STIDHAM AND FERGUSON COMBINE FOR 29 KILLS IN THREE-GAME PUMMELING OF IDAHO STATE

11/3/2007

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Seniors outside hitters Missie Stidham (15) and Jennifer Ferguson (14) combined for 29 kills and a .490 hitting percentage to lead Sacramento State to a three-game sweep (30-18, 30-13, 30-13) of Idaho State in a Big Sky Conference volleyball match Saturday evening at the Hornets Nest.

In a match which lasted just one hour and 16 minutes, the Hornets hit .339 while limiting the Bengals to a -.021 hitting percentage (the second lowest output by a Sacramento State opponent this season). The Hornets’ largest deficit of the entire match was two points when they trailed 11-9 in the first game.

With the victory, Sacramento State jumped back on the winning track after losing two in a row and three of its last four. The Hornets improved to 23-6 overall and 10-2 in the Big Sky. Sacramento State remains in second place in the league standings, one game behind Portland State (12-2), which knocked off Northern Arizona tonight.

Stidham led all players with 15 kills and a .520 hitting percentage (15-2-25) while Ferguson had 14 kills, 12 digs and a .462 hitting percentage (14-2-26). Sacramento State had just 12 errors in 112 attacks, and nine of Idaho State’s three-game total of 44 points came on Hornet service errors. No Idaho State player had more than six kills, and the team’s 21 errors were two more than their total number of kills (19).

Sacramento State senior Lindsay Haupt added seven kills, eight digs, five blocks and a .429 hitting percentage (7-1-14). All 14 active players on the Hornets’ roster appeared in tonight’s match, including freshman Chara DeLoney and senior Alexandra Vidal, who both finished with four digs. Freshman libero Chelsea Goodsell added 12 digs and sophomore Melissa Melcher had nine assists, two aces and two digs.

Sacramento State concludes its season-long five match homestand next week against Montana State (Friday, Nov. 9, 7 p.m.) and Montana (Saturday, Nov. 10, 7 p.m.). All five Hornet seniors (Stidham, Ferguson, Haupt, Vidal and Michelle Franz) and head coach Debby Colberg will be honored prior to Saturday’s match against Montana. That contest serves as the team’s final regular-season home match of the season.