter combination of senior Desiree Hoyum and freshman Janelle Currey have been the best duo in the Big Sky Conference. Especially when you consider both players sit atop the Big Sky with seven double-doubles, both rank among the top five in the conference in kills and points, and both rank among the top seven players in digs. Hoyum’s averages of 3.65 kills and 3.65 digs per set rank her second and sixth, respectively, and Currey’s averages of 3.30 kills and 3.33 digs per set rank her fifth and seventh, respectively. In addition, Hoyum’s average of 4.11 points per set is second in the league, and Currey’s average of 3.78 points per set ranks her fifth. The two have combined for 278 of the Hornets’ 496 kills, or 56.0 percent of the team’s offensive output. Hoyum’s 26 kills against Cal State Bakersfield is the best mark by any Big Sky player this season, and Currey’s 25 kills vs. Santa Clara is the third highest output. In addition, both players share the team lead with 11 aces.
Defense Wins Championships
One reason for the Hornets’ success over the years has been the team’s ability to play defense. Not only did Sacramento State consistently rank as the best team in the Big Sky Conference in digs per set, the team was usually ranked among the nation’s leaders as well. The Hornets’ defense took a step back in 2008 which contributed to the team’s first sub-.500 record in 17 years. However, Sacramento State has appeared to right the ship and, once again, is the Big Sky’s top defensive squad. The team’s average of 16.65 digs per set easily leads the conference, and is the 25th best mark in the nation. Sacramento State has four players averaging at least 2.50 digs per set comprised of Breanne Menees (4.46), Desiree Hoyum (3.65), Janelle Currey (3.33) and Sydney Kordic (2.50). Menees’ average ranks as the second best mark in the Big Sky.
Preview Of The Week Ahead
