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Sept. 24, 2002
AZTECS HOST LOYOLA MARYMOUNT, OPEN CONFERENCE PLAY
Following a mid-week home match against Loyola Marymount on Wednesday, Sept. 25, the Aztecs open their 2002 Mountain West Conference season at home this weekend
SDSU will begin league play with a match against Brigham Young on Friday, Sept. 27, at 7:00 p.m. in Peterson Gym.
On Sunday (Sept. 29), the Aztecs will host nationally-ranked MWC member Utah at 1:00 p.m.
SERIES RECORDS
SDSU leads its series with Loyola Marymount, 12-8. However, the Lions have won each of the last six meetings since 1996. The Aztecs' last victory over LMU came during the 1995 season in Los Angeles. Including that match, SDSU had won three in a row in the series until the Lions began their current six-game streak. San Diego State is 7-2 against Loyola Marymount in Peterson Gym.
The Aztecs hold a 14-9 advantage over Utah in the series between the two teams. The Utes have won seven of the last nine meetings. However, the Aztecs have defeated Utah in the last two matches in San Diego, both times when the Utes were ranked among the nation's top 25. SDSU hold an 8-2 advantage in matches played in Peterson Gym over the years.
Brigham Young leads the series with San Diego State, 25-13. The Cougars have dominated since 1990, winning 22 of the 25 matches between the teams, including the last nine. The Aztecs' last victory over the Cougars came in 1996 in San Diego. SDSU has a record of 7-10 against BYU in Peterson Gym.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Loyola Marymount visits Peterson Gym with a record of 8-3. The Lions are led by outside hitter Kristen Gallup, who is averaging 4.70 kills and 3.17 digs per game. She was named the West Coast Confercne Player of the Week after LMU's wins over Cal State Fullerton and Idaho State last weekend. In those matches she averaged 5.5 kills and 3.67 digs while posting a .431 hitting percentage. Junior Tiana Newsome is the team's leading blocker at 1.30 bpg.
Brigham Young's record stands at 5-8, and the Cougars will be trying to end a three-match losing streak. The team leader is junior setter Karina Puikkonen, a two-time all-MWC selection, who is averaging 10.53 assists and 1.24 blocks per game while hitting .366. The team kill leaders are two-time junior college All-American transfer Allison Larsen (2.64 kpg) and junior Laura Nielsen (2.58 kpg). The Cougars' team blocking average of 3.42 bpg ranks among the top 10 in the nation.
Utah, ranked 16th in the nation in this week's AVCA poll, is 10-3 this fall and plays at UNLV Friday evening prior to visiting Peterson Gym. The Utes' top players include honorable mention All-American Kim Turner and two time all-MWC honoree Sylva Strzinkova. Turner, a middle blocker, averages 3.59 kpg. 1.98 dpg and 1.67 bpg. Strzinkova, an outside hitter from the Czech Republic, is averaging 3.96 kpg and 2.49 dpg.
LAST WEEK
The Aztecs dropped a four-game match to University of San Diego (30-24, 21-30, 25-30, 26-30) last Wednesday in Peterson Gym. SDSU played without starting hitter Zlatina Anguelova who was recovering from a twisted knee suffered at the Missouri tournament the previous weekend. Nicole Akporiaye and Rochelle Currier led SDSU with 10 kills apiece
San Diego State traveled to North Carolina last weekend and won the title at the Black and Gold Challenge at Wake Forest. In the process, the Aztecs defeated Winthrop (25-30, 30-13, 30-27, 30-16) this past Friday. On Saturday they recorded wins over Alabama-Birmingham (30-20, 30-23, 30-18) and Wake Forest (30-28, 30-24, 23-30, 30-25).
Junior blocker Aspen McPartland was named the tournament MVP while setter Melissa Wright also garnered all-tourney honors.
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 126-102 (.553).
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.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Aspen McPartland was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Week for her performance at the Black and Gold Challenge at Wake Forest last weekend.
The junior from nearby La Mesa had double-doubles in two of SDSU's three matches, bringing her career double-double total to 17. She had a career-high 19 kills in the final against Wake Forest and hit .562 in that match.
For the weekend, McPartland totaled 41 kills (3.73 kpg), 40 digs (3.64 dpg) and 15 blocks (1.36 bpg) while hitting .465.
THE WRIGHT STUFF
Setter Melissa Wright has moved up to third on the SDSU career assist list with 3,017 since arriving from the Washington State as a sophomore for the 2000 season.
She is 174 assists shy of moving into the number-two spot currently occupied by Pam Hope (3,170 kills from 1990 to 1992)).
Wright ranks fourth in the Mountain West Conference in assists this week with an average of 10.94 per game.
She is also averaging 1.23 kills per game from her setter position and is hitting .431 with only 12 attack errors in 53 games.
She has been named to a pair of all-tournament teams this season: the Ramada Inn Invitational at SDSU and the Black and Gold Challenge at Wake Forest
AKPORIAYE GETS OFFENSIVE
With her move to a middle blocker role this season, senior Nicole Akporiaye has emerged as a true threat at the net as a blocker.
Her average of 1.26 blocks per game leads the Aztecs and ranks sixth in the Mountain West Conference.
She leads the team (among the hitters and blockers) in hitting percentage at .339 and is having her best offensive season as an Aztec thus far in 2002.
At last weekend's Black and Gold Challenge, she hit .467 with 22 kills and 13 blocks over the Aztecs' three matches (11 games)
ANGUELOVA RETURNS
After missing the San Diego match last Wednesday with a twisted knee, Zlatina Anguelova returned this past weekend, playing in every game in each of SDSU's matches at the Back and Gold Challenge.
She marked her return with a double-double (10 kills/12 digs) in the match vs. Winthrop on Friday. Over SDSU's three matches at the tourney, she averaged 2.45 kpg and 3.00 dpg.
On the season, the junior from Sofia, Bulgaria, is averaging 2.93 kills and 2.93 digs per game.
CANSDALE HAS BIG WEEKEND
After not starting is SDSU's tourney opener vs. Winthrop, junior hitter Melissa Cansdale came of the bench in game two and went on to record a career-best 16 kills and hit .344 in that match. Her previous high of 15 kills was set during her freshman season (1999) against Northern Arizona.
With that performance, she moved into a starting role in SDSU's next two matches. She finished the tournament with an average of 4.10 kills, 1.60 digs and 0.90 blocks per game.
Over her last six matches, Cansdale is averaging 3.68 kills per game.
Her season average of 3.37 kpg leads the team although she has appeared in only 30 of SDSU's 53 games.
THE DEFENSE NEVER RESTS
San Diego State's defense has been a key factor in its wins this season. This past weekend, the Aztecs held all three opponents to under a .200 hitting percentage. The opposition's hitting percentage average for the weekend was just .142.
SDSU has kept its foes' hitting percentages to under the .200 mark in eight of its nine victories this season. By contrast, San Diego State has been under the .200 mark in only three matches.
The Aztecs are averaging a half a block more per game than opponents this fall. Three players are at or near being over a block per game: Nicole Akporiaye (1.26 bpg), Aspen McPartland (1.09 bpg) and Megan Schauermann (0.96 bpg)
Compared to last season, as a team SDSU is averaging 2.7 more digs and .15 more blocks per game.
AMONG THE MWC LEADERS
San Diego State continues to rank among the top four in the MWC in five categories. Included in that number are digs (2nd - 15.32 dpg), kills (3rd - 15.06 kpg), hitting percentage (2nd - .238), blocks (4th - 2.72 bpg) and assists (4th - 13.06 apg).
Individually, Nicole Akporiaye's .339 attack percentage ranks fourth this week. She also ranks sixth in blocking with a average of 1.26 per game.
Aspen McPartland's .303 attack percentage is 11th-best in the MWC this week and her 3.00 dpg average is fourth.
Others in the league top 10s are Robyn Gregg (7th in service aces at 0.37 sapg), Melissa Wright (fourth in assists at 10.72 apg), Zlatina Anguelova (8th in digs at 2.90 dpg) and Rochelle Currier (10th in digs at 2.78 dpg)
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 past two seasons of play in the MWC.
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.................9
TEAM NOTES
SDSU's three-match win streak entering the week is its longest of the season.
San Diego State's tournament title at weekend's Black and Gold Challenge was its first since it won its own Inn Suite Invitational to start the 2001 season. The last time the Aztecs won a tournament championship away from home was at the Cornell Invitational in September 2000.
Over their last three matches, the Aztecs are hitting .242 compared to .142 for opponents. They are also averaging 2.5 more kills and 2.00 digs per game than the opposition.
The Aztecs have enjoyed a good deal of success on their home floor, Peterson Gym. Since 1990, the Aztecs have compiled a 110-50 (.688) overall home record and a 57-25 (.695) conference record in the facility.
PLAYER NOTES
Robyn Gregg recorded six service aces over SDSU's three matches last weekend (2.00 per match) after total 14 through SDSU's first 12 outings (1.16 per match).
Melissa Cansdale has reached double figures in kills in each of the past three matches. It is the longest streak of its kind by an Aztec this season.
Zlatina Anguelova is tied for the Mountain West Conference lead in double-doubles this fall with six. Teammate Aspen McPartland is right behind her with five while Rochelle Currier has four.
Megan Schauermann and Nicole Akporiaye are the only two Aztecs to have recorded at least one block in every match this season.
Akporiaye has made only one attack error in SDSU's last three matches (45 total attacks).
UP NEXT
San Diego State makes its first conference road swing of the season when it travels to play at Colorado State on Oct. 4 and at Wyoming on Oct. 5.