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AZTECS VISIT HAWAI'I
San Diego State travels to the islands this week to compete in the Aston Imua Wahine Challenge at the University of Hawai'i. SDSU opens play against Washington on Thursday (Sept. 5) at 5:00 p.m. (HST)
The Aztecs continue tourney action on Thursday (7:00 p.m. HST) with a match against the host Hawai'i squad that enters the week ranked fourth in the nation.
SDSU will play its final match of the weekend on Saturday when it faces San Francisco at 5:00 p.m. (HST).
SERIES RECORDS
The Aztecs have won five of the previous six meeting with Washington although the teams have not played each other since 1989. SDSU won the first of five straight vs. the Huskies at the AIAW Tournament in Columbus Ohio in 1979. Washington ended the Aztec win streak, defeating the Aztecs in five games in San Diego in 1989.
Hawai'i has dominated the series with San Diego State, winning 34 of the 37 matches between the two teams. The teams first squared off in 1977. SDSU's lone wins over Hawai'i came in 1980 (twice) and 1985, all in San Diego. The 'Bows have claimed victories in each of the last 16 meetings.
SDSU has won all three previous meetings with San Francisco although the Aztecs and Dons have not played each other since 1992. They met that season as well as in 1992 in San Diego and in 1991 at USF.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Washington enters the week with a perfect 3-0 record after going undefeated at the Miami Best Western Classic in Ohio. The Huskies did not lose a game in matches vs. Delaware, Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne, and Miami (Ohio). They were led by senior outside hitter Paige Benjamin, who was named the tournaments outstanding player. Freshman Lauren Kirwan is a graduate of Francis Parker High in nearby Del Mar, Calif. Last season UW finished with a record of 11-16 overall and 4-14 in the Pac-10.
Hawaii, ranked fourth in the country this week, has also posted three wins in its first three matches, all against ranked teams at last weekend's Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Classic in Honolulu. Along the way, the Rainbow Wahine defeated #9 Ohio State, #21 Colorado, and #7 UCLA. UH's top players include junior left side hitters Kim Willoughby (tourney MVP) and Lily Kahumoko (all-tourney) plus right side hitter Lauren Duggins (all-tourney).
The University of San Francisco split four matches at the Cal State Northridge tournament last weekend. The Dons opened with losses to Oregon State and the host school, then notched victories over Kent State and North Carolina A&T. USF's top offensive threat is sophomore outside hitter Brittanie Buddinger, who is averaging 3.71 kills per game, along with sophomore middle blocker Liz MacAusland (2.71 kpg).
LAST WEEK
San Diego went 2-1 in its own Ramada Invitational played last weekend in Peterson Gym.
The Aztecs opened the tournament with 3-0 wins over Tulane and Florida International before falling to 20th-ranked UC Santa Barbara in four games.
Junior middle blocker Aspen McPartland and senior setter Melissa Wright were named to the all-tournament team.
HEAD COACH MARK WARNER
San Diego State head coach Mark Warner is in his eighth season at the helm of the Aztec women's program. His career record over the past seven seasons at SDSU stands at 119-97 (.551).
Over the past seven years, Warner has led his teams to a pair of NCAA Tournament berths and a Western Athletic Conference championship. His tutelage has produced nine all-conference players.
MCPARTLAND OFF TO QUICK START
Junior middle blocker Aspen McPartland has gotten out of the gate quickly in 2002. After three matches, she is averaging a team-leading 4.10 kills per game and 1.50 blocks per game.
Her .395 attack percentage is just behind teammate Megan Schauermann (.400).
McPartland also ranks second on the squad in both digs and assists.
THE WRIGHT STUFF
Setter Melissa Wright currently ranks fourth on the SDSU career assist list with 2,455 since arriving from the Washington State as a sophomore for the 2000 season.
She is 318 assists shy of moving into the number-three spot currently occupied by Liane Sato (1985-86).
Wright ranks third in the Mountain West Conference in assists this week with an average of 11.80 per game.
AKPORIAYE HASSOLIDWEEKEND
Middle blocker Nicole Akporiaye hit .353 in three games to open her final Aztec season, averaging 2.4 kills and 1.3 blocks per game during the Ramada Invitational.
The senior from Tucson, Ariz., also had four service aces over the team's first two matches. That doubled her career ace total at SDSU to eight. Prior to this season, Akporiaye had played almost entirely in the front row as an outside hitter. She is being utilized solely as a middle blocker this season and is getting more time on the back line as well.
PERSONAL BESTS
Five different Aztecs either set or tied personal bests during last weekend's Ramada Invitational.
Aspen McPartland's 17 kills against 20th-ranked UC Santa Barbara matched the 17 she had against UC Riverside as a freshman. In addition, her four assists in that same match tied the mark she set at UNLV during the 2000 campaign.
Robyn Gregg had 16 digs vs. UCSB to surpass her old high of 14 set last season at BYU, while senior Rochelle Currier's 18 digs vs. the Gauchos is a new personal best.
Nicole Akporiaye (2 aces each vs. Tulane and Florida International) matched the two she had at Wyoming last year. Melissa Cansdale's two blocks vs. Tulane tied her match-high set against Air Force in 2001.
AMONG THE MWC LEADERS
If early MWC stats are any indication, the Aztecs could be poised for a successful conference season. The team ranks among the top three in the league in hitting percentage (.276), kills (16.30/kpg), blocks (3.00/bpg) and digs (16.80/dpg).
Individually, Schauermann and McPartland rank fourth and sixth respectively in hitting percentage while McPartland is fourth in blocks.
DOUBLE DOUBLES
Three Aztecs recorded double doubles last weekend, led by Aspen McPartland who had 15 kills/15 digs vs. Tulane and 17 kills/11 digs vs. UC Santa Barbara.
In addition, Zlatina Anguelova had 11 kills/10 digs vs. UC Santa Barbara while Rochelle Currier had 13 kills,/18 digs in that same match.
LOCAL CONNECTIONS
Five members of the 2002 Aztec squad hail from the San Diego area.
That quintet includes Aspen McPartland (Grossmont HS), Ashley Bowker (Grossmont HS), Robyn Gregg (West Hills HS), Natalie Sande (Torrey Pines HS) and Sara Engstrom (Rancho Bernardo HS).
McPartland and Gregg are juniors in their third seasons at San Diego State, Bowker is a redshirt freshman, and both Sande and Engstrom are juniors who came to SDSU this fall from other four-year schools.
TWO PLAYERS LOST
Two members of the 2002 Aztecs suffered torn ACLs during preseason training and look to be out for the coming season.
The first is junior Janice Dykema, who endured the same injury just prior to the start of the 2001 season. A transfer from the University of Connecticut last year, she was expected to see action last season before the injury. After a fine spring, she was again expected to be one of SDSU's primary weapons before being injured last week.
Freshman Angela Verdenacci, an outside hitter from Brazil, will also miss the 2002 campaign with a torn ACL suffered in preseason workouts. Verdenacci redshirted at SDSU in 2001.
PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS
For the third year in a row, the Mountain West Conference coaches' poll has predicted the Aztecs to finish fourth in the league. SDSU has finished fourth each of the first two seasons of play in the MWC. The MWC is ranked third among Division I volleyball conferences.
Utah is picked to win the league title this year, followed by Colorado State and Brigham Young. The results of the preseason poll is as follows:
Team (1st-pl. votes) Pts.1. Utah (6)............. .482. Colorado State (1)... .403. Brigham Young (1).... .394. San Diego State........325. UNLV...................286. New Mexico.............187. Wyoming................138. Air Force...............9TEAM NOTES
San Diego State has three setters on its roster with at least two seasons if Division I experience. In addition to returnee Melissa Wright, others at the position include Sara Engstrom (two years at Portland) and Brittney Pearson (two years at Fresno State).
SDSU's 2002 schedule includes five teams ranked in the AVCA preseason Top 25: Hawaii (4), Utah (13), Colorado State (18), UC Santa Barbara (20) and Brigham Young (23). In addition, three Aztec opponents were among other schools receiving votes in the poll (Missouri, University of San Diego and Loyola Marymount).
PLAYER NOTES
Robyn Gregg ranked seventh in NCAA Division I in service aces last season, averaging 0.78 aces per game. She set an MWC record with 40 aces in conference play. Gregg had five aces in last weekend's three matches for an average of 0.50 per game.
Junior Natalie Sande could face her old team this weekend if she plays against San Francisco. Sande played her first two years for the Dons before transferring to San Diego State this fall.
Middle blocker Nicole Akporiaye was honored as an Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar this past summer for her achievements on the court and in the classroom.
Setter Sara Engstrom, a transfer from Portland this fall, is the sister of volunteer assistant John Engstrom, who is a former men's volleyball player at SDSU.
Junior Megan Schauermann was the lone athlete at San Diego State to letter in two sports during the 2001-2002 school year. She was a jumper for the Aztec track team last spring.
Outside hitter Kara Moriarty was the only true freshman to see playing time in 2001. Three other first-year players (Kari Dykema, Ashley Bowker, Angela Verdenacci) redshirted at SDSU last year.
UP NEXT
After hosting UC Irvine next Tuesday (Sept. 10 at 6:30 p.m. in Peterson Gym), San Diego will travel to the midwest to participate in the Tiger Invitational at the University of Missouri.
SDSU will face Arkansas-Little Rock and the host school on Friday (Sept. 20) followed by matches with Eastern Illinois and North Carolina State on Saturday (Sept. 21).