Aggies On Top
Last week UC Davis knocked off No. 23 UC Irvine, 3-1, and downed UC Riverside, 3-0, to extend its win streak to six and gain possession of first place in the Big West Conference with just three weeks remaining in league play. The six straight wins represents the longest streak for UC Davis volleyball since earning seven consecutive victories to open the 1999 season. UC Davis currently owns a 9-2 conference record, nearly double the amount of wins the Aggies accumulated the past two seasons combined. In just their third season competing at the DI level in the Big West Conference, the Aggies (18-7 overall) are guaranteed their first winning season. This week UC Davis faces Cal State Fullerton and preseason favorite Long Beach State.
Looking Ahead For The Gauchos
Winning seven of the last eight matches has positioned UC Santa Barbara in second place in the league standings with an 8-3 record, well within striking distance of first place UC Davis at 9-2. The Gauchos, eyeing their fifth Big West Conference title, embark on a four-match road trip which includes stop at UC Davis on Nov. 13. While posting a near-perfect 9-1 record when playing at The Thunderdome, UC Santa Barbara is 5-3 on the road this season. The Gauchos begin their journey Tuesday, Nov. 3 with a 7:00 p.m. contest at Cal State Northridge.
Pacifics Tomaszewska Leading The Way
Natalia Tomaszewska continues to pace the Tigers squad and the Big West Conference with an impressive .350 hitting percentage. If the senior middle blocker continues to occupy the top spot in the league for the remainder of the year, she will become the first Pacific to lead the conference since Jennifer Joines concluded the 2000 season with a league-high .402 clip.
Titans Post First Road Victory
A sweep over Cal Poly on Halloween night gave Cal State Fullerton its first road win of 2009. The Titans had dropped seven straight road matches before picking up their first victory last weekend. It also marked Cal Polys first home loss against Cal State Fullerton in 20 matches. Cal State Fullerton returns to Titan Gym for their final three home contests before closing out the season on a four-match road trip.
Quick And To The Point
Long Beach State has seemed like a team on a mission this season, sweeping a league-high 11 opponents this season. Even more impressive, the last five 49er victories have been by a score of 3-0. Also pulling out the broom in recent weeks are the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos, who tallied scores of 3-0 in their last three wins.
Better Than 50-50
If the 2009 season were to end right now, there would be six teams with an above .500 overall record - UC Santa Barbara (.783), UC Irvine (.739), UC Davis (.720), Long Beach State (.700), Pacific (.696) and Cal State Fullerton (.565). The last time that happened was in 2004 when six teams registered an above-.500 overall mark.
UC Irvine Slips In Polls After Rocky Road Trip
For the first time all season, UC Irvine posted back-to-back losses which knocked them out of the Top 25 for the first time. Over Halloween weekend, the Anteaters fell to both UC Davis, 3-1, and Pacific, 3-1. The last time the Anteaters dropped two straight contests was October 2008 when they struggled against Cal State Fullerton and Pacific. UC Irvine looks to get back to its winning ways when it hosts Seattle in a nonconference matchup Tuesday evening.
Struggles In San Luis Obispo
A year removed from back-to-back Big West championships, Cal Poly finds themselves in eighth place in the conference standings with a 2-10 conference mark. Part of the reason for the struggles this year is the amount of youth on the Mustangs squad. They lost four starters and five letterwinners in the offseason and now feature a lineup that consists primarily of underclassmen. In fact, four of Cal Polys top-five hitters are freshmen. Although, the Mustangs havent gone down without a fight. Five of the last seven contest Cal Poly losses were determined in the fifth and final set. The Mustangs look to snap a seven-match skid on Nov. 7 when they host UC Santa Barbara.
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, entered the season as defending Big West champions after capturing their ninth title a season ago with a 13-3 conference mark. Long Beach State currently sits third in the league with a 7-3 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.
Live On The Net
The Big West Conference and the CBS College Sports Network are partnering to bring you exclusive coverage of Big West sports, press conferences, interviews and features into your home via the Internet! Now in its fifth year, BigWest.TV covers every home and conference contest in womens volleyball as well as mens and womens basketball. Also covered are select contests in mens and womens soccer, baseball, softball, and Big West Conference Championships. A monthly subscription of $9.95 or an annual subscription of $79.95 delivers exclusive coverage to you. If you cant make it to the gym or the field, you can still catch all the action on BigWest.TV!