Nov. 7, 2007
Complete Release in PDF Format
AZTECS CONCLUDE HOME SEASON VS. TCU AND NEW MEXICO
*** The San Diego State volleyball team finishes its 2007 home season with a pair of Mountain West Conference matches this weekend.
*** On Friday, Nov. 9, the Aztecs will host TCU at 7:00 p.m. (PST) in Peterson Gym.
*** The following evening (Friday, Nov. 10), SDSU will face New Mexico at 7:00 p.m. in the same venue.
SENIOR NIGHT
*** Five San Diego State seniors will be honored prior to Saturday night's contest against the Lobos as they compete in their final home contest for the Red and Black.
*** That quintet includes setter Kristen Castillo, libero Aime Cordeiro, right side hitter Sydney De Turk, and middle blockers Lindsey Mahan and Kelley Wahlin.
SERIES RECORDS
*** San Diego State has won five of its previous seven matches against TCU, but the Frogs recorded a 3-2 win over SDSU in Fort Worth in mid-October. The first two contests between the teams came during the 1997 season when SDSU and the Horned Frogs were members of the Western Athletic Conference. San Diego State won 3-0 in Peterson Gym and 3-1 in Fort Worth. In 2005, TCU's first as a member of the MWC, saw SDSU triumph over the Horned Frogs both at home (3-1) and away (3-0). The Aztecs defeated TCU in three games in San Diego in 2006.
*** The Aztecs are 27-12 in the series against New Mexico, including wins in 14 of the last 17 meetings between the teams. The series goes back to 1976 when the Lobos claimed a 3-1 victory in Peterson Gym. The schools have met annually since 1990 when both were members of the Western Athletic Conference. This season, UNM posted a 3-0 win on its home floor four weeks ago. SDSU has a 13-4 against the Lobos in San Diego.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
*** TCU's enters the week with an overall record of 20-10 and 7-6 in the Mountain West Conference. It marks the third time in the last five seasons that TCU has reached the 20-win plateau. TCU's top players include middle blocker Kourtney Edwards (3.29 kpg, 1.22 bpg) and outside hitter LeMeita Smith (3.12 kpg). In addition, outside hitter Lauren Otto is averaging 2.87 kills and 2.40 digs per game.
*** New Mexico's overall record stands at 15-10 (6-7 MWC) as it heads into a Friday match at UNLV prior to visiting San Diego State on Saturday. The Lobos are led by outside hitters Jeanne Fairchild (4.82 kpg, 0.97 dpg) and Lisa Meeter (3.27 kpg, 2.90 dpg). Fairchild leads the MWC in kill average while Meeter is second the conference in service aces (0.38/game). Both Anna Lehne (1.16 bpg) and Kerri Beck (1.03 bpg) average over a block a game for the Lobos.
WARNER GETS NUMBER 200
*** San Diego State head coach Mark Warner recorded his 200th career win with the Aztecs' victory over Air Force on Oct. 4.
*** Warner is in his 13th season at the helm of the Aztec women's program. His career record over that span stands at 201-190 (.514).
*** Over the past 12 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.
SALISBURY SHINES
*** First-year Aztec Lauren Salisbury (Southlake, Texas, Carroll HS) has started all 23 matches this season.
*** She enters the week as the overall team leader in blocking at 1.31 per game as well as hitting percentage (.323).
*** She hit double figures in kills for the 13th time this season with 10 at Air Force on Nov. 2. She ended a run of five straight games in double figures when she recorded nine last Sunday vs. Colorado State.
*** Her .600 attack percentage in the match against UNLV on Sept. 21 is the highest for an Aztec this season.
*** Her overall hitting percentage ranks fifth in the MWC this week.
*** In league games, she is also hitting .331, fifth-best in the conference.
MCMILLAN COMES THROUGH
*** In the absence of Stephanie Darnall, sophomore Caitlin McMillan was called upon at TCU and she responded by recording 10 kills and 15 digs against the Horned Frogs.
*** It was the first double-double of her Aztec career.
*** Both her kill and digs totals in the TCU match represented career highs as well. Her two assists in that contest tied her previous best as an Aztec.
*** In SDSU's ensuing match at UNLV, McMillan started and compiled four kills and 12 digs.
*** She had a dozen at Air Force on Nov. 2 and has been in double figures in that category in three of the last five matches.
MAHAN MAKING HER MARK
*** Senior Lindsey Mahan led the Aztecs with 17 kills at TCU on Oct. 13, one shy of her career high.
*** Over SDSU's last four matches, she averaging 3.05 kills per game.
*** She had her career-best 18 kills in the win over UNLV on Sept. 21. It marked the third time this season that she has set a personal best in that category.
*** Mahan set a career high with 10 blocks in the match vs. Northern Illinois on Sept. 8.
*** Her .298 overall hitting percentage is second on the team.
*** She is second on the squad with a season average of 1.19 blocks per game. Mahan's blocking average over her previous three seasons as an Aztec was 0.88 bpg.
LATHROP DOUBLES UP
*** Setter Leah Lathrop had her fourth double-double of the season with 24 assists and 10 digs in the match at UNLV on Oct. 19.
*** It marked the eighth double-double effort of her three-year Aztec career.
*** She ranks sixth in MWC league matches in service aces at 0.32 per game.
EVANS SOLID UP FRONT
*** Redshirt freshman Hannah Evans reached double figures in kills for the eighth time this season with 12 at Air Force on Nov. 2.
*** In conference play she is averaging over two kills (2.28) and two digs (2.02) along with a half block a game.
*** Evans has recorded five double-doubles this year. She has been in double figures in digs on nine occasions.
*** Evans has started 22 of SDSU's 23 matches in 2007.
MANASCO MAKES GOOD
*** Freshman Kelsey Manasco tied her career best in kills with eight against Colorado State in the team's last match on Nov. 4.
*** She had the same number against Texas-Pan American back on Sept. 8 and at UNLV on Oct. 19.
*** She has appeared in 18 of 19 games of SDSU's last five matches after having played in just 22 games in SDSU's previous 18 matches.
DARNALL LOST FOR THE SEASON
*** Sophomore outside hitter Stephanie Darnall suffered a broken leg (tibia) in the first game of the match at TCU on Oct. 13 and will miss the remainder of the season.
*** Darnall, who had started every match and played in every game this fall until she was injured, is the team leader in kills at 3.28 per game. She is also second in digs (2.65 dpg), behind only libero Aime Cordeiro.
*** She has reached double figures kills in 13 of the team's 19 matches.
*** Darnall, who recorded 10 double-doubles in her first season at SDSU last year, has added eight more in 2007.
ON THE BLOCK
*** San Diego State has been out-blocked in a match in only four of its 22 contests this season.
*** In all matches, SDSU is averaging 3.06 blocks per game, second-best in the MWC.
*** This week, San Diego State ranks 22nd in the nation in blocking. NCAA statistics are posted on Tuesday afternoons (at www.ncaa.org).
*** Individually, SDSU has two players in the top 10 in the MWC overall stats in blocking. Lauren Salisbury is fourth at 1.31 bpg while Lindsey Mahan is seventh at 1.19 bpg.
*** In league matches, Salisbury ranks 10th at 1.20 per game.
CORDEIRO SETS CAREER MARK
*** With 27 digs in the match against UNLV on Sept. 21, senior Aime Cordeiro set a new San Diego State career record in that category.
*** Her current total of 1,864 digs has surpassed the total of 1,678 set by Jackie Mendez (1985-88) and moved her into the all-time top spot.
*** Cordeiro's 34 digs at Air Force on Nov. 2 was the 11th time in her career that she has had at least 30 digs in a match, the most in SDSU history. Former Aztec Jackie Mendez ranks second with four 30-dig contests.
*** Cordeiro's average of 6.23 digs per game leads the MWC overall stats this week.
*** She ranks sixth in the NCAA Division I stats this week.
WORKING LONG HOURS
*** Seven of San Diego State's 20 matches this season have gone five games. The Aztecs are 4-3 in those contests.
*** Last season, SDSU went 2-3 in five-game matches.
*** Since going to rally scoring in 2001, the highest number of five-game matches in a season for the Aztecs had been five (2002, 2003, 2006).
*** The team's best season record in those matches was 2-3 in both 2002 and 2006.
*** The last time SDSU had seven five-game contests in a season was in 1996, going 4-3 in those outings.
*** The Aztecs had eight five-game matches during the 1992 campaign.
DUAL SETTERS
*** With the exception of the match vs. UNLV on Sept. 21, the Aztecs have been rotating Kristen Castillo and Leah Lathrop at the setter position. Lathrop missed the match on Sept. 21 due to injury.
*** Because they are splitting time, neither has accumulated spectacular numbers, but together they are averaging 11.82 assists and 2.87 digs per game.
*** Lathrop has amassed 515 assists this season compared to 512 for Castillo.
*** Between the two, they are hitting .370 with 46 total kills in 108 attempts (six errors).
*** Castillo notched her fifth career double-double with 63 assists and 15 digs vs. UNLV on Sept. 21.
*** Lathrop recorded the eighth double-double of her SDSU with a 24-kill, 10-dig performance at UNLV on Oct. 19.
MOVING UP THE CHARTS
*** Senior setter Kristen Castillo has moved into fifth place on the career assist list with 2,568. She is 205 assists away from the number-four spot occupied by Liane Sato (1985-86) with 2,773 assists.
*** With 1,983 career assists, junior Leah Lathrop has moved up to the number-seven spot. She needs 256 assists to move up one spot by catching Melissa Stokes (1986-88) who recorded 2,239 assists as an Aztec.
SDSU VOLLEYBALL ON TV
*** SDSU's contest at Brigham Young on Friday, Nov. 16, will be televised live on BYU-TV and will be streamed over the Internet at www.byutv.org. The match may be seen on a tape-delayed basis on The Mtn. on Sunday, Nov. 18, at 4:00 p.m. (PST).
*** The Mtn. will also carry the quarterfinals, semifinals and championship contest of the 2007 MWC championship tournament to be held in Las Vegas Nov. 21-24. All of those matches will be televised live with the exception of the second semifinal on Friday, Nov. 23, which will be tape-delayed one hour.
RECORD SETTER
*** Libero Aime Cordeiro, who set an SDSU and Mountain West Conference record with 46 digs against Northern Illinois on Sept. 8, followed that up with a 44-dig outing in the team's next match against Cal State Fullerton on Sept. 11.
*** Despite falling two digs shy of tying her own record, the 44 digs established a new MWC mark for digs in a five-game match.
AZTEC NOTES
*** Lauren Salisbury and Lindsey Mahan are the only two Aztecs to have started every match this season. Redshirt freshman Hannah Evans has started 22 of 23.
*** SDSU has won the opening game in 15 of its 23 matches in 2007.
*** Setter Kristen Castillo has recorded at least one kill in 11 of SDSU's last 13 matches.
*** Lauren Salisbury and Hannah Evans have at least one block in every match this season. Sydney De Turks streak of 22 straight matches with a block ended in last Sunday's contests vs. Colorado State. Senior Lindsey Mahan ended a streak of 14 matches in a row with a block when she was shut out at Colorado State on Sept. 27, the only time she has been shut out in 2007.
UP NEXT
*** SDSU winds up its 2007 regular-season campaign with a trip to Utah next weekend.
*** The Aztecs begin the road swing with a match at Brigham Young on Friday, Nov. 16, at 7:00 p.m. (MST).
*** SDSU then moves over to Salt Lake City the next evening (Saturday, Nov. 17) to take on Utah at 7:00 p.m. (MST).