ARCATA — Lumberjack Arena is the best place for Humboldt State to shake off its recent struggles, and the Jacks welcome two chances to do just that this weekend. They return to the court Friday and Saturday, continuing October's stretch of nine home matches out of 11 total.
Perennially tough UC San Diego brings a 16-1 overall record and an 8-1 California Collegiate Athletic Association mark into Friday's match, which begins at 7 p.m. Provisional CCAA member Cal State East Bay (5-12, 3-6) will join the Jacks for a 7 p.m. first serve Saturday.
Head-to-Head
Two CCAA losses to the Tritons last year dropped the Jacks to 0-7 in the all-time series vs. UCSD. Humboldt State took UC San Diego to four sets in each meeting. …Cal State East Bay was going by its old moniker of Cal State Hayward the last time these programs met, back in 1997. The Jacks lost that outing in three, but lead the all-time series, 37-8.
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
Unable to generate any momentum, Humboldt State's efforts seemed to progressively deteriorate in last week's two matches. Even the most consistent part of the Jacks' game, their block, deserted them in Saturday's loss to CSU Stanislaus. …HSU continues to employ a thin crew of eight players, leaving Coach Sue Woodstra few substitution options. This week may provide a boost, however, as sophomore outside hitter Lesley Kalbrener will join the Jacks in practice for the first time since developing knee problems the second weekend of the season. Her last action was Sept. 5 at the California Clash. "We're uncertain how soon (Kalbrener) will be playing," Woodstra said. "She hasn't been in the gym or jumping yet, so we'll just have to see." …The current five-match losing skein matches the longest streak of consecutive losses that Jacks endured in 2008, and comes at approximately the same point in the schedule. …This weekend affords senior Danielle Wells a chance to complete her chase towards the Jacks' all-time blocking record. Entering the two matches with 336 career blocks, she stands six shy of the 342 achieved by HSU record-holder Jennifer Lundeen.
Opponent Notes
Ranked No. 3 in last week's American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) national poll, the UC San Diego Tritons added a pair of league wins to their record last weekend. They routed San Francisco State in three Friday before earning a four-set victory over Cal State Monterey Bay on Saturday. …Elaine Chen leads the conference with 11.25 assists per set. The Tritons are the top serving team in the conference with 156 total aces, and Roxanne Brunsting is the CCAA's individual leader with 0.59 aces per set. …Cal State East Bay will wait to enter the CCAA as a full member next year, but this year's results still count for the league standings. The Pioneers are ineligible for postseason, however. …CSUEB's inaugural volleyball season has resulted in a 5-12 record thus far, and the Pioneers are 3-6 in CCAA matches. …Sukhjit Athwal is CSUEB's top hitter, averaging 2.71 kills per set. Brianna Bryant is the Pioneers' top defensive player, totaling 53 blocks for an average of .90 per set. Lauren Massa had 323 digs to pace her team in that category.
Woodstra's Words
“We played well at times this past weekend. We just need to keep doing what we're doing and find some confidence." … "UC San Diego is obviously playing pretty well. They're very athletic players, with an exceptional setter and several other players leading the conference in different categories." … "(The Tritons) control the game offensively, and are generally a good ball-handling team." … "I don't know too much about East Bay. I do know that they're right in the mix with everybody else. There isn't much, if any, step down in playing any team in this conference." …"It's kind of strange being home two weeks in a row after traveling so much, but very nice."
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.
