Nov. 13, 2008

Weekly Match Notes in PDF Format

NORTHRIDGE HEADS NORTH FOR FINAL ROAD MATCHES AT PACIFIC, UC DAVIS Cal State Northridge (7-20, 1-12 Big West) heads to Northern California this week as the Matadors play their final two road matches of 2008. Northridge travels to Pacific (9-14, 8-5 Big West) on Friday before heading to UC Davis (12-14, 4-9 Big West) on Saturday. Both matches begin at 7 p.m. The Matadors defeated Pacific in this season's first meeting 3-1 in The Matadome and lost in straight sets to UC Davis in Northridge. The Tigers are a perfect 7-0 in Stockton this year while the Aggies are 3-5 on their home court.

NORTHRIDGE ON THE NET Both matches this week will be available via Gametracker at GoMatadors.com and will also be available via live video streaming at BigWest.TV. Get exclusive coverage of Big West Conference action by logging on to BigWest.TV! Now in it's fourth year, BigWest.TV gives fans on-demand access to Big West sports as well as press conferences, features and Big West Conference Championships. If you can't make it to the gym or the field, head to www.BigWest.TV to catch up on your favorite team!

MATADORS CLAIM ROAD WIN AT CSU BAKERSFIELD, FALL AT CAL STATE FULLERTON Sophomores Siara Grayson and Brittany Williams each pounded a team-high 16 kills as Cal State Northridge snapped a four-match skid as well as an eight-match road losing streak with a thrilling 25-21, 20-25, 25-21, 28-30, 15-12 non-conference win at Cal State Bakersfield. Grayson was a force on the hitting front as well as the service line on Thursday as the sophomore hit .400 with just two hitting errors in 35 swings on her way to 16 kills. She also added a career-high seven aces to her team-leading total of 29 and completed her first career double-double by adding a team-high 10 digs. Junior Angela Hupp posted a match-high 16 kills and added a team-high 18 digs but Cal State Northridge came up short 25-22, 19-25, 25-22, 25-17 to Cal State Fullerton Saturday night at Titan Gym. Hupp had a solid all-around match as she matched Fullerton's Brittany Moore for match-high honors with 16 kills while hitting .250. Hupp also added a team-high 18 digs and four blocks.

HUPP CONTINUES PUSH FOR POSTSEASON HONORS With just three matches remaining in the 2008 season, junior Angela Hupp is making a bid for All-Big West honors for the third straight season. After establishing a new career-high with 27 kills in a career-high 55 swings against UC Riverside on Oct. 31, Hupp has since established a personal-best for kills in one season. With 71 kills in her last four matches, Hupp, who has started 80 of 82 matches in her career, now has 288 kills for the season surpassing the 241 kills she posted during her sophomore season in 2007. She will also establish new career-highs in hitting percentage, total attempts and digs this season and is approaching her previous season-bests in aces and blocks.

NORTHRIDGE FOURTH IN BIG WEST IN BLOCKS, ACES The Matadors head into the homestretch of the conference season ranked fourth in both blocks and aces. Over the past few seasons, Northridge has proven itself to be one of the stronger blocking teams in the conference finishing as high as second in 2007. After approaching the Northridge single-season record with 332.5 total blocks in 2007, the Matadors have slipped a bit to 205.0 total blocks in 25 matches this season. After leading the Big West in aces in 2006, Northridge ranked fifth last season and is fourth so far in 2008.

GRAYSON SERVES HER WAY BACK INTO TOP-10 After being out of the Big West top-10 in aces per set for the first time this season last week, sophomore Siara Grayson vaulted back to fourth this week after serving up nine aces in two matches last week. Grayson fired a career-high seven aces at Cal State Bakersfield (to go with 16 kills and 10 digs for her first career double-double) and added two aces at Cal State Fullerton. Grayson now has a team-high 35 aces, 15 more than Amy Hultner who ranks second on the Matadors with 20. With five more aces over the final three matches, Grayson would become the first Northridge player since Kristin Sigel in in 1997 to reach 40 aces in one season. Sigel had 42 aces during the 1997 season. Shelli (Mosby) Orlandini holds the single season Northridge record with 77 aces in 1984.

CAREER RECORDS WATCH With just three matches remaining in 2008, several Matadors have etched their names into the Northridge career record book. Senior Kelley Hanson has reached the Matador career top-10 in sets played (411 - 6th), and digs (1,262 - 2nd). Hanson is just seven digs away from becoming Cal State Northridge's all-time leader in digs. Senior Amy Hultner ranks seventh in sets played (409), fifth in service aces (99) and is third in digs (1,208). Fellow senior Val Kepler ranks ninth in sets played (399), ranks first in block assists (401) and is third in total blocks (441). Junior Angela Hupp already ranks 10th in career assists with 1,293.

NORTHRIDGE NOTES The Matadors have struggled this season when they drop the first set of a match. Northridge has dropped the first set 15 times this season and have yet to win in those matches. After losing set one, the Matadors have battled back to force five sets on two occasions but have dropped the final set each time. Northridge is 7-5 when winning set one ... Since joining the Big West in 2001, the Matadors have finished last in the conference one time, 2005 when Northridge was eighth ... Despite dropping nine of their last 10 road matches, the Matadors are still a respectable 6-12 in road matches this season.

SCOUTING PACIFIC The Tigers (9-14, 8-5 Big West) host the Matadors and Cal State Fullerton this week. Pacific saw its four-match win streak snapped with a 3-1 loss at UC Irvine last Saturday. The Tigers also defeated UC Riverside on the road last week. Junior OH Mallori Gibson leads Pacific with 281 kills (3.47 kps) which ranks fifth in the Big West. Senior Alexa Anderson adds 2.33 kills/set. The Tigers are hitting .222 as a team. Head coach Charlie Wade (Cal State Fullerton, 1991) is in his third season with the Tigers and sports a 35-44 career and school record.

SCOUTING UC DAVIS The Aggies (12-14, 4-9 Big West) host Cal State Fullerton on Friday before entertaining the Matadors on Saturday. UC Davis has won two of its last three matches including a 3-1 win over Cal Poly on Nov. 1. Last week the Aggies lost at UC Irvine (3-1) before defeating UC Riverside in four. Senior OH Renee Ibekwe averages a team-high 3.71 kills/set which ranks second in the Big West while freshman OH Keala Peterson averages 2.41 k/s. Head coach Jamie Holmes (Bethany, 1994) is in her first season at UC Davis and owns a 12-14 school record.

UP NEXT FOR NORTHRIDGE Following this week's matches at Pacific and UC Davis, the Matadors wrap up the 2008 season at home against Long Beach State on Senior Night (Nov. 21). Prior to the match, the Matadors will pay tribute to their five seniors, Kelley Hanson, Amy Hultner, Val Kepler, Jenn Probert and Kayla Wright. The quintet of players have all played all four years at Northridge and have accumulated a 40-73 record.

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