VOLLEYBALL FALLS TO NEVADA FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER AT HOME

10/30/2007

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Nevada’s Karly Sipherd had a career-high 29 kills, including six in the fifth and final game, to lead the Wolf Pack to a 3-2 (30-27, 30-32, 21-30, 30-25, 16-14) victory over Sacramento State in a non-conference volleyball match Tuesday evening at the Hornets Nest.

With the victory, Nevada defeated the Hornets in Sacramento for the first time ever, snapping an 18-match losing streak that dated back to 1978. Sacramento State lost for just the second time at home this season, marking the first time the team has lost more than once at home since the 2003 team also dropped two contests inside the friendly confines. In fact, the loss was just the 64th at home for the Hornets since head coach Debby Colberg took over the head coaching duties in 1976.

Sacramento State has now lost two of its last three matches and fell to 22-5 overall this season. All five of the team’s losses this year have now come in five games. The Hornets jump back into Big Sky Conference play later this week as they continue their season-long five-match homestand with contests against Weber State (Friday, Nov. 2, 7 p.m.) and Idaho State (Saturday, Nov. 3, 7 p.m.).

Nevada won its fourth straight and ninth time in its last 11 matches while improving to 13-8.

With the Hornets leading, 10-9, in the fifth game, Sipherd took over, accounting for each of Nevada’s next five points with kills to give the Wolf Pack a 14-12 lead. Sacramento State bounced back to tie the score at 14-14, but a Teal Ericson kill and a combo block from Lindsay Baldwin and Allison Hernandez ended the match in Nevada’s favor.

What made Sipherd’s performance even more impressive is the fact she had 29 kills with just four errors in 51 attacks, good for a match-best .490 hitting percentage. She also tacked on nine blocks, including one in the fifth game. Only one other Nevada player had more than seven kills, as Sipherd and Ericson (18) combined for 47 of the team’s 75 kills.

Sacramento State, which overcame three game points to win the second game 32-30, hit .158 with just 7.0 team blocks despite the match lasting five games and two hours, 33 minutes. The Hornets had 101 digs (fourth best mark of the season), but could not stop Nevada in the fifth game as the Wolf Pack hit .300 with nine kills and only three errors in 20 attacks.

Conversely, Nevada had 22.0 team blocks, including a match-best 13 from Baldwin, none bigger than the combo block she posted with Hernandez on match point. The Wolf Pack also hit .213 (75-27-225).

Sacramento State was led by Missie Stidham’s match-high 30 kills (including four in the fifth game). She also tallied three aces, 16 digs and three blocks. She was joined in double figures by seniors Lindsay Haupt (16 kills, team-high four blocks) and Jennifer Ferguson (12 kills, 22 digs).

Hornet freshman libero Chelsea Goodsell led all players with 26 digs, and junior setter Rose Burke finished with 60 assists, a career-high 20 digs and a career-high tying five kills. In her fourth start of the season, freshman Maddison Thivierge posted five kills and a .333 hitting percentage, and senior Michelle Franz added six kills and two blocks.

Sacramento State has just six matches remaining on the regular season schedule, each being Big Sky Conference contests. The team will host the conference tournament on Nov. 23-24, with the winner receiving an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.