ARCATA — California Collegiate Athletic Association volleyball begins its second half of the season this week, sending Humboldt State on the road for Friday and Saturday matches. HSU will try to improve on its 6-13 overall record and 2-9 league mark when it faces CSU Dominguez Hills (1-17, 1-10) the first evening and Cal State Los Angeles (12-6, 8-3) the second.
Head-to-Head
Each school won on its home court in 2008, splitting the two-match series, but the Golden Eeagles earned a 3-2 win in Arcata earlier this year to give CSULA a 10-3 advantage all-time. …Humboldt State had the same result against CSUDH a year ago, falling in four at Carson and taking the Toros in three at Arcata. On HSU still trails the one-sided series, 3-11.
LiveStats
Live statistics for all HSU home matches can be accessed at http://livestats.internetconsult.com/humboldt/wvball/ while the event is in progress. Play-by-play, individual statistics and other current information is displayed in real time.
Lumberjack Notes
Senior Danielle Wells has pulled even with HSU Hall-of-Famer Jenn Lundeen in the Jacks' record book, sharing the career lead with 342 blocks each. The senior from Ripon totaled three in each of last weekend's matches, earning her a share of the milestone she'll certainly claim for her own this week. "D has done an awfullly good job for us," HSU head coach Sue Woodstra said. "She's very competitive, and a smart player out on the court." …Last week's return of sophomore hitter Lesley Kalbrener brought some optimism, but she was still limited in playing time by her recovery from a knee injury. She'll likely see more playing time as her practice time increases this week. "Les gives us slight depth," Woodstra said. "She has to get back on the court and move around, and get used to seeing some things again." …HSU's losing streak now stands at seven straight, dating back to a win over CSU Monterey Bay on Sept. 18.
Opponent Notes
Cal State Dominguez Hills fell twice more last weekend, dropping matches in three straight to CSU Stanislaus and Chico State. The Toros have lost eight in a row, and like the Lumberjacks, have not earned a victory since Sept. 18. …Samantha Maxwell averaged a team-leading 2.86 kills per game, and versatile setter Cassidy Magnum has 266 assists. …Cal State LA had gone four sets in its last four matches, winning the last three. The Golden Eagles have scored wins in seven of their last eight overall. They are winless in five tries, however, in matches that have extended to five sets. …Gabriela Bulawczyk leads CSLA in kills, averaging 3.71 kills per set. Stephanie Gay is the defensive leader with 283 digs.
Woodstra's Words
“Starting the second half of league, everybody knows each other now. It's been four or five weeks since we've seen them, but we have a lot more information on them, as they do on us. We know what worked the last time and what didn't."… "CSUDH has struggled this season, but they battle hard. Like anybody, they want to do well. CSLA has settled down a bit more. They had new players come in at the start of the season, and they've gotten into more of a groove and played well lately." … "We're still doing some things well, but we're also trying to find a fourth or fifth gear that we can crank it up. I'm not frustrated, I'm just looking for the players to learn how to step up."
Lumberjack Links
Follow this link or paste it in your browser to access the current Lumberjack roster: http://hsujacks.com/roster.aspx?path=vball&. For current statistics following the weekend's matches, visit http://hsujacks.com/custompages/vball/2009/teamstat.htm?path=vball.
