Big West In The Top 25
Long Beach grabbed the 22nd spot in the most recent edition of the AVCA Top 25 poll to lead the Big West Conference. After going 1-1 in the opening weekend of conference play, UC Irvine slipped three spots to hold the 24th slot. Just missing out of its first Top 25 ranking of the season is UC Santa Barbara, who tallied a 3-0 week and captured its third win over a ranked opponent this season.
Off To A Good Start
Both UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara opened Big West Conference play with a pair of wins last weekend to sit atop the standings with a 2-0 record.
The last time UC Davis opened 2-0 in conference was 1996, when the Aggies beat Chico State and Cal State Hayward (now known as Cal State East Bay) to start out 2-0 in the Northern California Athletic Conference.
The 2-0 conference mark improves UCSBs record to 11-2 and extended the Gauchos' win streak to six. It is UCSB's best start to a season since opening the 2002 season with 23 straight wins. The six straight victories is UCSB's longest winning streak since capturing its final eight regular-season matches at the end of the 2005 season.
UC Davis Opens Conference Play With A Bang
Aside from the 2-0 league record, the Aggies also demonstrated they are a team to be reckoned with after defeating Pacific, 25-18, 20-25, 25-22, 25-16, in its first conference match of the 2009 season. The win marks the first time in 13 tries UC Davis has defeated Pacific, a series that dates back to the program's AIAW days in the 1970's.
UCSB's Record Setting Performers
In UC Santa Barbara's match against then-No. 21 UC Irvine, Leah Sully finished with seven service aces, setting a school record under the rally scoring format (since 2001). Sully's seven aces are the most by a player at UCSB since Maria Reyes tallied that many in a match vs. Cal State Fullerton in 1990. Rebecca Saraceno's career and game-high 29 kills tied for third-most in UCSB school history (rally scoring).
Fullerton's Zimmerman Goes For 100th Career Win
Current head coach Carolyn Zimmerman, the all-time winningest coach in Cal State Fullerton history, and her Titan volleyball team own a 9-5 record. The nine wins bumps Zimmerman's career win total to 99, one shy of the 100-win milestone. She will get an opportunity to notch her 100th victory this weekend when the Titans host conference foes Cal Poly (10/2) and UC Santa Barbara (10/3). 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.
Welcome Home Party For UC Riverside
After closing out an 11-match season-opening road trip, the UC Riverside Highlanders play their first contest at the Student Recreation Center Friday, Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m. when they entertain UC Davis. The Highlanders follow that up with a showdown with the Pacific Tigers Saturday at 7:00 p.m.
Gauchos Lead The Way Offensively
UC Santa Barbara paces the Big West in three offensive categories - hitting percentage, kills and assists. Led by Stacey Schmidt's league-best .424 hitting percentage, the Gauchos squad has combined for an impressive .276 clip, which ranks 14th nationally. They also average 14.43 kills and 13.29 assists per game. Individually, Dana Vargas paces the Big West with 11.55 assists per set, while senior Rebecca Saraceno sits second in the league with a 4.41 kill average.
On The Road Again
Following a five-match homestand, that included the Mission Inn of Pismo Beach Invitational at Mott Gym, Cal Poly packs its bags for its second extended road trip of the season. The Mustangs opened the 2009 season with a 10-match trek through Colorado and Utah. Cal Poly opens its road trip Friday, Oct. 2 at Cal State Fullerton.
Friday evening UC Irvine gets its first opportunity in nine contests to play in front of its home fans at Crawford Court. The Anteaters host the Pacific Tigers in their first home conference match of the season.
Home Court Advantage
As we enter the second week of conference play, three teams still have a perfect home record intact. UC Santa Barbara leads the way with a 4-0 record. The Gauchos are followed by UC Irvine (3-0) and UC Davis (2-0). Of the trio, the Anteaters are the only team to put their unblemished record on the line this week. UC Riverside's home record remains to be seen, as the Highlanders play their first home match of the season this week.
Flawless Against The Best
UC Santa Barbara is a perfect 3-0 against nationally-ranked opponents. Back on Sept. 4 & 5, the Gauchos traveled to the Jenny Craig Pavilion and upset then-ranked No. 15 San Diego twice. And just last week, UC Santa Barbara notched its third win over a Top 25 team when they downed conference foe No. 21 UC Irvine, 3-2. This week the Gauchos play their fourth ranked opponent when they visit The Walter Pyramid to battle the 22nd-ranked Long Beach State 49ers. Game time is slated for 7:00 p.m.
A Break From The Norm
After just one week of conference play, Cal State Northridge is already taking a break from Big West competition this week to battle Cal State Bakersfield in nonconference action. The Matadors and Roadrunners square off Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 7:00 p.m. on the campus of CSUB.
49ers Return To The Court As Conference Favorite
The Long Beach State women's 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.