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Sept. 13, 2005
AZTECS SET FOR BUSY WEEK
*San Diego State continues the final portion of its seven-match away trek as it travels to Los Angeles to take on Loyola Marymount on Tuesday, Sept. 13, at 6:00 p.m.
*The Aztecs then travel to Ohio to take part in their final regular-season tournament of the season as they will participate in the Medical Mutual CSU Invitational hosted by Cleveland State.
*SDSU will open play with a match against Niagara on Friday, Sept. 16, at 4:30 p.m. (EDT).
*Action continues the following (Saturday, Sept. 17) as the Aztecs will face Binghamton at 10:30 a.m. (EDT) and host Cleveland State at 7:00 p.m. (EDT) that evening.
SERIES RECORDS
*SDSU leads it series with Loyola Marymount, 12-11. However, the Lions have won each of the last nine 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 seven-match streak. Last season the Aztecs dropped a 3-0 to the Lions in Peterson Gym.
*This week will mark the first meetings between SDSU and both Niagara and Binghamton.
*SDSU and Cleveland State have met once previously with the Aztecs defeating the Vikings, 3-1, in Peterson Gym during the 1984 campaign
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
*Loyola Marymount enters the week with a record of 5-1 after dropping its first match of the season at Sacramento State last Saturday. The Lions are receiving votes in the AVCA national poll this week. Leading the LMU offense are Heather Hughes (4.24 kpg, 3.52 bpg) and Christianna Reneau (3.95 kpg, 4.38 dpg).
*Niagara has a 5-1 record, winning its last five in a row after a season-opening loss to Army. Stephanie Hopkins is averaging 3.46 kpg and 2.46 dpg to lead the Purple Eagles. Libero Micole Daluisio was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Monday after averaging 4.74 digs per game last weekend.
*Binghamton's record stands at 4-5, and the Bearcats are scheduled to host Colgate on Tuesday (Sept. 13) prior to traveling to Cleveland for this weekend's tourney. After winning its first four matches of the season, Binghamton has dropped five straight. The Bearcats' top offensive threats are Katie Brody (3.14 kpg, 2.37 dpg) and Megan Hoag (2.74 kpg, 2.31 dpg).
*Cleveland State comes into the week with a 5-3 record. One of those losses was a 3-2 decision to 14th-ranked Ohio State. Nickole Kennedy is averaging 3.34 kills and 0.83 blocks per game while teammate Emily Clark is at 2.90 kpg and 3.45 dpg. Middle hitter Danielle Siefker leads the Vikings in blocking with an average of 1.10 bpg.
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 167-150 (.527).
*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
*San Diego State went 3-1 last week with a win over CSU Fullerton at home and two victories and a loss at the Red Raider Round-Up at Texas Tech.
*Against Fullerton, SDSU dropped the first game before coming back to take the match 25-30, 30-22, 30-22, 30-23. The Aztecs had four players hit double figures in kills led by Melissa Stapley with 18. Others in that foursome included Audra Dent (14), Lindsey Mahan (12) and Lindsey Noll (10).
*SDSU began play at the Red Raider Round-up with a four-game loss (30-17, 30-24, 25-30, 30-15) to host Texas Tech. Audra Dent and Alicia Waller had nine kills apiece, but the Aztecs committed 39 hitting errors during the match.
*San Diego State then recorded 3-0 wins over Boise State (30-21, 30-24, 30-24) and Georgia (30-26, 30-24, 30-25). Waller had a team-high 11 kills vs. Boise State while Melanie Greene led the way with 20 against Georgia. Libero Aime Cordeiro had 24 and 20 digs in those two matches respectively.
AZTEC CAPTURE TOURNEY TITLE
*San Diego State won the championship of the Red Raider Round-Up based on game won-loss record. Along with SDSU, both Boise State and Texas Tech went 2-1 in their three matches. The Aztecs' game record for the weekend was 7-3, better than that of both the Broncos (6-4) and Red Raiders (7-5).
*It marked San Diego State's first tournament title since winning the Cornell Invitational during the 2000 season.
*Two Aztecs were honored at the conclusion of the Red Raider Round-up by being included on the all-tournament team.
*Junior outside hitter Melanie Greene was named to the squad while sophomore Aime Cordeiro was the all-tourney libero.
GREENE GOES OFF
*Melanie Greene turned in her second double-double as an Aztec with 20 kills and 13 digs in the match against Georgia last Saturday. (Her first was a 12-kill, 15-dig effort vs. UC Riverside on Sept. 3.) *The 20 kills represented a career high, surpassing the nine she had against Loyola Marymount on Sept. 21, 2004.
*She also hit a personal best .436 in that match with only three errors in 39 total attacks.
*Her 16 digs vs. Boise State on Friday was one shy of her career best.
*After eight matches, Greene leads the Aztecs with an average of 3.25 kills per game and is second with 2.65 digs per game.
CORDEIRO DIGS IT
*Libero Aime Cordeiro earned all-tournament honors last weekend by averaging 6.30 digs per game over the three matches.
*Her 24 digs against Boise State was a career best for the sophomore from nearby Santee.
*She has been in double figures in digs in seven of SDSU's eight matches this season and has had 20 or more on three occasions.
*Her season average of 5.15 dpg leads the Mountain West Conference this week.
*In addition to her defensive play, Cordeiro had four aces in the season opener against Liberty and also recorded her first career block in that match.
DUAl SETTERS
*San Diego State is using a two-setter rotation this season, alternating sophomore Kristen Castillo and freshman Leah Lathrop.
*Each setter has appeared in all 23 games, and between the two have averaged 11.92 assists, 0.66 service aces and 2.46 digs per game.
*Individually, Castillo has a slightly high assist average as she starts every game. She has had only three ball handling errors this season, all coming in win over Cal State Fullerton.
NOLL ADDS OFFENSE
*Middle blocker Lindsey Noll, a 6-5 transfer from Missouri, is hitting .341 to lead the team and rank fifth in the conference in that category.
*In last week's four matches, she averaged one block per game along with 2.29 kpg.
*She hit .429 in the win over Fullerton, the third time this season she has hit .400 or better in a match.
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:
2005 2004KPG...... 15.50....12.84Pct.........237......152Asst/G....13.62....11.55Aces/G.....1.65.....1.12Digs......14.42....11.83*The only category which is down from a year ago is blocking. The Aztecs are averaging 2.27 bpg in 2005 after norming 2.47 a game last season.
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. 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
*Sophomore setter Kristen Castillo needs 207 assists to move into the Aztec top 10 career list.
*Middle blocker Kelly Wahlin became the first Aztec to have more than one solo block in match when she recorded two against Texas Tech last Friday.
*Sophomore Lindsey Mahan tied her career high with 12 kills in the match against Cal State Fullerton last Wednesday. Mahan's .314 hitting percentage ranks sixth in the league this week, just behind teammate Lindsey Noll.
*Right side hitter Audra Dent also tied her personal best when she had 14 kills vs. CSU Fullerton last week.
*Freshman Alicia Waller's average of 0.50 service aces per game is fifth-best in the MWC this week.
*As a team, SDSU ranks among the top three in the conference in hitting percentage, assists and kills.
*Aime Cordeiro's 24 digs vs. Boise State are the most in the league this season for either a three- or four-game match.
*Three Aztecs have recorded at least one block in every match this season: Audra Dent, Lindsey Mahan and Lindsey Noll.
*Kristen Castillo is hitting .421 from her setter position. Last season she finished with a .263 attack percentage.
UP NEXT
*San Diego State returns home next week to open Mountain West Conference play as its hosts Colorado State on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 7:00 p.m. in Peterson Gym.
*Two days later (Saturday, Sept. 24), the Aztecs will face league foe Wyoming at 12:00 p.m. in the same venue.