Aug. 30, 2005
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LET THE SEASON BEGIN
* San Diego State is set to open its 2005 season on Friday, Sept. 2, when it hosts the annual Aztec Invitational in Peterson Gym.
* The team's first match in that event will take place at 11:30 a.m. when it faces Liberty. That evening, SDSU will take on Southern Illinois at 7:00 p.m.
* On Saturday, the Aztecs will face UC Riverside at 10:00 a.m. and conclude their tourney play at 3:00 p.m. against Creighton.
TOURNAMENT TIME
* San Diego State will host the five-team SDSU Invitational on Friday and Saturday (Sept. 2-3) in Peterson Gym. Other participants include Creighton, Liberty, Southern Illinois and UC Riverside.
* The complete tourney schedule is as follows:
Friday, September 2 UC Riverside vs. Creighton..............9:00 a.m. Liberty vs. San Diego State............11:30 a.m. Southern Illinois vs. UC Riverside......2:00 p.m. Creighton vs. Liberty...................4:30 p.m. Southern Illinois vs. San Diego State...7:00 p.m.Saturday, September 3 UC Riverside vs. San Diego State.......10:00 a.m. Southern Illinois vs. Liberty..........12:30 p.m. Creighton vs. San Diego State...........3:00 p.m. Liberty vs. UC Riverside................5:30 p.m.
SERIES RECORDS
* San Diego State has faced Liberty once previously, defeating the Flames 3-0 in the season opener in 2001 during the Aztec Invitational.
* This will be the first meeting on the volleyball court between the Aztecs and Southern Illinois.
* SDSU leads the series with UC Riverside by a 10-1 count. The most recent meeting came in 2003 when the Aztecs won, 3-0, during the SDSU Invitational.
* San Diego State and Creighton have played each other once previously, with SDSU defeating the Bluejays, 3-1, in Omaha during the 1999 campaign.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
* Liberty, which opens its 2005 season vs. SDSU on Friday, has three starters back from a team that posted a 12-19 mark a year ago, finishing third at the Big South Conference tournament. Top returning players include outside hitter Jennifer Belk (4.49 kpg, 3.38 dpg) and middle blocker Becky Rudnick (3.34 kpg 0.52 bpg). Freshman middle blocker Ashley Webber is from nearby Lakeside (Christian HS).
* Southern Illinois returns five starters and its libero from last season's squad which posted a 9-21 record. The Saluki offense is led by junior outside hitter Jene Pulliam (2.83 kpg, 2.55 dpg) and right side hitter Haley Hann (2.81 kpg, 1.04 dpg). Returnees accounted for 96 percent of the team's assists and 85 percent of its kills in 2004.
* UC Riverside (1-0) opened its 2005 campaign with a 3-1 win over Hofstra last Friday. In that match, Jamie DeKiewiet had 21 kills while setter Kim Murphy contributed 60 assists. Murphy is a San Diego product who attended Our Lady of Peace Academy. The Highlanders have five starters and the libero back from last season's 11-18 squad. DeKiewet averaged 4.91 kpg and 3.65 dpg in 2004.
* Creighton (1-1) began its season by splitting matches at its own Bluejay Invitational last weekend, defeating Northern Colorado (3-0) and losing to Iowa State (0-3). In those two matches, outside hitter Leah Ratzlaff averaged 4.33 kpg and 1.33 dpg while team Kelly Goc had 3.00 kpg. Creighton is coming off a season in which it went 18-10 overall and finished fifth in the 10-team Missouri Valley Conference.
FOR OPENERS
* San Diego State's record in season openers stands at 14-15 since the sport began at SDSU in 1976.
* Over the years, the Aztecs are 18-11 in home openers.
* SDSU has lost its last two season openers, both of which came in Peterson Gym. The last time the Aztecs opened with a victory was in 2002 when they defeated Tulane at home.
HEAD COACH Mark Warner
* San Diego State head coach Mark Warner is in his 11th season at the helm of the Aztec women's program. His career record over that span stands at 161-147 (.523).
* Over the past 10 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.
AZTEC VETERANS
* San Diego State returns five starters and its libero plus three other letterwinners from last year's team that compiled a 4-25 record. Those starters include setter Kristen Castillo (9.84 asst/g); outside hitters Melissa Stapley (3.13 kpg), Ashley Bowker (1.26 bpg) and Audra Dent (2.04 kpg); middle blocker Lindsey Mahan (0.83 bpg); and libero Aime Cordeiro (3.46 dpg).
* The Aztecs have three other athletes back from last season who saw playing time: middle blocker Vanessa Curtis along with outside hitters Angela Verdenacci and Melanie Greene. Also back is middle blocker Kelley Wahlin, who did not play last season due to health issues.
* Among the top newcomers are outside hitters Alicia Waller (Cypress HS) and Brandie Molnar (Ohio State) plus setter Leah Lathrop( Desert Vista HS, Phoenix) and middle blocker Lindsey Noll (transfer from Missouri).
* A total of 22 athletes appear on the 2005 SDSU roster, including nine freshmen.
TRANSFER HELP
* The Aztecs have added a pair of four-year transfers to the roster, both of whom are expected to be among the regulars on the court this fall.
* The first is senior Lindsey Noll, a 6-5 middle blocker who comes to SDSU from the University of Missouri, where she started 60 percent of the Tigers' matches over the past three years.
* The second is sophomore Brandie Molnar, a 6-1 outside hitter from Ohio State who was an all-state, all-district and all-area honoree during her high school career.
YOUTH WILL BE SERVED
* Although it returns 10 veteran players, The Aztecs will be a young team again in 2005 with nine freshman.
* Among those nine first-year Aztecs, outside hitter Alicia Waller and setter Leah Lathrop could be among the starters on opening day.
* Waller, who did not play high school ball during her senior year, was one of the top club players in southern California and is a former all-tournament selection at the Junior Nationals.
* Lathrop was a two-time all-state selection in Arizona who was listed among the top 250 seniors in the nation last year by prepvolleyball.com. She will likely see time along side Kristen Castillo when the Aztecs run a 6-2 formation.
RETURNING STAT LEADERS
* San Diego State's nine returning players accounted for 85 percent of the team's kills and 91 percent of its blocks during the 2004 season. * Among the returning team leaders are:
Kristen Castillo - .263 hitting pct.
Ashley Bowker - .237 hitting pct.
Melissa Stapley - 3.13 kills per game
Kristen Castillo - 9.84 assists per game
Kristen Castillo - 0.22 aces per game
Aime Cordeiro - 3.46 digs per game
Ashley Bowker - blocks per game
ON THE BLOCK
* Blocking has been a perennial strength for the Aztecs over the years and this season seems to be no exception.
* SDSU returns a pair of players who ranked among the top 10 individuals in the league: senior Ashley Bowker (1.26 bpg) and junior Audra Dent (1.03 bpg).
* The blocking this season will be helped by the return of 6-5 MB Kelley Wahlin along with veteran starter Lindsey Mahan (6-0).
* In addition, the Aztecs will add 6-5 Lindsey Noll and 6-3 Tara Chambers to its list of middle blockers.
LOCAL CONNECTIONS
* Four members of the 2005 Aztec squad hail from the San Diego area.
* That quartet includes Ashley Bowker (Grossmont HS), Aime Cordeiro (West Hills HS), Vanessa Curtis (University of San Diego HS), and Sloane Keller (La Costa Canyon HS).
* Bowker is a senior who redshirted in her first year as an Aztec (2001). Both Curtis and Cordeiro are sophomores while Keller is a true freshman.
PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS
* The Mountain West Conference coaches and media poll has predicted the Aztecs to finish sixth in the nine-team league. In the six years of the MWC's existence, SDSU has finished second (2002), fourth (2000, 2001, 2003) and sixth (1999, 2004) in the final league standings.
* Brigham Young is picked to win the league title this year, followed by Utah and Colorado State. The results of the preseason poll are as follows:
Team (1st-place votes)...Pts.1. Brigham Young (7).....1082. Utah (3)..............1063. Colorado State (3).....964. UNLV...................745. TCU....................626. San Diego State........447. Wyoming................428. New Mexico.............379. Air Force..............16
AZTEC NOTES
* The Aztecs have enjoyed a good deal of success on their home floor, Peterson Gym. Since 1990, the Aztecs have compiled a 120-61 (.663) overall home record and a 67-29 (.698) conference record in the facility.
* Last year's 4-25 record included a 4-10 slate in Mountain West Conference play. SDSU's last non-conference win was at University of San Diego on Nov. 4, 2003.
* Kristen Castillo needs 357 assists to move into the Aztec top 10 career list.
* Seniors Ashley Bowker, Melissa Stapley and Angela Verdenacci have been named co-captains for the 2005 season.
UP NEXT
* San Diego State continues home action on Wednesday, Sept, 7, when it hosts Cal State Fullerton at 6:00 p.m. in Peterson Gym. Following that match, the team will be away until Sept. 22.
* Next weekend the Aztecs will travel to Lubbock, Texas, to participate in the Red Raider Round Up hosted by Texas Tech on Sept. 9-10. In addition to the host school, SDSU will also face Boise State and Georgia during that event.