Nov. 3, 2003
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AZTECS ON THE ROAD FOR THREE MATCHES
* San Diego State begins the week with a match at cross-town rival University of San Diego on Tuesday, Nov. 4, at 7:00 p.m.
* On Friday (Nov. 7), the Aztecs travel to Colorado Springs to face Air Force in a contest scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. (MST) start.
* The following night (Nov. 8), SDSU concludes the road portion of its 2003 schedule with a match in Albuquerque against New Mexico at 7:00 p.m. (MST).
SERIES RECORDS
* San Diego State hold a 24-16 advantage in its series with University of San Diego over the years. However, since 1997, the Toreros have been victorious in 11 of the 12 meetings between the schools. The Aztecs broke an eight-match losing streak at the hands of USD when they defeated their cross-town rival early in 2001 with the Toreros winning the most recent four matches. Included in that four-match win streak is a 3-0 win over SDSU in Peterson Gym on Sept. 16.
* The Aztecs are 22-9 in the series against New Mexico, including a win the opening round of last year's MWC tournament. The series goes back to 1976 when the Lobos claimed a 3-1 victory in Peterson Gym. After losing twice to UNM during the 1999 campaign. SDSU has won the last nine meetings over the past three years. The Aztecs defeated New UNM, 3-0, at home on Oct. 10.
* San Diego State holds a 12-1 mark in its previous 13 meetings with Air Force. The teams first met in 1996 while both were members of the Western Athletic Conference. Prior to that season, the Falcons had competed in the Colorado Athletic Conference with 1996 being their first year as a member of Division I. Air Force's lone win over SDSU came in Colorado Springs in 1999. San Diego State was victorious over the Falcons, 3-0, at home on Oct. 11.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
* The University of San Diego enters the week ranked 18th in the nation in the latest AVCA poll. The Toreros' record stands at 17-6 overall (6-3 in the West Coast Conference). The USD offense is led by Devon Forster (5.14 kpg, 2.78 dpg) and Kristen Hurst (3.08 kpg, 3.03 dpg). Christie Dawson is averaging 3.03 kills per game and a team-leading .321 attack percentage. Setter Lindsey Sherburne ranks third in the nation in assists at 14.41 per game. The Toreros average 17.78 kills/game while holding opponents to just 12.95 per contest.
* Air Force has compiled a record of 13-11 this fall and is 3-7 in conference play. Top hitters for the Falcons include senior Delavane Diaz (4.86 kpg, 2.64 dpg) and sophomore Kristin Hamlett (2.94 kpg, .278 hitting percentage, 0.91 bpg). Hamlett is a middle blocker from Escondido, Calif. (San Pasqual HS). Air Force ranks first in the MWC in service aces as a team (1.93 per game), led by Carly Siefken at 0.53 per contest.
* New Mexico, which will host UNLV on Thursday (Nov. 6) prior to facing the Aztecs, begins the week with a season mark of 3-21 overall and 0-10 in the Mountain West Conference. After beginning the season at 3-3, the Lobos have lost their last 18 matches. UNM is led by senior Anna Reines (3.46 kpg, 1.07 dpg) and Chelsea Sondrup (2.23 kpg, 0.77 bpg). Monica Meihack leads the Lobos with an average of 2.03 digs per game.
MOST RECENTLY
* San Diego State split a pair of Mountain West Conference matches at home last week.
* On Thursday (Oct. 30), SDSU dropped a five-game match to league-leading Colorado State (30-20, 27-30, 27-30, 30-28, 12-15). Three Aztecs finished the match with double-doubles: Aspen McPartland (17 kills, 12 digs), Kara Moriarty (16k, 13d) and Zlatina Anguelova (12k, 10d). Megan Schauermann contributed 10 blocks while Melissa Cansdale chipped in with 10 kills.
* Two days later, the Aztecs came back to defeat Wyoming, 3-0 (30-18, 30-26, 30-26). McPartland again led San Diego State with 17 kills and a .333 hitting percentage. Anguelova also reached double figures in kills with 10.
HEAD COACH Mark Warner
* San Diego State head coach Mark Warner is in his ninth season at the helm of the Aztec women's program. His career record over that span stands at 153-119 (.563). He recorded his 150th career coaching victory in the win over New Mexico on Oct. 10.
* Over the past eight years, Warner has led his teams to a pair of NCAA Tournament berths and a Western Athletic Conference championship. His has produced 13 all-conference players as well as a pair of league players of the year, a setter of the year, and a defensive player of the year.
* Warner was named the 2003 Mountain West Conference co-Coach of the Year.
TOURNEY TIME
* San Diego State will host the 2003 Mountain West Conference Volleyball Tournament, Nov. 20-22 in Peterson Gym. All eight league teams will participate with match-ups to be determined by the final MWC standings.
* Play begins on Thursday, Nov. 20, with matches scheduled for 11:00 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Although the parings will not be known until the week before the event begins, San Diego State will play the 7:00 p.m. match each evening as long as it remains in the tourney.
* The championship match will be played on Saturday, Nov. 22 at 7:00 p.m.
* Single-session passes for each day of the tourney will cost $7 for adults and $5 for students. All-tournament passes will cost $15 and $12 respectively.
MCPARTLAND LEADS THE OFFENSE
* Middle blocker Aspen McPartland recorded 17 kills in each of SDSU's two matches last week. She has now reached that figure five times this fall, and has a team and personal season best of 19.
* She has been in double figures in kills in the Aztecs' last 17 matches and has recorded seven double-doubles (kills-digs) during her senior campaign.
* In last week's two matches, she averaged 4.25 kills, 2.38 digs and 1.38 blocks per game while hitting .391. Each of those marks was above her 2003 season average.
MORIARTY DOUBLES UP
* Kara Moriarty recorded her fourth career double-double in last week's contest vs. Colorado State when she tallied 16 kills and 13 digs. Both her kill and digs figures were her second-highest efforts of the season.
* Moriarty is the only Aztec other than Aspen McPartland to average more than three kills per game this season (3.14 kpg). She leads the team in digs at 2.23 per game.
SCHAUERMANN SHINES
* Megan Schauermann's 10 total blocks against Colorado State last Thursday tied her career high. It was the third time in four matches that she reached that figure. She also had 10 blocks in matches at Brigham Young (Oct. 17) and vs. UNLV (Oct. 25).
* She was held without a block in the match at Utah on Oct. 18, ending a string of 82 consecutive matches in which she recorded at least one block. That streak ranks as the third-longest in the history of the Mountain West Conference.
* Schauermann set a new SDSU hitting percentage mark in the match against Air Force on Oct 11th. Her .867 attack percentage (13 kills, 0 errors, 15 attacks) was the best-ever for an SDSU player in a three-game match.
* Her 13 kills in that march equaled her season and career high, previously accomplished in a five-game match vs. Santa Clara in early September.
MCPARTLAND MILESTONES
* Middle blocker Aspen McPartland recorded the 1,000th dig of her SDSU career in the match vs. UNLV on Oct. 25.
* She picked up the 1,000th kill of her Aztec career in SDSU's match against Nicholls State on Sept. 12. Entering this week, she now has accumulated 1,240 kills during her four seasons at SDSU.
* With at six contests left this season, the senior from San Diego (Grossmont HS) needs to average just 6.5 kills per match to break into the top 10 on the SDSU career kills list.
* McPartland becomes the sixth player in school history to record both 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs during her career. * She continues to lead San Diego State in kill average (3.84 kpg) and hitting percentage (.342).
ANGUELOVA ANGLES
* Senior outside hitter Zlatina Anguelova had back-to-back double figure kill games last week for the first time since early October with 12 vs. Colorado State and 10 against Wyoming.
* Her .391 attack percentage vs. Wyoming and four blocks vs. CSU were both here second-highest match total this season. * Her four service aces vs. Wyoming was also a personal season best and one shy of her career high.
* She recorded the 1,000th kill of her SDSU career in the Aztecs' victory over New Mexico on October 10. She became the second Aztecs to reach 1,000 career kills this season, joining Aspen McPartland who reached that mark in mid-September.
SCHAUERMANN AT THE NET
* Megan Schauermann continues to be strong on the block for the Aztecs.
* Her 14 blocks over two matches last week improved her season average to1.56 blocks per game.
* Her 1.54 bpg blocking average last week placed her 10th in the nation among individuals in Division I. New national statistics are published on Tuesdays and are available at www.ncaa.org.
ON THE BLOCKS
* Three Aztecs are averaging over a block per game during the 2003 season: seniors Megan Schauermann (1.56 bpg), Melissa Cansdale (1.24 bpg) and Aspen McPartland (1.17 bpg).
* After 25 matches this season, SDSU is averaging 3.14 blocks per game.
* Last week SDSU was ranked seventh in the nation in team blocking when its average stood at 3.13 bpg.
AMONG THE MWC LEADERS
* Several Aztecs rank among the Mountain West Conference leaders this week.
* Megan Schauermann ranks first in blocking (1.56 bpg) while Melissa Cansdale is fourth (1.24 bpg) and Aspen McPartland is eighth (1.17).
* McPartland's .342 hitting percentage is fourth-best in the league this week while Sara Engstrom's 11.78 assist per game average places her fifth.
* As a team, SDSU ranks first in blocks (3.14 bpg).
* Schauermann's .867 attack percentage vs. Air Force on Oct. 11 is the best individual effort in the league this season. * McPartland's 13 total blocks vs. Santa Clara earlier this season is also the best in the MWC this season while Cansdale's 11 vs. Miami ranks second.
* The team's .473 attack percentage vs. Harvard is the second-highest in a match in the conference while its 22.5 blocks against Santa Clara is also a league match high.
MOVING UP THE CHARTS
* Three current Aztecs appear on SDSU's top 10 career lists.
* Aspen McPartland is sixth in career digs with 1,021. The number-five spot is held by Kim Harsch (1983-86) with 1,042. * Robyn Gregg has moved up to sixth on the service ace list with a career total of 166. Angela Rock (1981-84) is fifth with 174.
* With 368 career block assists, McPartland has moved into fourth on the all-time list. The third spot is held by Carrie Mapes (1994-1997) with 381.
* Megan Schauermann has now moved into the top 10 in block assists. Her career total of 338 to begin the week ranks ninth. Angelica Jackson's (1984-87) 341 career block assists occupies the number-eight spot on the list.
* With her 14 blocks assists last week, Schauermann has vaulted into the SDSU top 10 in that single-season category. She has 132 this year and has moved into the number-seven spot on the Aztec list. The number five spot is shared by Jennifer Miller (1989) and Nicole Akporiaye (2002) with 140.
PLAYER NOTES
* Sara Engstrom matched her career best with seven blocks against Colorado State last Thursday. She had seven earlier this year in the match against Santa Clara.
* Megan Schauermann leads the team in hitting in its 10 MWC matches at .348, ranking fifth in the conference in league matches only.
* Melissa Cansdale's tied her season best with 10 kills in the match vs. Colorado State last week.
* Cansdale is averaging 1.42 blocks a game over SDSU's most recent three matches.
* With 1,025 assists this season, Sara Engstrom is just 87 away from entering the SDSU single-season top 10 in that category.
* Robyn Gregg's four service aces vs. Wyoming tied her 2003 season best, accomplished twice previously.
UP NEXT
* San Diego State will conclude its 2003 regular season next week when it hosts a pair of Mountain West Conference matches in Peterson Gym.
* On Friday (Nov. 14), the Aztecs will face Utah beginning at 7:00 p.m.
* The next night (Nov. 15), Brigham Young will visit SDSU for a 7:00 p.m. match.
* The BYU contest will also mark Senior Night as the Aztecs seven players making their final regular-season home appearance.