Complete Release and Season Statistics in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Sept. 6, 2005
AZTECS SET FOR BUSY WEEK
* San Diego State continues home action with a mid-week match against Cal State Fullerton at 6:00 p.m. in Peterson Gym.
* The team's first road trip of the season begins two days later when they travel to Lubbock, Texas, for the Red Raider Round Up hosted by Texas Tech. The Aztecs begin tourney play against the Red Raiders at 11:00 a.m. (CDT) on Friday, Sept. 9. Their second match in that event will take place at 5:00 p.m. (CDT) that evening when they face Boise State.
* On Saturday (Sept. 10), the Aztecs will conclude tournament play with a match vs. Georgia at noon (CDT).
SERIES RECORDS
* SDSU's record against Cal State Fullerton over the years stands at 39-2 in a series that began back in 1976. SDSU won the first 32 meetings before the Titans were victorious on their home floor during the 1989 season. CSF won its second match against the Aztecs last year, 3-0, also in Fullerton.
* This will be the first meeting ever between San Diego State and Boise State on the volleyball.
* The Aztecs have a record of 4-1 against Texas Tech with the loss (3-1) coming last year in San Diego during the season-opening Aztec Invitational. Three of SDSU's wins against the Red Raiders have come on a neutral court, the last being in 1987.
* SDSU has faced the Georgia Bulldogs once previously, defeating them at the Longhorn Classic in Austin, Texas, during the 1986 campaign.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
* Cal State Fullerton enters the week with a 3-1 record, winning three straight at home last weekend after dropping its season opener to Hofstra. The Titans are led by senior outside hitter Sarah Morrison (3.59 kpg, 0.94 bpg) right side hitter Alyssa Opeka (3.29 kpg, 2.12 dpg). CSUF lists a pair of San Diego area athletes on its roster in middle blocker Amanda Pfielschiefter (Mira Mesa HS/Mesa JC) and Jennifer Francisco (University HS).
* Texas Tech (3-2) also begins the week on a three-game win streak and will play at Rice on Tuesday (Sept. 6) prior to hosting its annual Red Raider Round Up. The team's top offensive threat is Philister Sang (4.56 kpg, 2.12 dpg, .357 hitting percentage), a junior outside hitter from Nairobi, Kenya.
* Boise State will host Utah Valley State Tuesday evening (Sept. 6) prior to making the trip to Lubbock. The Broncos have a 1-1 record that includes a win over Wyoming in Laramie last weekend. BSU has a pair of athletes averaging over three kills per game in Telia Peterson (3.71 kpg, 3.29 dpg) and Cameron Flunder (3.14 kpg, 1.71 dpg). Tiffany Starring averages 2.14 blocks per game, accounting for well over half of her team's total.
* Georgia has begin its season with a 3-1 mark and will host Clemson (Sept. 7) prior to playing in this weekend's tourney. The Bulldog attack is paced by German OH Julia Petruschke (5.23 kpg, 3.46 dpg) and Puerto Rican MB Alexandra Oquendo (5.08 kpg, 1.38 bpg). Oquendo, who is hitting at a .433 clip, was a third-team All-America selection in 2004.
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 163-149 (.522).
* 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.
MOST RECENTLY
* SDSU went 2-2 at its own Aztec invitational last weekend, defeating Liberty and Southern Illinois on Friday (Sept. 2) and dropping matches to UC Riverside and Creighton on Saturday (Sept. 3).
* The Aztecs opened the season with a 3-0 (30-26, 30-15, 30-18) win over Liberty. Audra Dent had nine kills to lead SDSU while Aime Cordeiro anchored the defense with 13 digs. They then defeated Southern Illinois, 3-0 (30-21, 30-24, 30-25) with Lindsey Noll and Melissa Stapley contributing 12 and 11 kills respectively.
* The second day of the Invitational was not so kind to SDSU as it lost three-game matches to UC Riverside (30-22, 30-27, 33-31) and Creighton (31-29, 30-19, 30-27). Against Riverside, SDSU was led by a 12 kill, 15-dif performance by junior Melanie Greene. Freshman Alicia Waller had a match-high 11 kills in SDSU's tourney finale vs. Creighton.
ALL-TOURNEY HONORS
* Three Aztecs were honored at the conclusion of the Aztec Invitational by being included on the all-tournament squad.
* Junior right side hitter Audra Dent and freshman outside hitter Alicia Waller were named to the squad while sophomore Aime Cordeiro was the all-tourney libero.
SO FAR, SO GOOD
* Although very early in the season, statistical comparisons to last season indicate that the Aztecs are a much-improved team in 2005.
* Here are stat averages from the 2004 season and after the first four matches of the current campaign:
2004 2005KPG.......12.84.....16.33Pct.........152.......276Asst/G....11.55.....14.50Aces/G.....1.12......1.67Digs......11.83.....13.83* The only category which is down from a year ago is blocking. The Aztecs are averaging 1.92 bpg in 2005 after norming 2.47 a game last season.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE TIME
* Two Aztecs recorded double-doubles in matches during last weekend's play.
* The first was by junior Melanie Greene, who had 12 kills and 15 digs vs. UC Riverside Saturday morning.
* That was followed by freshman Alicia Waller notching 11 kills and 10 digs in the afternoon match against Creighton.
* SDSU recorded only two double-doubles all of last season. Those were turned in by Melissa Stapley (13k/10d at Wyoming) and Kara Moriarty (17k, 13d at Air Force).
CORDEIRO DIGS IT
* Libero Aime Cordeiro earned all-tournament honors last weekend by averaging 5.01 digs per game over the four matches.
* Her 20 digs in the match vs. UC Riverside was one shy of her career high as an Aztec (21 at Fresno state last season).
* She also had a 19-dig game against Creighton on Saturday.
* In addition to her defensive play, Cordeiro had four aces in the opener against Liberty and also recorded her first career block in that match.
DENT COMES ON
* Junior right side hitter Audra Dent had nine kills in each of SDSU's four matches over the weekend and hit .312.
* She was the only Aztec to record at least one kill, assist and block in each match.
* For the weekend she averaged 3.00 kills and 1.00 blocks en route to all-tournament honors.
NOLL ADDS OFFENSE
* Middle blocker Lindsey Noll, a 6-5 transfer from Missouri, made her presence felt in her first action as an Aztec.
* She turned in an attack percentage of .375 over the team's four matches, committing just seven errors in 64 attempts.
* Noll averaged 2.82 kills and 0.73 blocks per game over four matches during the Aztec Invitational.
WALLER IMPRESSIVE IN DEBUT
* Freshman Alicia Waller, who started all four matches last weekend, was a solid force at the net for SDSU during the Aztec Invitational.
* She hit .308 in the season opener vs. Liberty, and then had a pair of double-figure kills game on Saturday with 10 vs. UC Riverside and 11 vs. Creighton.
* She turned in her first double-double in the finale vs. Creighton after just missing achieving one against UCR when she had nine digs.
* She also had an ace in each match and averaged 2.25 digs per game.
DUELING SETTERS * San Diego State used a two-setter attack during its first weekend of play, alternating sophomore Kristen Castillo and freshman Leah Lathrop.
* Each setter appeared in all 12 games and between the two averaged 12.33 assists, 0.75 service aces and 2.33 digs per game.
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.............16AZTEC NOTES
* The Aztecs have enjoyed a good deal of success on their home floor, Peterson Gym. Since 1990, the Aztecs have compiled a 122-63 (.659) overall home record and a 67-29 (.698) conference record in the facility.
* Sophomore setter Kristen Castillo needs 266 assists to move into the Aztec top 10 career list.
* Middle blocker Kelly Wahlin, in her third year at SDSU, made her first appearance on the court last weekend after being hampered by health issues the past two seasons. She played in two games (one each vs. Liberty and Southern Illinois, recording one kill and three blocks.
* Sophomore Lindsey Mahan was a model of consistency at the net last weekend. In each of SDSU's four matches, she recorded five kills and had a .357 attack percentage in those contests. She also upped her blocking total with each match, garnering one vs. Liberty, two vs. SIU, three vs. UCR and four vs. Creighton.
* Setter Kristen Castillo did not commit a ball handling error over SDSU's first four matches.
* Seniors Ashley Bowker, Melissa Stapley and Angela Verdenacci have been named co-captains for the 2005 season.
UP NEXT
* San Diego State continues road action next week when its visits Loyola Marymount for a match on Tuesday, Sept. 13, at 6:00 p.m.
* Next weekend the Aztecs will travel to Cleveland, Ohio, to participate in the Mutual Medical CSU Invitational hosted by Cleveland State on Sept. 16-17. In addition to the host school, SDSU will also face Niagara and Binghamton during that event.