Sept. 2, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format
AZTEC VISIT SAN FRANCISCO FOR USF ASICS/COCA-COLA CHALLENGE
San Diego State continues the early portion of its 2009 volleyball season on the road as it travels to San Francisco to play in the annual USC Asics/Coca-Cola Challenge this weekend. The Aztecs' first match in that tournament will take place at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 4, when it plays tourney host San Francisco. That evening they will continue action with a match against Rice at 5:00 p.m. SDSU will conclude tourney action on Saturday, Sept. 5, against Cal State Northridge at 4:00 p.m. The complete tourney schedule is as follows:
Friday, September 4 San Diego State vs. San Francisco....12:00 p.m. San Diego State vs. Rice..............5:00 p.m. San Francisco vs. CSU Northridge......7:00 p.m.Saturday, September 5 Rice vs. CSU Northridge..............11:00 a.m. San Diego State vs. CSU Northridge....4:00 p.m. San Francisco vs. Rice................7:00 p.m.SERIES RECORDS
San Diego State holds a 4-1 advantage over San Francisco since the teams first met during the 1986 season. The Aztecs won the first four meetings with the Dons before USF was victorious during the 2004 campaign at a tournament in Fresno. The only contest between the teams in San Francisco came in 1991 with the Aztecs winning the match in five sets.
The Aztecs' all-time record against Rice stands at 3-1. The teams faced each other for the first time in 1993, then played home-and-home matches in 1997 when both were members of the Western Athletic Conference. The most recent meeting came in 2003 in San Diego with the Owls claiming a three-set victory.
San Diego State holds a 9-2 edge in its series with Cal State Northridge that began in 1986. In their last match against each other, the Matadors defeated the Aztecs in four sets in Peterson Gym. SDSU had won the previous six encounters with CSUN, but had not faced them since the 1996 season.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
San Francisco (1-2) began its season with losses to Oregon and Missouri State before recording a win over Eastern Washington. The Dons are led by outside hitters Sarah Mandala (4.36 k/s, 1.91 b/s) and Anna Berger (2.45 k/s, 0.55 b/s). Mandala was a first-team all-West Coast Conference selection in 2008. Libero Haley Carroll is averaging 4/73 digs per set. At middle blocker, Erin Bragg (1.00 b/s) and Hadley Simmons (1.18 b/s) are both averaging at least a block per set.
Rice is off to a 4-1 start with its lone loss coming against Oklahoma at its own Mizuno Invitational last weekend. Wins have come against Nicholls State, Central Arkansas, Houston Baptist and Sam Houston State. The Owls top offensive players include middle blocker Natalie Bogan (3.28 k/s, .382, 0/56 b/s) and outside hitter Jessie Boulavsky (2.76 k/s, .351). Tracey Lam is averaging 5.50 digs/set as the Owls' libero.
Cal State Northridge's record stands at 2-1 after wins over Boise State and Northern Arizona plus a loss to Tulsa, all at the Boise Invitational. Senior outside hitter Angela Hupp leads the Matadors in kill average (3.45 k/s) and blocking (1.18 b/s). Britney Graff is also averaging over three kills per set (3.18) along with 2.64 digs/set. CSUN has recorded almost three blocks (2.91) per set led by Hupp and Lynda Morales (1.18 blocks/set).
SALISBURY OPENS STRONG
Junior middle blocker Lauren Salisbury opened the 2009 season with back-to-back 10-kill matches (vs. Seattle and San Jose State). She is hitting .310 and averaging 1.30 blocks per set after SDSU's first three matches. She followed up a five-block performance in the season opener (vs. Seattle) with a six-block effort against San Jose State. Salisbury was named to the 2009 preseason all-Mountain West Conference team. She was a member of the 2008 all-MWC squad after a season that included a .344 hitting percentage with averages of 2.88 kills and 1.04 blocks per set.
IMPRESSIVE DEBUT
Freshman middle blocker Andrea Hannasch began her collegiate career as a starter in the season opener against Seattle. In that contest, she led the Aztecs with 12 kills with a .625 hitting percentage. She also recorded a service ace along with two digs and two blocks. The following afternoon vs. San Jose State she contributed four service aces in the victory over the Spartans. Hannasch is a two-time all-state honoree from Texas who also won a state high school title as a discus thrower for her prep track team.
EVANS DOUBLES UP
After the first three matches, junior Hannah Evans leads the team in kill average at 2.70 per set. Her 16 kills vs. San Jose State is the team's best total thus far. The 16 kills matched her SDSU career best, a total she achieved vs. Hofstra during her freshman season (2007). Evans also added 14 digs in that contest vs. San Jose State for SDSU's first double-double of the year. She started all three matches this past weekend after logging only one start last season.
PEARSON OFF TO QUICK START
Sophomore Paije Pearson had moved into a starting role in her second season as an Aztec after playing in less than half of the team's matches a year ago with two starts. She opened the 10 kills and four blocks along with a .562 attack percentage against Seattle last Friday. After three matches Pearson is hitting a team-leading .348 and is tied for second on the squad in kill average at 2.40 per set.
VAN ORDEN AT SETTER
Lauren Van Orden has resumed her role as the team's setter and set a personal best with 44 assists in the match vs. Seattle. She then notched 41 assists vs. San Jose State, her second-highest mark as an Aztec. She is averaging 11.10 assists per set. As one of two setters in a 6-2 formation last season, she averaged 4.73 assists. Van Orden has recorded eight blocks through SDSU's first three matches and her 0.80 b/s average is second only to teammate Lauren Salisbury.
JACKELS ON DEFENSE
Kristi Jackels, who redshirted as a true freshman in 2008, has taken over the role of starting libero from the graduated Michelle Ferrer. She recorded 13 digs in her first match for the Aztecs (vs. Seattle) and also contributed a pair of service aces in that contest. She then had 18 digs in the loss to fourth-ranked Washington. After three matches, she is averaging 4.00 digs per set.
AMONG THE LEADERS
After the opening week of play, San Diego State leads the Mountain West Conference in assists (12.30/set), is second in digs (14.60/set) and is third in kills (12.30/set). Individually, Lauren Van Orden's 11.10 assists/set leads the MWC. Kristi Jackels is second in digs at 4.00/set while Lauren Salisbury is third in blocking at 1.30 per set. In addition, Andrea Hannasch ranks fourth in service aces with 0.50 per set.
NEWCOMERS
In addition to Andrea Hannasch, SDSU has added two new players for the 2009 season: middle blocker Brooke Schlachter along with defensive specialist Stacey Hallam. Schlachter was a league MVP and all-CIF selection at Palm Desert (Calif.) High School where she was the school's athlete of the year as well. Hallam earned all-league honors on three occasions as a libero/defensive specialist at Capistrano Valley HS in Mission Viejo, Calif.
PRESEASON PROGNOSTICIANS
The Mountain West Conference coaches and media poll has predicted the Aztecs to finish seventh in the nine-team league. In the 10 years of the MWC's existence, SDSU has finished second (2002), fourth (2000, 2001, 2003), fifth (2005), sixth (1999, 2004, 2006), seventh (2008) and eighth (2007) in the final league standings. Utah has been chosen to defend its MWC title from a year ago with Colorado State picked to finish second. The results of the preseason poll are as follows:
Team (1st-place votes) Pts.1. Utah (8)..............1382. Colorado State (4)....1353. New Mexico (3)........1124. Brigham Young (2)......965. TCU....................896. UNLV...................877. San Diego State........538. Wyoming................389. Air Force..............17AZTEC NOTES
Senior Caitlin McMillan, who came off the bench in all three matches last weekend, had 12 digs in the season opener and is averaging 2.67 per set, second-best on the team ... Courtney Lamphier set a personal best with a pair of service aces in the match against San Jose State last Saturday ... With seven road contests to start the 2009 campaign, this marks the longest stretch that SDSU has been on the road to open the season since 1983 when it played its first 11 contests away from home ... In last weekend's action SSU used the same starting lineup in all three matches and utilized the same three players off the bench on each occasion ... Eleven of the 18 athletes on the team are freshmen or sophomores. The Aztecs have only two seniors: outside hitter Caitlin McMillan and libero/defensive specialist Courtney Lamphier ... Five members of the 2009 SDSU squad hail from Texas: Andrea Hannasch (New Braunfels), Lauren Salisbury (Southlake), Courtney Miller (San Antonio), Hannah Evans (Kingwood) and Kelsey Manasco (Arlington).