Sept. 20, 2004
Complete Release and Season Statistics in PDF Format
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AZTEC MAKE BRIEF STOP AT HOME, OPEN MWC PLAY ON THE ROAD
* After two straight weekends at away tournaments, San Diego State returns home on Tuesday, Sept. 21, to take on Loyola Marymount at 6:00 pm. in Peterson Gym.
* The Aztecs open then up Mountain West Conference play when they travel to Las Vegas to face UNLV on Friday, Sept. 24, at 7:00 p.m.
* SDSU remains on the road next week as it visits Cal State Fullerton on Tuesday (Sept. 28 at 6:00 p.m.) before returning to Peterson Gym for a short three-game conference home stand beginning Oct. 1.
SERIES RECORDS
* SDSU leads it series with Loyola Marymount, 12-10. However, the Lions have won each of the last eight 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 eight-match streak. The Aztecs are 7-4 against LMU in Peterson Gym. Last season the Aztecs dropped a 3-0 decision to the Lions in Los Angeles.
* San Diego State is 14-3 in the series against UNLV including a pair of 3-0 victories over the Rebels at home in 2003, the latter coming in the opening round of the MWC Tournament. The teams first met in 1985 when both were members of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA). They did not meet again until 11 years later (1996) when both were in the Western Athletic Conference. The Aztecs' loss at UNLV in November 2002 was their first regular-season loss at the hands of the Rebels in MWC play. SDSU's record against UNLV away from San Diego stands at 6-3.
* San Diego State has compiled a record of 39-1 against Cal State Fullerton since the teams first met during the 1976 campaign, the first season of intercollegiate volleyball at SDSU. The Titans' lone win in the series came in 1989, a 3-1 win in Fullerton. Prior to last season's 3-0 Aztec win in Peterson Gym, the teams had not met on the volleyball court since the 1995.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
* Loyola Marymount enters the week with a record of 7-4 after dropping three matches at the North Carolina Volleyball Classic. As a result, the Lions fell out of the AVCA Top 25, but received enough votes to rank 30th. LMU is led by outside hitter Krista Houseman (3.83 kpg) and middle blocker Kelli Nerison (2.49 kpg, 1.54 bpg). Houseman was named to the all-tournament team in North Carolina last weekend. Nerison was an all-region and honorable mention All-America selection as a junior in 2003. Head coach Steve Stratos is a graduate of San Diego State.
* UNLV has a record of 5-4 this fall and does not play prior to hosting the Aztecs Friday evening. The Rebels have three players averaging over three kills per game: Lauren Miramontes (3.78 kpg), Maria Aladjova (3.75 kpg) and Brittani Lumsden (3.17 kpg). Miramontes is also averaging 1.26 blocks a game. A total of 13 of the 17 players on the UNLV roster are either freshmen (8) or sophomores (5).
* Cal State Fullerton begins the week with an overall mark of 6-4 (0-2 Big West Conference). The Titans will have home matches against Cal Poly SLO and UC Santa Barbara this weekend before SDSU visits Fullerton next Tuesday. CSF is undefeated in four matches at home this season. The Titans are led offensively by outside hitter Lauren Goins (3.68 kpg, 3.38 dpg) and middle blocker Carley Dial (2.58 kpg, .358 attack percentage)
HEAD COACH MARK WARNER
* San Diego State head coach Mark Warner is in his 10th season at the helm of the Aztec women's program. His career record over that time stands at 157-132 (.543).
* Over the past nine years, Warner has led his teams to a pair of NCAA Tournament berths and a Western Athletic Conference championship. His tutelage has produced 15 all-conference players and he was named the Mountain West Conference co-coach of the year in 2002.
LAST WEEK
* SDSU dropped its three matches at last weekend's Fresno State invitational. The Aztecs opened play with a 3-1 (22-30, 33-31, 27-30, 24-30) loss to San Francisco. Three Aztecs ended the match in double figures in kills: Melissa Stapley (23), Angela Verdenacci (15) and Audra Dent (11).
* The Aztecs' second match saw them drop a 3-0 (23-30, 24-30, 22-30) decision to host Fresno State. Stapley recorded eight kills as did teammate Ashley Bowker while libero Aime Cordeiro had 21 digs.
* The final match vs. Oral Roberts saw SDSU fall by a 3-0 (20-30, 20-30, 24-30) margin. Bowker led San Diego State with 10 kills and hit .467 for the match. Cordeiro had 12 digs, her third straight match in double figures in that category.
CORDEIRO DIGGIN' IT
* Freshman libero Aime Cordeiro recorded a season-best 19 digs vs. San Francisco last Friday, then came back later the same day with 21 vs. Fresno State in a three-game match.
* The 21 digs is the most in the conference in a three-game match this season.
* During the three matches at the Fresno State Invitational, Cordeiro averaged 5.2 digs per game and she has upped her season mark to a team-leading 3.31 dpg.
NEW KID ON THE BLOCK
* In her first season as a regular for the Aztecs, junior middle blocker Ashley Bowker is making quite an impression.
* Formerly an outside hitter, Bowker leads the team with an average of 1.47 blocks per game.
* Her eight block assists and nine total blocks against San Francisco last Friday are both team highs this season.
* Bowker has hit double figures in kills twice this season with 10 against both Wichita State and Oral Roberts. Her .467 hitting percentage in the match vs. Wichita State (10k-3e-15ta) is the highest for an SDSU player in 2004.
YOUTH WILL BE SERVED
* The Aztecs are a young team in 2004 with one senior, six juniors, four sophomore and six freshmen in Fresno.
* Although SDSU has a total of nine players returning, only two (Kara Moriarty and Kari Dykema) have seen significant collegiate action. Entering the season, the other seven returnees had played in a total of 26 games during their collegiate careers.
* San Diego State had five new starters when the season opened against Arizona on Sept. 1. Two of those starters (setter Kristen Castillo and outside hitter Lindsey Mahan) were true freshmen while the starting libero (Aime Cordeiro) was a freshman as well.
CAREER HIGHS
* Several Aztecs recorded their SDSU career bests during last weekend's tournament.
* Melissa Stapley's 23 kills in the match vs. San Francisco was an Aztec best for her.
* Freshman Kristen Castillo's 48 assists vs. San Francisco was her highest total this season.
* Ashley Bowker's eight block assists and nine total blocks vs. San Francisco were career highs.
* Aime Cordeiro's 21 digs vs. Fresno State was her best single-match total as an Aztec.
MWC STAT RANKINGS
* SDSU ranks fourth in the Mountain West Conference as a team in blocks (2.66 bpg).
* The Aztecs have two individuals ranked among the top 10 in the league in blocking. That duo includes Ashley Bowker (fourth at 1.47 bpg) and Audra Dent (ninth at 1.18 bpg).
* Melissa Stapley's 3.39 kills per game average is seventh-best in the MWC this week. Her 23 kills against San Francisco last Friday is the fourth-highest single-match total in the conference this fall and second-best total for a four-game match.
MORIARTY STILL MISSING
* Outside hitter Kara Moriarty, the lone senior and returning starter in 2004, suffered a pulled abdominal muscle in the season opener vs. Arizona and has been out of action since that match. Moriarty led the Aztecs in digs and was second in kill average last season.
* The outside hitter from Idaho Falls, Idaho, returned to practice last week, but in a restricted role. She will miss this week's match vs. Loyola Marymount, and is tentatively expected to be back for the Mountain West Conference opener at UNLV later this week.
LOCAL CONNECTIONS
* Three members of the 2003 Aztec squad hail from the San Diego area.
* That trio includes Ashley Bowker (Grossmont HS), Aime Cordeiro (West Hills HS) and Vanessa Curtis (University of San Diego HS).
* Bowker is a junior who redshirted in her first year as an Aztec (2001). Both Curtis and Cordeiro are true freshmen.
* A fourth Aztec, junior Barbara Louie, is from Northern California, but spent two years at San Diego Mesa College before arriving at SDSU last season.
IT'S ALL RELATIVE
* Sophomore transfer Melanie Greene (Washington State) is the daughter of Ken Greene, a former All-American defensive back at Washington State who played for the San Diego Chargers and St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently a member of the football coaching staff at WSU.
* Freshman middle blocker is the sister of former Aztec Nicole Curtis, who played at SDSU from 1996 to 1999.
PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS
* For the fifth year in a row, the Mountain West Conference coaches and media poll has predicted the Aztecs to finish fourth in the league. SDSU has finished fourth in the league standings in three of the previous four years with the exception coming in 2002 when they were second.
* Colorado State is picked to win the league title this year, followed by Brigham Young and Utah. The results of the preseason poll are as follows:
Team (1st-placevotes) Pts.1. Colorado State (14)...1182. BYU...................1003. Utah (1)...............974. San Diego State........655. Wyoming................596. UNLV...................407. New Mexico.............338. Air Force..............28
TEAM NOTES
* San Diego State has nine players averaging over a dig per game this season.
* SDSU's best hitting percentage this season (.235) came in the season opener vs. 17th-ranked Arizona.
* The Aztecs have enjoyed a good deal of success on their home floor, Peterson Gym. Since 1990, the Aztecs have compiled a 125-61 (.668) overall home record and a 68-28 (.708) conference record in the facility. Last season, SDSU went 8-6 overall at home and was 4-3 in conference action in Peterson Gym.
* Ninth-year coach John Ross was promoted to the position of Associate Head Volleyball Coach this past July. Ross is a former SDSU pkayer (1989-93) who joined the women's program as an assistant coach in 1996.
PLAYER NOTES
* Audra Dent is the only Aztec to have recorded at least one block in every match this season.
* In three matches last weekend, freshman Lindsey Mahan hit .385 over seven games.
* Three times this season Melissa Stapley has just missed recording her first career double double. In matches against Mississippi, James Madison and San Francisco, she finished in double figure in kills with nine digs.
* Stapley is averaging 3.54 kills per game over her last three matches.
* Kristen Castillo's six aces vs. James Madison earlier this season were the most by an Aztec since Robyn Gregg had nine vs. Air Force on Oct. 18, 2002.
UP NEXT
* San Diego State returns home next week to begin a three-match conference home stand starting with a contest vs. Wyoming on Friday, Oct. 1, at 7:00 p.m. in Peterson Gym.
* The next night, 9th-ranked Colorado State will visit San Diego State at 7:00 p.m.