Nov. 4, 2008
Complete Release and Season Statistics in PDF Format
AZTECS HOST UTAH AND BYU FOR MWC MATCHES THIS WEEK
San Diego State continues it three-match home stand with contests against Mountain West Conference rivals Utah and Brigham Young this week. The Aztecs will open play when they face 24th-ranked Utah on Thursday, Nov. 6, at 7:00 p.m. (PST) in Peterson Gym. Video of that contest will be streamed live on the Internet at the SDSU home page (www.goaztecs.com). Two days later, San Diego State will face Brigham Young on Saturday (Nov. 8) at 1:00 p.m. (PST) on its home floor. Fans can follow the action during both of this week's matches on the Internet by going to Aztec web site and clicking on the GameTracker link under Aztecs Today.
SERIES RECORDS
SDSU's all-time record against Utah stands at 18-20 since the teams first met in 1982. The Utes have won 11 of the last 13 matches in the series with the Aztecs' last victory coming in Peterson Gym in September 2007. San Diego State is 11-5 vs. Utah at home, 7-13 in Salt Lake City and 0-2 at neutral venues.
Brigham Young holds a 36-17 advantage over SDSU in the series that began in 1977. The Cougars had won nine in a row over San Diego State until they were upset by the Aztecs at the 2006 Mountain West Conference tournament. With their upset in Provo in mid-October of the current season, the Aztecs have now won two of the last four matches against BYU. SDSU has a record of 6-15 at home, 4-17 away and 7-4 at neutral sites vs. Brigham Young.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Utah's record stands at 17-5 overall and 9-2 in the MWC, good for second place in this week's standings. The 24th-ranked Utes have lost only once in their last 11matches, that setback coming at the hands of eighth-ranked Oregon last week. Utah's offense is led by Lori Baird (3.13 kps, 1.32 dps, 1.46 bps) and Kathryn Haynie (2.83 kps, 2.35 dps). Emilie Toone, who redshirted with an injury in 2007, leads the conference in hitting percentage both overall (.415) and in league matches (.477).
Brigham Young enters the week with an overall record of 9-5 (4-7 MWC). The Cougars will play at UNLV on Thursday prior to facing the Aztecs two days later. BYU is led by Bryn Porter (3.00 kps, 2.01 dps) and Kayla Walker (2.84 kps, 2.05 dps). The Cougars rank third in the league in service aces with three players ranking among the top eight in that category (Morgan Lloyd, Rachel Dyer and Kiana Rogers).
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 210-208 (.502). Over the past 13 years, Warner has led his teams to three 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
In its lone match last week, SDSU came back to defeat UNLV in four sets (15-25, 25-23, 25-12, 25-22) Friday evening (Oct. 31) in Peterson Gym. The Aztecs were led by 13 kills from freshman Lauren Van Orden along with 12 each by Stephanie Darnall and Kelsey Manasco plus 11 from Kyley Sexton. Lauren Salisbury led all players with six blocks (including three solos) while Manasco added five.
MWC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Lauren Van Orden was named the Mountain West Conference co-Player of the Week for her performance in the Aztecs' upset win over UNLV last Friday. Primarily a setter, but also used as an opposite hitter, she led SDSU in kills (13) and assists (28) for her 10th double-double of the season, while hitting a career-best .632 for the match. Her 13 kills were a four-set match high this season and just two off of her career-best total of 15. Van Orden also had four digs vs. UNLV, while only committing one hitting error in 19 attempts. For the match, she averaged 3.25 kills, 7.0 assists, 1.00 digs and 3.25 points per set. She shared this week's conference award with middle blocker Emilie Toone of Utah.
DARNALL ON THE ATTACK
With 12 kills vs. UNLV, Stephanie Darnall reached double figures for the third straight match. She is averaging 3.45 kills per set over those matches. Her kill total in the UNLV contest marked the 12th time she has reached double figures in that stat category in 2008. She recorded her third double-double of the year with 14 kills and 10 digs against TCU two weeks ago (Oct. 23). She also hit .306 in that match, her third-best attack percentage of the season. Her 18 kills in the match vs. Wyoming (Oct. 16) represented a season high while her 13 digs in that contest equaled her season best (which she matched in SDSU's ensuing outing vs. Colorado State). Darnall's .378 attack percentage vs. Wyoming was her highest of the season. She remains second on the team in kill average at 2.69 kps. In MWC contests, she leads the Aztecs with a mark of 2.88 kps. She is also third in service aces with 10. Darnall has been in double figures in digs in three of the past five matches.
MANASCO COMES THORUGH
Sophomore right side hitter Kelsey Manasco matched her career-best attack percentage when she hit .500 against UNLV last week. In that match, she finished with 12 kills on 20 attempts with only two attack errors. Her five block assists tied a personal best as well and was one shy of her career high of six total blocks in a match.
SALISBURY PACES OFFENSE
Despite being held to just six kills by UNLV last Friday, sophomore Lauren Salisbury's continues to be the team's offensive leader in 2008. Over SDSU's last five outings, her hitting percentage is .425. She has recorded just six attack errors on 113 chances in those five matches. She leads the squad in kill average (3.05 kps), hitting percentage (.357) and points per set (3.83). She also ranks among the top 10 in the conference-match statistics in blocking at 1.20 per set. Her nine blocks at UNLV on Oct. 3 were a season high and one shy of her career best of 10 set vs. BYU in 2007. She has recorded at least one block in each of SDSU's last 20 matches. 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 13 of the team's 21 matches this season and has turned in hitting percentages of .300 or higher on 14 occasions. She has cracked the .400 mark in hitting percentage in eight matches. Her hitting percentage in each of the Aztecs' matches has been higher than the team's hitting percentage in that contest in 20 of SDSU's 21 matches in 2008.
SEXTON CONTINUES TO SHINE
Freshman Kyley Sexton has finished in double figures in kills in six of SDSU's last seven matches. Prior to that, she had been in double figures only once through the team's first 13 contests. Over the Aztecs last six matches, she is averaging 3.11 kills per set. Against Brigham Young (Oct. 9), she set career bests with 19 kills and a .531 attack percentage. Sexton set a career high with five total blocks against UNLV on Oct. 3.
VAN ORDEN DOUBLES UP
Setter Lauren Van Orden (who doubles as an opposite hitter) recorded her 10th double-double of the season with 13 kills and 28 assists vs. UNLV last Friday. Of those 10 double-doubles, eight have been a combination of kills and assists while the other two have included assists and digs. On four occasions in 2008, she has finished either one kill or one dig shy of recording a triple-double effort. SDSU's last triple-double was turned in by Aspen McPartland against Santa Clara on Sept, 5, 2003. Over San Diego State's last nine matches, she is averaging 2.44 kills per set.
MILLER TIME
Freshman defensive specialist Courtney Miller has appeared in every game (27) in each of SDSU's last seven matches after having played in just 14 games previously. In those seven matches, she has averaged 1.89 digs per set including 11 vs. Wyoming on Oct. 16 and at TCU on Oct. 23 plus nine in the three sets against Colorado State (Oct. 18). Her season high dig count of 14 came vs. Texas-Arlington (in three sets) on Sept. 5. She has recorded five service aces over the past five matches including a season-high two against both Wyoming and TCU.
HELLWIG AT THE NET
Redshirt sophomore Bailee Hellwig totaled four blocks in SDSU's match vs. UNLV last week. She has averaged one block per set or better in 11 of SDSU's matches this fall. She was held without a block in the contest against TCU in San Diego on Sept. 27 in which she played in only one set. It was the first and only 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 second on the team in blocking at 1.03 per set overall and 1.00 bps in league play.
LATHROP ON THE DOUBLE
With 29 assists and 10 digs at TCU (Oct. 23) and 21 assists and 10 digs at New Mexico (Oct. 25), senior setter Leah Lathrop recorded her second and third double-doubles of the season and the ninth and 10th of her SDSU career. Her 15 digs in the contest at UNLV on Oct. 3 tied her career-best mark set against Wyoming on Nov. 4, 2006. 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. She has finished in double figures in assists in 20 of SDSU's 21 matches this fall. Lathrop's three kills vs. TCU on Sept. 27 were a season high.
FERRER GETS DEFENSIVE
Senior Michelle Ferrer's had a streak of six straight matches in double figures in digs end with six vs. Colorado State on Oct. 18. She has since reached double figures in three consecutive contests including a match-high 15 in the victory over UNLV last Friday. Over SDSU's last three matches, she is averaging 4.27 digs per set. Through 21 matches, her overall average stands at 3.53 digs per set and she has been in double figures in that category a total of 17 times in 2008. Her dig average is almost double SDSU's number-two dig leader (Darnall at 1.88 dps) and she ranks sixth overall in the MWC this week in that stat category.
MOVIN' UP THE CHARTS
With 23 assists in last week's match vs. UNLV, senior Leah Lathrop has increased her career total to 2,543 to move into sixth place on the SDSU career list. She needs 113 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.
AMONG THE MWC STAT LEADERS
Lauren Salisbury ranks among the top 10 in the Mountain West Conference overall statistics in four categories. Her .357 attack percentage ranks third in the league while her 3.05 kills per set average is seventh-best. She is also fifth in scoring with a mark of 3.83 points per set and 10th in blocking at 1.04 bps. Michelle Ferrer is sixth in digs at 3.53/set. Leah Lathrop, who shares setting duties with Lauren Van Orden, is ninth in assists at 5.61 per set. Van Orden ranks 10th in service aces at 0.24 per set while Bailee Hellwig is 10th in blocking at 1.03 per set.
MWC-MATCH STAT LEADERS
Through the first 11 matches of the conference season, five Aztecs find themselves among the top 10 in league-match stats. Salisbury ranks seventh in blocking at 1.20 bps, sixth in points at 3.76 per set and sixth hitting percentage at .338. Lathrop is eighth in assists at 5.80 per set and Ferrer's average of 3.55 digs per set ranks fifth. Stephanie Darnall is 10th in kills at 2.88 per set while Bailee Hellwig is 10th in blocking at 1.00 per set.
AZTEC NOTES
San Diego State is hitting .262 as a team over the past four matches. Overall, their attack percentage stands at .198 through 21 matches ... The Aztecs .374 attack percentage vs. Wyoming was its highest of the 2008 campaign. Its previous best was a .273 percentage in the season opener, a three-set loss to UC Irvine ... Lauren Salisbury is the only player to have started all 21 of SDSU's matches. Stephanie Darnall, Bailee Hellwig and Lauren Van Orden have started 20 times each ... Stephanie Darnall is averaging 3.54 points per set in the Aztecs' last three matches ... The Aztecs' win at Brigham Young on Oct. 16 was their first in Provo since the 2002 campaign ... The Aztecs have reached double figures in team blocks 10 times this season (including four of the past six matches), most recently with 10 against UNLV last week ... SDSU's match at TCU on Oct. 23 marked just the sixth time that SDSU has won the first set in its 21 matches this season. The Aztecs are 4-2 in contests in which they have captured the opening set ... The seven service aces in the match against Wyoming on Oct. 16 was a team season high.
UP NEXT
SDSU makes its final conference road swing of the season beginning with a visit to Fort Collins, Colo., on Thursday, Nov. 13, to face league-leading Colorado State at 7:00 P.M. (MST). The Aztecs will then travel to Laramie to take on the Wyoming Cowgirls on Saturday, Nov. 15, at 7:00 p.m. (MST).