VOLLEYBALL SWEEPS NEVADA IN FINAL TUNEUP FOR THE CONFERENCE SEASON

9/22/2009

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Sacramento State outside hitters Janelle Currey (15) and Desiree Hoyum (13) combined for 28 of the team’s 44 kills to lead the Hornets to a three-set sweep (25-15, 25-13, 25-15) of Nevada in a non-conference volleyball match Tuesday evening at Colberg Court.

With the victory, Sacramento State won its third straight and sixth of the last seven while improving to 8-6 overall. Tonight’s match served as a tuneup for the Hornets’ Big Sky Conference season, which begins Thursday and Friday with home matches against Northern Arizona and Northern Colorado, respectively. Sacramento State also won its fourth straight home contest after beginning the season with an 0-4 record inside the friendly confines.

Nevada dropped to 4-9 with the loss. The Hornets are now 32-10 all-time against the Wolf Pack, including a 19-1 mark in Sacramento.

The Hornets had little trouble with the Wolf Pack all evening, winning each set by at least 10 points. Sacramento State served tough (season-high 12 aces), played good defense (64 digs) and ran a crisp offense to the tune of 44 kills and a .283 hitting percentage. Conversely, Nevada hit just .096 (26-15-114) while tallying just 22 assists and zero aces.

“I was very pleased we were able to sustain a high level of volleyball all three sets,” Sacramento State head coach Ruben Volta said. “We served tough and kept Nevada off balance all evening. I was also happy with our setters and outside hitter as we were able to set quick, up-tempo balls to the outside that Nevada had trouble defending.”

In a match that lasted just one hour and 16 minutes, and Nevada’s largest lead of the night was 6-2 early in the third set, Sacramento State had 18 more kills and 15 more digs than the Wolf Pack. The Hornets’ 12 aces were two more than any other match this season, and included six aces in the first set, four more in the second, and two in the third.

Hoyum had a monster night as her 13 kills accompanied 21 digs and a career-best .462 hitting percentage. She had 13 kills with just one error in 26 attacks, and the double-double was her ninth of the season. Currey was also impressive, finishing with 15 kills, a .306 hitting percentage, eight digs and a season-high tying four aces.

Six different Hornets had aces, including Melissa Melcher (3), Kelsey Elston (2), Hoyum (1), Sydney Kordic (1) and Breanne Menees (1). Maddison Thivierge added six kills, a .308 hitting percentage and two blocks, and Breanne Menees (19) combined with Hoyum to accumulate 40 of the team’s 64 digs.

Nevada had just one player with more than five kills, and that was Kylie Harrington who finished with seven kills and 10 digs.

Sacramento State plays twice more at home this week against both Northern Arizona (Thursday, Sept. 24, 7 p.m.) and Northern Colorado (Friday, Sept. 25, 7 p.m.). After Friday’s match, the Hornets do not return home again until Oct. 16. By the time Friday night’s match concludes, Sacramento State will have played 10 times at home during the month of September, the most in school history.