Big West In The Top 25
After going 2-0 against UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly last weekend, Long Beach jumped two spots to No. 20 in the AVCA Top 25 poll to lead the Big West Conference. UC Irvine moved up one spot to sit 23rd following a 2-0 week. The Gauchos of UC Santa Barbara continue to receive votes, while Cal State Fullerton is being recognized for the first time in the history of the Cal State Fullerton volleyball program.
Long Beach State Atop The Big West Standings
Though it is early in the season, defending champion and preseason favorite Long Beach State sits atop of the Big West standings with a perfect 3-0 mark. The 49ers swept Cal State Fullerton to open the year and then downed UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly last weekend. This week Long Beach State travels to Northern California to battle UC Davis (3-1) and Pacific (2-2).
Fullerton's Zimmerman Captures 100th Career Win
Current head coach Carolyn Zimmerman, the all-time winningest coach in Cal State Fullerton history, collected her 100th career win after the Titans swept Cal Poly Friday, Oct. 2. The win also marked the first time Cal State Fullerton defeated Cal Poly since 2004 and just the second time in their last 24 meetings. Currently in her eighth year at the helm of the Cal State Fullerton program, Zimmerman has guided the Titans to a .500-or-better overall record four of the last five seasons.
Home Court Advantage
As we enter the third week of conference play, three teams have maintained a perfect home record. UC Irvine leads the way with a 5-0 mark at Crawford Court. The Anteaters are joined by UC Santa Barbara (4-0) and UC Davis (2-0). While UC Irvine hits the road this week, both the Gauchos and Aggies host conference matchups. UC Davis is currently playing its home contests at Upper Hickey Gym until Oct. 30 when the Aggies return to their normal facility - The Pavilion - which is currently under renovation.
The Streak Continues
The Long Beach State 49ers carry a six-match win streak into this week's competition. Among the previous six wins, four of them were sweeps, including a 3-0 victory over then-No. 7 UCLA. This week the 49ers face two opponents that have a .500-or-better overall and conference winning percentage in UC Davis and Pacific.
Aggies Looking Good In 2009
Two weeks into the conference portion of their schedule and the UC Davis Aggies hold a 3-1 record. UC Davis recorded just four victories in each of its first two seasons (2007, 2008) competing in the Big West Conference. Not only have the Aggies been successful in league play, they have fared pretty well versus nonconference opponents. So far this season, the Aggies have tallied an overall mark of 12-6, already matching their win total from a season ago. In her first season at the helm of the Aggies squad (2008), head coach Jamie Holmes was responsible for helping the Aggies double their overall victory total from the previous year. Now in her second season, she is continuing to make an impact on a UC Davis squad that is on track for its best output since joining the Big West three years ago.
Tigers Acing The Competition
The Pacific Tigers continue to dominate the Big West Conference in service aces with a 1.94 average, good enough for eighth in the nation. Mallori Gibson and Svenja Engelhardt sit one-two in the league with averages of .48 and .44, respectively. Teammate Rebekah Torres is close behind in fourth place with .41 services aces per contest.
Anteaters Record Personal Bests
Junior transfer Juliane Piggott picked up a career-high 15 digs and added a personal-best four blocks against UC Davis (10/3). She is currently second on the team with 167 kills and a 2.88 per-set average. Also putting up career-best numbers is senior setter Taryn Robertson, who tied a career-high with nine kills against Pacific (10/2) and also tied the eighth-best mark in the UCI match records with a .750 hitting percentage. Robertson did not commit an error in 12 attempts while posting 43 assists and seven digs in the win against the Tigers.
On The Road Again
UC Riverside followed up a season-opening 11-match road trip with a brief homestand that consisted of two conference matches against UC Davis and Pacific. Unfortunately for the Highlanders, they are looking at another four-match journey away from the Student Recreation Center. In all, UC Riverside will play 15 of its first 17 contests away from the SRC. The next Highlanders home event is Friday, Oct. 23 versus Cal Poly.
Gauchos' Offensive Prowess
Led by Stacey Schmidt and Rebecca Saraceno, UC Santa Barbara continues to dominate the league on offense. The Gauchos pace the Big West Conference with a .268 hitting percentage and a 14.27 kills per set average. Individually, Schmidt tops the chart with an explosive .388 hitting percentage and Saraceno holds the second slot in kills with a 4.37 mark.
In Search For A Victory
Cal State Northridge and UC Riverside are still looking for their first conference win of the season. The Matadors get their next opportunity for a victory Tuesday when the Matadors entertain No. 23 UC Irvine. If the Matadors dont prevail that evening, they get another chance Saturday when they welcome UC Riverside to The Matadome. Saturday's match guarantees one team will come out of the week with a W.
49ers Return To The Court As Conference Favorite
The Long Beach State womens volleyball team was selected to win its second straight, 10th overall, Big West Championship after receiving four first-place votes and 75 total points, according to the conference coaches in the annual Big West womens volleyball preseason coaches poll. The 49ers, looking to secure a 23rd consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2009, enter the season as defending Big West champions after capturing their ninth title a season ago with a 13-3 conference mark.
Big West On Twitter
The Big West Conference is excited to bring Big West Live to Twitter, a Twitter feed designed to give fans an in-the-stands view of select Big West Events. Bringing near-instantaneous photos, commentary, and updates, Big West Live is the first feed of its kind. Moving beyond the scores and stats, Big West Live delivers the color of Big West events.