A Glance At The Big West Standings
Two weeks remain in conference play and the top four teams in the Big West - Long Beach State, UC Santa Barbara, UC Davis and UC Irvine - are separated by just one win. The 49ers hold a slight edge with a 9-3 mark, followed by UC Santa Barbara and UC Davis who are tied for second at 9-4. The Anteaters of UC Irvine round out the quartet with an 8-4 record.
Two of the top teams square off this weekend as UC Davis welcomes UC Santa Barbara to Upper Hickey Gym for a 7:00 p.m. contest on Friday, Nov. 13. The Gauchos won the previous meeting in Santa Barbara, Calif., 3-2.
Quick And To The Point
Long Beach State has seemed like a team on a mission this season, sweeping a league-high 13 opponents this season. Even more impressive, the last seven 49er victories have been by a score of 3-0. The three Long Beach State wins that weren't won in such domination fashion resulted in five-set marathons. UC Davis ranks second in the Big West Conference with 10 three-set 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 (.760), UC Irvine (.760), Long Beach State (.727), UC Davis (.667), Pacific (.640) and Cal State Fullerton (.600). The last time that happened was in 2004 when six teams registered an above-.500 overall mark.
Fullerton Strings Together Trio Of Wins
After suffering three straight losses, Cal State Fullerton got back on track and has managed to collect three consecutive victories to improve to 15-10 overall. The Titans now have 15 wins for just the sixth time in program history, four of those coming in the last four seasons. Cal State Fullerton closes out the home portion of its schedule Friday when they entertain UC Irvine at Titan Gym, where they are 11-2 this season. They follow that up with a road contest at Cal State Northridge Saturday evening.
Cal Poly Snaps Losing Streak
In had been nearly a month since Cal Poly added to its 'W' column, but on Saturday, Nov. 7 the Mustangs did just that. Cal Poly, who hadn't won a contest since Oct. 9, snapped a seven-match skid with a 3-1 victory over previous Big West leader UC Santa Barbara. The Mustangs, who lost four starters and five letterwinners in the offseason, features a lineup that consists primarily of underclassmen. In fact, four of Cal Poly's top-five hitters are freshmen.
UCSB, UCI, UCD Eye 20th Win
The Gauchos (19-6) are one win shy of reaching the 20-win plateau for the first time since 2005. UC Santa Barbara's nine conference victories are the most by the team since winning 12 league games in 2005, the last time UCSB captured the Big West crown. The Gauchos have four more regulars season contests, two at home and two on the road, to reach the 20-win milestone.
Also sitting one match shy of its 20th win of the season is UC Irvine (19-6). If the Anteaters manage to pick up at least one more victory in their final five regular season contests, they will tally just their third 20-win season since competing in the Big West. The previous two years were the 20-win plateau was reached were 2007 (21-11) and 2003 (24-10).
UC Davis, who collected 16 total wins over the past two seasons combined, currently sits at 18-9 with three regular season contests remaining. If the Aggies are able to notch two more victories, they will post their first 20-win season since competing at the DI level in the Big West Conference. UC Davis joined the league back in 2007, but were successful for many years at the DII level. The last time UC Davis showcased a 20-win season was back in 1996 when the Aggies boasted a 21-6 mark and advanced to the NCAA DII Tournament.
Long Beach State Homeward Bound
Long Beach State is scheduled to play its final two regular season road contests of the season this weekend before wrapping up its schedule with six home contests. The 49ers visit UC Riverside and Cal State Northridge this weekend before starting their homestand. The conference portion of their schedule wraps up next week with UC Riverside and UC Irvine visiting The Walter Pyramid. Long Beach State than hosts their annual Thanksgiving tournament where they are set to play four matches.
49ers Return To The Court As Conference Favorite
Long Beach State 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 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.
A Win For The Ages
Both Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State notched a 'W' against then-No. 7 UCLA at the Brea Embassy Suites Fullerton Classic (Sept. 18-19), an impressive feat for both teams. The Titans opened their home event with a 3-2 victory over the Bruins, marking their first win over a ranked team in program history and the first over UCLA in 14 matches dating back to 1980. With the momentum carrying over from the following night, the 49ers swept the Bruins for their first regular-season win over UCLA since the last time the teams met in 1996.
Also registering its first win over a Top 10 program this season is UC Irvine, who kicked off the 2009 with an upset win over No. 6 California at the Nevada Marriott Courtyard/Fairfield Invitational.
Crowning The Champion
Of the nine current members in the Big West, four of them have captured at least one Big West title- Cal Poly, Long Beach State, UC Santa Barbara and Pacific. Long Beach State leads the quartet with nine conference championships, followed by UC Santa Barbara and Pacific with five apiece. The Mustangs round out the field with three titles.
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.
Big West 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!