Long Beach State (24-5) clinched its league-high ninth Big West Women's Volleyball Championship after sweeping Cal State Fullerton in its final match of the season, improving its record to 13-3 in league play. This is the 49ers' first conference title since tying with UC Santa Barbara in 2005. Along with the conference crown, Long Beach State was awarded the conference’s automatic qualifier into the NCAA Tournament, extending its postseason streak to 22 years. Long Beach State's final scheduled home match this season is set for next Saturday, Nov. 29, when the 49ers host nationally-ranked Colorado State in their final tune-up before the postseason. The field of 64 teams for the 2008 NCAA Tournament will be unveiled on ESPNU from 7:00-7:30 p.m. (PST) on Sunday, Nov. 30.
A win over two-time defending champion Cal Poly secured UC Irvine (17-12) with a second place finish in the conference standings. The Anteaters won 10 of its last 12 matches to finish second in the Big West at 12-4, the second time the Anteaters have been the league runners-up in head coach Charlie Brande's nine-year tenure.
After two years at the top of the leaderboard, the Mustangs of Cal Poly (16-11) finished third in the conference with an 11-5 record. Cal Poly, 3-5 on the road this year, finishes the regular season with a two-match series at No. 6 Hawai'i Nov. 26 and 28, with both contests starting at 10:00 p.m. (PST). The Rainbow Wahine lead the all-time series with a 27-4 mark.
For the second straight year, the Pacific Tigers finished fourth in the Big West with a 10-6 record. The Tigers, 8-1 at the Alex G. Spanos Center, close out the 2008 season hosting the 30th Annual Bakers Classic November 28-29. Pacific begins the two-day tournament battling Portland Friday night at 7:00 p.m. and will face either Utah or Nevada on Saturday.
Cal State Fullerton grabbed the fifth slot in the conference with its first ever above-.500 conference mark of 9-7. The nine conference victories was also a school record for the Titan volleyball program. They conclude the year with a nonconference tilt at Loyola Marymount Tuesday, Nov. 25 at 7:00 p.m. The Titans, who trail the overall series 20-6, are looking to snap a 13-match losing streak to the Lions.
The Gauchos of UC Santa Barbara ended the season with a win over UC Riverside, snapping a five-match skid and improving its conference mark to 7-9 to place sixth. UC Davis bested last season's conference total of 1-15 with a 4-12 record to finish in seventh place.
UC Riverside and Cal State Northridge tied for eighth in the conference with a 3-13 record.