With the victory, Sacramento State won its 13th match in a row (the team’s longest winning streak since the 1998 squad won 15 in a row) and improved to 23-7 overall and 13-1 in the Big Sky. Northern Arizona, which fell out of contention for a berth in the Big Sky Tournament with today’s loss, dropped to 4-19 overall and 3-11 in the conference. The Hornets, who were crowned Big Sky regular-season champions last week, will host the conference tournament on Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 17-19. Sacramento State will get the No. 1 seed in the tournament and receive a first round bye.

The Hornets’ first match will take place on Friday, Nov. 18, in the semifinal round against the tournament’s lowest remaining seed at 7:30 p.m. The quarterfinal rounds will take place on Thursday at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The semifinal rounds will take place Friday at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and the championship match will take place on Saturday, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m. The winner of the Saturday’s match receives an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, a place the Hornets have been seven times in the last eight years.

Sacramento State, Portland State, Eastern Washington, Montana State and Weber State have each clinched spots into the tournament, and the winner of tonight’s Montana-Idaho State match will receive the sixth and final spot into the tournament. The Hornets have won each of the last three Big Sky Tournament championships (each in Cheney, Wash.) and have won either the Big Sky’s regular season and/or tournament championship nine-consecutive years.

The Hornets’ 13-1 conference record marks the team’s best finish to the Big Sky season since the 1998 squad posted a 15-1 record (the Big Sky had nine teams in the conference in 1998 compared to eight teams now). During the Hornets’ current winning streak, the team has swept 11 of the 13 opponents and hasn’t been challenged since the team lost, 3-2, at Portland State on Sept. 30. In addition to the Hornets’ current 13-match winning streak, the team has won 17 of its last 18, and 22 of its last 24 matches. The Hornets have now won 12 in a row at home and are currently 12-1 in the friendly confines (with the only loss coming to 10th-ranked Santa Clara on Aug. 30).

Klemenhagen’s nine kills came without an error in 17 attacks as the junior also recorded a season-high four blocks. Sacramento State held Northern Arizona to a .096 hitting percentage and had 10 more kills (46-36) than the Lumberjacks.

The Hornets also received a match-high 23 digs from junior Kristin Lutes, seven kills and 11 digs from sophomore Jennifer Ferguson, six kills, three aces and a match-high six blocks from sophomore Michelle Franz, 10 digs from senior Mallory Hook, and three kills, 38 assists and eight digs from senior setter Natalie Melcher. As a team, Sacramento State hit .229 while also tallying eight service aces, 69 digs and 8.0 team blocks over three games.

Hornet sophomore middle hitter Lindsay Haupt, who has hit better than .300 in 12-straight matches, missed today''s match with back spasms.

Northern Arizona was led by Kailee Savage and Kim Babcock, who each posted seven kills. Marie Pastores had a team-high 21 digs. The Lumberjacks’ largest lead of the night was two points (22-20) during the third game.

Prior to today’s match, Sacramento State seniors Arts, Hook and Melcher were honored for their contributions to the program. Each of the three are currently in their fourth season with the Hornets (Melcher transferred from Cal Poly after her freshman season and redshirted in 2003).