ARCATA — Following a quick introduction to her squad at last weekend's Otter Classic, Humboldt State head volleyball coach Sue Woodstra will get better acquainted with her Lumberjacks this week when she returns to the East Gym to direct practice sessions following more than a year's absence. Woodstra joined the Jacks in Seaside last weekend after arriving from Beijing soon after her duties as Olympic assistant coach ended with a silver medal performance.

This week, her attention and that of the Jacks turns to the team's first home appearance, the Humboldt Tournament. Action begins Friday morning when HSU faces Simpson University at 11 a.m.  The Lumberjacks will also play the day's final match, battling Western Oregon at 8 p.m., then take the court for a 3 p.m. game Saturday against Academy of Art to conclude the tournament.

Tournament Notes:  Other matches scheduled for Friday are Western Oregon vs. Academy of Art at 1 p.m. and Academy of Art vs. Simpson University at 6 p.m. On Saturday, the only other match sees Western Oregon battling Simpson University at 1 p.m. … Originally scheduled to be played in the new Lumberjack Arena, the tournament will instead be held in the familiar East Gym. A construction accident that occurred two weeks ago while sleeves for the volleyball standards were being installed in the floor forced the change of venues. The Jacks hope to be in the new facility later in the season.

Live Stats: All Humboldt State University home matches feature LiveStats available online, allowing fans to track the action from their home computers. Conference matches can also be accessed  through the host school's web site.

Head to Head: The Jacks defeated Simpson University, 3-2 when the schools met for the first and only time thus far. ... Western Oregon defeated the Jacks 3-1 in their last meeting, dropping HSU to 6-16 all-time vs. the Wolves.. The Lumberjacks have never met up the Academy of Arts, a first-year program.

Lumberjack Notes: Transitioning to Woodstra should be a seamless process for the Lumberjacks, who have been guided by assistant James Kealalio during the past year plus. "James has done a good job of bringing them along," Woodstra said. "We're all just going to have to be patient and get used to one another." …Woodstra liked what she saw in the Jacks' potential last weekend, despite their 1-3 start to the season. "There is a lot of talent on the team, but we can obviously improve. We'll work on identifying those areas and move forward." …Senior Lynsey Adams was a stabilizing force last weekend, and she comes into the week as the team leader with an average of 3.53 kills per set. Mallory Briney and Joliann Arzadon are both averaging 2.73 kills per set. …As a team, the Jacks were nearly even with their opponents in overall statistical categories, and held the edge in blocking. Individually, Toni Kroeker posted an impressive team-high 13 blocks.

Opponents' Notes: Simpson University posted an overall 15-8 record in 2007, but has struggled to a 1-5 start this fall The team finally broke through with a five-set win over Cascade College last week.... Leading the Redhawks this season are Nicole Eileen, averaging 1.9 kills per set, and Teddy Sturley, who is averaging 3.9 digs. …Western Oregon University achieved a 16-10 record in 2007 and is out to a 3-1 start. The Jacks were one of the Wolves' victims at last week's Otter Classic....The Wolves have 10 returning players, including five starters...Western Oregon's current offensive leader is Stacey Bennett, who is averaging 3.54 kills per set. … Academy of Art is a first-year NAIA program that is off to a very respectable start. The Urban Knights, out of San Francisco, are 2-2, with wins coming against Grand Canyon and Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Woodstra's Words: "It's great to be back. It's been a long time, and I'm looking forward to the season." … "I expect this team will play like a Humboldt State team should. They'll battle hard and continue to fight for points."

###