OGDEN, Utah - One day after clinching its ninth-consecutive Big Sky Conference championship, the Sacramento State volleyball team continued its winning ways with a 3-0 sweep (30-23, 30-20, 30-23) of Weber State Saturday evening at the Dee Events Center.Hornet sophomore Lindsay Haupt posted match highs in kills (14) and blocks (eight) while also tallying a .303 hitting percentage. Senior setter Natalie Melcher posted four kills, a .571 hitting percentage, 46 assists, two aces, six digs and four blocks. Sacramento State limited Weber State to a .049 hitting percentage, while also recording 21 more kills (52-31) than the Wildcats.
With the victory, Sacramento State (22-7, 12-1) improved its winning streak to 12 (the longest winning streak since the 1998 season) as the team has not lost since the month of September. In addition, the Hornets have won 16 of their last 17, and 21 of their last 23 matches. The Hornets, who have swept 10 of their 12 opponents during the winning streak, have won 10-straight Big Sky contests, the team’s longest streak against conference competition since the 1998 squad won 12 straight.
Sacramento State has just one regular season conference match remaining on the schedule (home against Northern Arizona on Saturday, Nov. 12) as it gears up for the Big Sky Tournament (Nov. 17-19). By virtue of winning the conference’s regular season title, the Hornets will host the tournament and receive a first-round bye. The winner of the Big Sky Tournament receives an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, a place the Hornets have been seven times in the last eight years.
Weber State, which dropped to 10-16 overall and 5-7 in the Big Sky, had no players record more than eight kills and no player (with more than two kills) hit better than .190.
Sacramento State junior Kristin Lutes had a match-high 27 digs despite the match lasting just three games. The libero from Kent, Wash., is now averaging a Big Sky-best 5.47 digs per game. Junior Atlee Hubbard posted her team-high 18th double-double of the season with 10 kills and 20 digs. Senior Shannon Arts finished with 11 kills, a .333 hitting percentage and five blocks. As a team, the Hornets posted 12.0 team blocks, including four from Michelle Franz.
Weber State was led by Chelsea Bair’s eight kills and six digs, and Leah Burmeister had a team-high 15 digs.
Against Northern Arizona next Saturday, the Hornets will look to win their 47th-consecutive Big Sky regular season home match, a streak which dates back to the 1999 season.
