Oct. 2, 2008
AZTECS BEGIN STRING OF THREE ROAD MATCHS AT UNLV THIS WEEKEND
San Diego State begins a string of three consecutive road matches when it travels to Las Vegas this Friday (Oct. 3) for a contest against Mountain West Conference foe UNLV. The Aztecs and Rebels will square off at 7:00 p.m. at UNLV's Cox Pavilion. Fans can follow the action during this week's matches on the Internet by going to Aztec web site and clicking on the GameTracker link under Aztecs Today.
SERIES RECORD
San Diego State's all-time record against UNLV stands at 15-11 since the teams first met in 1985. The Rebels had won the last seven matches between the schools until the Aztecs claimed a five-game victory when they met in Peterson Gym in Sept. 2007. UNLV defeated SDSU in the rematch in Las Vegas in October last season. San Diego State is 9-3 vs. UNLV at home, 6-7 in Las Vegas and 0-1 at neutral venues. SDSU's last win on the Rebels' home court came during the 2003 season.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
UNLV enters the week with an overall record 9-7 and 2-1 in the Mountain West Conference as it begins the week in a four-way tie for second place in the league standings. The Rebels defeated TCU and lost to New Mexico at home last week. The Rebels are led by outside hitter Jessica Walters (3.54 kps, 0.88 dps) and middle blocker Erin Greenwood (2.35 kps, 0.88 bps). Setter Melanie Nua has become the all-time assist leader for the Rebels with 4,261 during her four-year career. In conference play, UNLV is second in kills (13.60 per set), assists (12.40 per set) and digs (15.70 per set). The Rebels lead the MWC in opponent hitting percentage at .125.
HEAD COACH Mark Warner
San Diego State head coach Mark Warner is in his 14th season at the helm of the Aztec women's program. His career record over that span stands at 206-204 (.502). Over the past 13 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. Warner has announced his retirement effective at the end of the 2008 season after serving Aztec volleyball (men's and women's) for the past 27 years.
MOST RECENTLY
SDSU dropped a pair of Mountain West Conference matches at homes last week, falling to both New Mexico and TCU in three sets. In the loss to New Mexico (25-14, 25-22, 25-12), sophomore Lauren Salisbury led the Aztecs with eight kills while junior Stephanie Darnall finished with six. Setters Lauren Van Orden and Leah Lathrop had 12 and 8 assists respectively while Michelle Ferrer led the team with 11 digs. SDSU hit just .071 as a team over the three sets while the Lobos had a .317 attack percentage. Against TCU, Salisbury and Van Orden recorded eight kills apiece in the three-set loss (25-14, 25-23, 25-23). Ferrer led all players with 10 digs while Salisbury and Van Orden had four and three blocks respectively.
SALISBURY PACES OFFENSE
Lauren Salisbury continues to be SDSU's offensive leader in 2008. She leads the squad in kill average (3.25 kps) and hitting percentage (.356). Salisbury's .800 attack percentage vs. UC Irvine in the season opener (Aug. 29) was a career best for the second-year Aztec. She has reached double figures in kills in eight of the team's 13 matches this season and has turned in hitting percentages of .300 or high on nine occasions. She has cracked the .400 mark in hitting percentage in five matches. Salisbury totaled nine blocks in two matches last week, an average of 1.50 per set, and has raised her season average to just under one block per set (0.98 bps).
VAN ORDEN SHINES
Over San Diego State's last six matches, freshman setter Lauren Van Orden has compiled a .348 attack percentage. She is also averaging 2.29 kills per set in those contests. Van Orden leads SDSU in service aces on the year with a total of 13 (an average of 0.27 per set). Van Orden, who doubled as an outside hitter during her prep career, is averaging 1.79 kills per set while hitting .255 on the season.
HELLWIG AT THE NET
After recording four blocks vs. New Mexico last Thursday, redshirt sophomore middle blocker Bailee Hellwig was held without a block in the contest vs. TCU in which she played in only one set. It was the first match this season in which she did not record at least one block. She set her new SDSU career bests with eight block assists and 10 total blocks in the match vs. Weber State on Sept. 12. She enters the week as SDSU's blocking leader at 1.07 per set and her .306 hitting percentage is second best on the squad.
DARNALL ON THE ATTACK
Despite only 13 kills in SDSU's two matches last week, Stephanie Darnall remains second on the team in kill average at 2.49 kps. She is also second in service aces with nine. Her 10 kills at Air Force on Sept. 20 marked the sixth time she has hit double figures in that category this season. Against Texas-El Paso on Sept. 13, she had a season-high 10 digs despite playing in only two games during the set.
LATHROP STREAK ENDS
Senior setter Leah Lathrop had a string of 12 straight matches in double figures in assists ended against New Mexico on Sept. 25 when she finished with eight. Going back to last season, that streak had reached 16 consecutive contests. Lathrop's three kills vs. TCU last Saturday was a season high while her eight digs equaled her highest total of 2008.
AMONG THE MWC OVERALL STAT LEADERS
Lauren Salisbury ranks among the top five in the Mountain West Conference overall statistics in three categories. Her .356 attack percentage ranks fourth in the league while her 3.25 kills per set average is fifth-best. She is also third in scoring with a mark of 3.90 points per set. Libero Michelle Ferrer is fourth in digs at 3.44 per set. Bailee Hellwig's average of 1.07 blocks per set places her 10th in the league. Leah Lathrop, who shares setting duties with Lauren Van Orden, is 10th in assists at 5.19 per set. Van Orden ranks seventh in service aces at 0.27 per set.
MWC MATCH LEADERS
After two weeks of conference play, four Aztecs find themselves among the top 10 in various categories in league-match statistics. Salisbury ranks fifth in blocking at 1.44 bps and sixth in points at 3.89 per set. Van Orden is fifth in serve aces with an average of 0.44 per set and her .297 hitting percentage ranks ninth. Bailee Hellwig stands ninth in blocking with a mark of 1.14 bps while Ferrer is sixth in digs at 3.11 per set.
MOVIN' UP THE CHARTS
With 19 assists over two matches last week, senior Leah Lathrop has increased her career total to 2,349 to move into sixth place on the SDSU career list. She needs 307 assists to climb into a fifth-place tie with Kristen Castillo (2,656), who finished her four-year Aztec career in 2007. Fourth place is occupied by Liane Sato (1985-86) with 2,773 career assists.
AZTEC NOTES
Defensive specialist Courtney Lamphier matched her career best with four digs vs. TCU on Sept. 27, equaling her total against New Mexico set on Nov. 10, 2007 ... Freshman middle blocker Jordan Burdick made just her second appearance of the season last weekend vs. TCU and recorded her first assist and two blocks as a collegiate player ... Kelsey Manasco's four digs at Fullerton on Sept. 16 represented a career best ... Lauren Salisbury is the only player to have started all 13 of SDSU's matches. Stephanie Darnall, Bailee Hellwig and Lauren Van Orden have started 12 times each ... Kyley Sexton set personal bests with 11 kills, two assists and two blocks vs. Gonzaga on Sept. 13 ... Hannah Evans' 16 digs vs. UTEP on Sept. 13 was two shy of her career best of 18 set vs. North Illinois on Sept. 8, 2007 ... SDSU has won the first set in just three of its 13 matches this season. The Aztecs defeated Albany (3-1) on Aug. 30, lost to Weber State (2-3) on Sept. 12 and defeated Air Force (3-0) on Sept. 20.
UP NEXT
The Aztecs will travel to the Beehive state for a pair of Mountain West Conference matches next week. The trip begins with a contest against 21st-ranked Brigham young on Thursday, Oct. 9, at 7:00 p.m. (MDT) in Provo, Utah. On Saturday, Oct. 11, the Aztecs will be in Salt Lake City to take on Utah at 1:00 p.m. (MDT).