Nov. 19, 2002
TOURNEY TIME
The Aztecs will travel to Fort Collins, Colo., this week for the fourth annual Mountain West Conference Volleyball Championship tournament to be hosted by Colorado State.
San Diego State earned the tourney's number-two seed by finishing second in the final standings. As such, they will face seventh-seeded New Mexico on Thursday, Nov. 21, at 1:30 p.m. (MST) in the first round at CSU's Moby Arena.
Should they defeat New Mexico, the Aztecs would advance to the semifinals against the winner of the Utah-Wyoming match. That semifinal match would be played on Friday (Nov. 22) at 4:00 p.m. (MST).
TOURNAMENT BRACKET
The MWC Volleyball Championship gets underway on Thursday when Utah and Wyoming square off at 11:00 a.m. The compete tournament schedule is as follows:
Thursday, Nov. 21Game# Teams Time (MST) 1 Wyoming vs. Utah..............11:00 a.m. 2 New Mexico vs. SDSU............1:30 p.m. 3 UNLV vs. Brigham Young.........4:00 p.m. 4 Air Force vs. Colorado State...7:00 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 22 5 Winner G1 vs. Winner G2........4:00 p.m. 6 Winner G3 vs. Winner G4........7:00 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 23 7 Winner G5 vs. Winner G6.........2:00 p.m.
TOURNAMENT TELEVISION
The entire 2002 Mountain West Conference Tournament will be shown in San Diego on Cox Channel 4.
All matches will be televised live with the exception of the Colorado State-Air Force contest Thursday evening. That match will be tape-delayed and shown at 10:00 p.m.
The first-round match-up between San Diego State and New Mexico will be shown at 12:30 p.m. (PST) on Thursday (Nov. 21). If the Aztecs advance, their semifinal contest will be televised live on Friday at 3:00 p.m. (PST).
The television satellite feed for the telecast each day is as follows
Thur: SBS 6 TR. 9 Downlink: 11921 H
Fri: SBS 6 TR. 9 Downlink: 11921 H
Sat: SDS 6 TR. 16 Downlink: 12092 V
The entire tournament is being boadcast live regionally on Fox Sports Net and is avaialbe to a national audience on FSN to DirectTVand Echostar subscribers.
Bill Doleman will call the play-by-play and Amy Gant will be the color analyst.
TOURNAMENTS PAST
The Mountain West Conference has crowned three different champions in the first three years of its postseason tournament. In 1999, Colorado State defeated Brigham Young in Provo
The following year, Colorado State returned the favor, upending the Rams in Fort Collins. Last season, it was Utah defeating Colorado State in Provo.
In each case, it was the tourney's number-two seed defeating the top seed in the final. San Diego State is the number-two seed this year.
TOURNAMENT RECORD AND RESULTS
The Aztecs' overall record at the MWC Volleyball Championship is 1-3.
SDSU lost in the first round in both 1999 (to Utah) and 2001 (to UNLV). In 2000, it defeated New Mexico in the first round before falling to Colorado State in the semifinals.
SERIES RECORD
SDSU leads the series with New Mexico, 20-9.
That mark includes a pair of Aztec wins this season. In mid-October, the Aztecs won a four-game match in San Diego. The most recent meeting came last Friday in Albuquerque when SDSU won in five games, with the deciding game ending at 16-14.
The series goes back to 1976, the first year of intercollegiate volleyball for SDSU, when the Lobos claimed a victory in Peterson Gym. After losing twice to the Lobos during the 1999 campaign, SDSU has won the last seven meetings between the teams, including a match at the conference tournament in 2000.
The Aztecs are 1-0 vs. the Lobos in previous Mountain West Conference Tournament action. San Diego was victorious over the Lobos (3-2) in the first round of the 2000 tourney.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
New Mexico (8-19; 3-11 MWC) ended its 2002 conference season with a five-game win over UNLV at home last Saturday. That win stopped a five-match losing streak.
The Lobo attack is led by junior outside hitter Anna Reines who averages 3.74 kills per game. Middle blocker Vanessa Shields average 2. 90 kills and 2.07 digs per contest while the team's top blocker is Chelsea Sondrup at 1.19 bpg.
LAST WEEK
San Diego State finished up its 2002 league campaign with wins at New Mexico and Air Force.
Last Friday (Nov. 15), SDSU needed five games to subdue the Lobos in Albuquerque (26-30, 3024, 27-30, 30-21, 16-14). After falling behind 2-1, the Aztecs rallied to win game four, then won the deciding game by two points. Zlatina Anguelova had a career-high 29 kills while Rochelle Currier added 19.
The next night, the Aztecs defeated Air Force 3-0 (30-22, 30-20, 30-18). Aspen McPartland has 11 kills and a career-best 12 blocks while Currier chipped in with 10 kills.
The Aztecs were without the services of senior middle blocker Nicole Akporiaye who was out with an ankle injury suffered at UNLV on Nov. 9.
HEAD COACH MARK WARNER
SDSU 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 137-107 (.561).
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.
GETTING IT DONE DEFENSIVELY
SDSU has kept its opponents' hitting percentages to under the .200 mark in 15 of its 20 victories this season, and under .100 in two of those wins. By contrast, San Diego State has been under the .200 mark in eight matches (one win and seven losses).
The Aztecs are averaging well over half a block (0.78) more per game than opponents.
Three players are averaging better than a block per game : Nicole Akporiaye (1.44 bpg), Aspen McPartland (1.24 bpg) and Megan Schauermann (1.11 bpg).
SDSU'S team blocking average has placed it among the national leaders throughout the 2002 season. The Aztecs' current average pf 2.98 blocks per game ranks 17th in the country this week.
TWO STREAKS STOPPED
This fall, San Diego State won matches over the two schools that it had failed to defeat during the first three seasons of Mountain West Conference competition.
The Aztecs' victory over Brigham Young on Sept. 27 snapped a string of nine losses in a row to the Cougars by San Diego State. It was the first win over BYU since the 1996 season and only the third since 1990.
In addition, San Diego State's win over Colorado State on Nov. 2 in San Diego broke an eight-match losing streak at the hands of the Rams. It was SDSU's first win over CSU since 1996.
FOR THE RECORD
At 11-3, San Diego State's final Mountain West Conference is its best since the 1997 season. That year, the Aztecs finished with the same mark as members of the Western Athletic Conference. They placed second in the WAC that year as well.
The 2002 campaign also marks San Diego State's first 20-win season since 1996 when it compiled a record of 22-11.
STREAKING
San Diego State's longest win streak this year has been three games, which it has accomplished twice during the year. A first-round tourney win would again give the Aztecs a three-match streak.
The team's longest losing streak is also three games (in early September).
NOTES
Since starting the season with a 4-5 record, the Aztecs have gone 16-6. SDSU has won nine of its last 12 matches.
Zlatina Anguelova had her two top kill matches of the season against New Mexico. She had 23 kills against the Lobos when the teams met in San Diego (Oct. 19), then recorded a career-high 29 kills last Friday in Albuquerque.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR SDSU
Following the conference tournament, San Diego State will play its final regular-season match on Tuesday, Nov. 26, when it travels to UC Riverside to face the Highlanders at 7:00 p.m.
The announcement of the 2003 NCAA Tournament selections will be made on Sunday, Dec. 1. First-round play will get underway at various campus sites on Thursday, Dec. 5.
PLAYER NOTES
Nicole Akporiaye (MB, 6-1, Sr., Tucson, Ariz.)
Was moved to a middle blocker role this season after also playing outside hitter the previous three seasons...Was injured vs. UNLV on Nov. 9 and missed part of that match plus SDSU's final two contests of the league season last weekend...Ranks fourth in the Mountain West this week in overall hitting percentage (.325) and finished third in league contests only (.329)...Her average of 1.44 blocks per game (for all contests) ranks 20th in the nation and is second in the Mountain West Conference (all games)..Her conference match average of 1.65 bpg tops the MWC stat list this week...She was named to the all-tournament team at the Missouri Tiger Invitational in mid-September...She had a career-best 11 block assists in the three-game win over Brigham Young on Sept. 27...With 134 block assists this season, Akporiaye has moved into the number six spot on the SDSU single-season list...She needs just seven blocks to take over the five spot currently occupied by Jennifer Miller (140 assists in 1989)...With 354 block assists in her four seasons at SDSU, she has moved into the number-six spot on the Aztec career top 10 list...Number five on the list is Shannon Mathew (358 BA, 1988-89) while the fourth position is held by Jennifer Hamilton (361 BA, 1992-95).
Zlatina Anguelova (OH, 6-1, Jr., Sofia, Bulgaria)
SDSU's kill average leader at 3.53 kpg, she is also second in dig average at 2.56 dpg...Missed six matches this season (including two MWC matches and both contests against University of San Diego) due to injuries suffered at Missouri and Colorado State...Last weekend she totaled 36 kills (4.50 kpg) and 16 (2.00 dpg) digs in two matches...Her seven kills in the three-game win over Air Force broke a string of eight matches in which she had reached double figures in kills...Her 29 kills at New Mexico is a career high and the most for an MWC player in a match this season...Over San Diego State's last six outings, Anguelova is averaging 4.64 kills and 2.46 digs per game...The junior from Sofia, Bulgaria has recorded 12 doubles-doubles this season, a figure which ranks third in the Mountain West Conference...She was named to the all-tournament team at the Aston Imua Wahine Challenge in Hawaii in early September.
Melissa Cansdale (OH, 5-11, Jr., Boulder City, Nev.)
Came of the bench in game two vs. Winthrop 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 at the Black and Gold Challenge at Wake Forest, finishing the tournament with an average of 4.10 kpg, 1.60 dpg and 0.90 bpg...Her season average of 2.65 kpg is fourth-best on the team...Recorded her lone double double of the season at Brigham Young with 10 killsd and 11 digs.
Rochelle Currier (OH, 6-0, Sr., Aliso Viejo, Calif.)
Hit double figures in kills in 11 of SDSU's 14 conference matches...Second on the squad in kill average at 3.19 kpg...Season-best 20 kills vs. UC Irvine...Her 2.45 dig per game mark ranks third as does her 0.20 service aces per game...Was named to the all-tournament team at the Missouri Tiger Invitational
Kari Dykema (DS, 5-9, Fr., Portage, Mich.)
Back row specialist who has seen action in nine matches. Has played the libero position in a couple of matches...Had seven digs in the match vs. UC Santa Barbara early in the season...Her most recent appearance was in one game during the win at New Mexico on Nov. 15.
Sara Engstrom (S, 5-8, Jr., San Diego, Calif.)
Has come off the bench as a back row player in 27 of SDSU's 31 matches this season..Recorded double figures in digs on three occasions, most recently at Utah on Oct. 25...Had three kills in three attempts vs. Air Force in San Diego on Oct. 18...Sister of volunteer assistant coachand former SDSUmen's player John Engstrom
Robyn Gregg (DS, 5-9, Jr., Santee, Calif.)
Leads the conference in total aces with 111 and averaged a league-best 0.70 aces per game in MWC contests...Set the Mountain West Conference record (for all matches and MWC matches only) with nine service aces in the three-game win over Air Force on Oct. 18...It was also a career-high for the junior from Santee, Calif., whose previous best was eight aces vs. Utah in a five-game match in San Diego last season...Owns the Mountain West marks for aces in a season with 79 (all matches) and 40 (conference only), records she set last year...She has had at least one ace in each of SDSU's last five matches and eight of the last nine.
Aspen McPartland (MB, 6-1, Jr., San Diego, Calif.)
In last week's two matches, she totaled 32 kills (4.57 kpg), 22 digs (3.14 dpg) and 14 blocks (2.00 bpg) while hitting .519...Her double double (14 kills/18 digs) in last week's New Mexico match was her 15th of the season...She still ranks second in the MWC in double-doubles this season and her 27 career double-doubles is first among active conference players...McPartland's 23 kills against Wyoming on Oct. 31 was a career best, surpassing her previous high of 19 set earlier this season at Wake Forest...She has also set a personal best in digs this year with 28 digs vs. Colorado State on Oct. 4. That total was also a Mountain West Conference record (since broken)...She was named the MWC Player of the Week on both Sept. 23 and 30, becoming the first player to ever earn the award in back-to-back weeks...She earned all tournament honors at two events this season: the SDSU Ramada Inn Invitational and the Black & Gold Challenge (at Wake Forest)...She was also selected the MVP of the latter tourney.
Kara Moriarty (OH, 6-1, So., Idaho Falls, Idaho
Appeared in 16 matches this season...Got her first start of the season against Wyoming on Oct. 5, filling in for the injured Zlatina Anguelova...She responded with an eight-kill, nine-dig, three-block performance that was instrumental in the Aztec victory...Had 12 kills and five digs vs. North Carolina State in mid-September.
Natalie Sande (OH, 5-11, Jr., Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.)
Appeared in 11 matches this season after coming to SDSU from Univeristy of San Francisco. Played exclusively in the back row...Played three games in the match vs. North Carolina State, finishing with one kill and six digs...Also had three digs vs. UC Irvine...Recorded service aces in two of her first three games as an Aztec.
Megan Schauermann (MB, 6-0, Jr., Vancouver, Wash.)
One of two Aztecs to record at least one block in every match this season...Had a season-high eight blocks (one solo, eight assists) in last weekend's match at Air Force...She is averaging 1.35 blocks a game over SDSU's last eight matches...Her 12 kills against UNLV on Oct. 11 was a season high for the middle blocker from Vancouver, Wash...Her total was one kill short of her SDSU career best of 13 set last season at Wyoming ...She has been in double figures in kills five time this fall, most recently with 10 at New Mexico last week.
Melissa Wright (S, 5-9, Sr., Muncie, Ind.)
Setter Melissa Wright has moved up to second on the SDSU career assist list with 3,749 since arriving from the Washington State as a sophomore for the 2000 season...The top spot is occupied by Andrea Clark (4,916 assists, 1994-97)...Wright's 1,349 assists in 2002 is the fourth-most ever in a season for an Aztec...Her 68 assists at New Mexico last week was a season high...Wright is also averaging 1.16 kills per game from her setter position and is hitting .367 with only 35 attack errors in 130 games...She recorded her first triple-double as an Aztec in the match at Colorado State on Oct. 4 when she had 11 kills, 51 assists and 12 digs...It is one of only three triple-doubles recorded by Mountain West Conference players this year...She had one triple double as a freshman at Washington State...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.