Big West Openers on Tap for Streaking
Volleyball Sept. 14, 2004 – Fullerton, Calif.
WHAT'S NEXT: The Cal State Fullerton women's volleyball
team (6-1 overall in 2004) looks to continue its winning ways this week
as the Titans open Big West Conference play and meet a Pacific-10 Conference
foe in non-conference action.
The Titans open league play on Wednesday (Sept. 15) on the road at UC
Irvine at 7 p.m. before meeting powerhouse Long Beach State on Thursday
night (Sept. 16) at 7:30 p.m.
Fullerton will also play Arizona State on Saturday night (Sept. 18) at
5 p.m. at The Pyramid on the campus of Long Beach State.
SERIES RECORDS: Cal State Fullerton has historically
struggled against its first two conference opponents, going 17-32 all
time (losing four straight) against the Anteaters and 4-44 (losing 43
consecutive matches) against the 49ers. The Titans are also 1-13 overall
(losing 11 in a row) against the Sun Devils.
FOR OPENERS: Cal State Fullerton has never won a Big West Conference/PCAA
opener since joining the league 1985, going a combined 0-19. The Titans
are 0-2 all-time against UC Irvine in conference openers.
OUT OF THE GATE: Thanks to three victories this weekend,
the Titans broke out to their best seven-game start in 17 years, matching
the 6-1 start by the 1987 squad. A victory on Wednesday against UCI would
match the program's best-ever start, also by the 1987 squad, at 7-1.
FULLERTON CONTINUES ALL-TOURNAMENT HAUL: For the second
consecutive week the Titans dominated the all-tournament award haul, placing
a pair of players on the team and earning MVP laurels. Senior Carley Dial
was the MVP after ranking in the top five among tournament participants
in three categories, including leading the tournament in hitting. Lauren
Goins and Tiffany Dolven also earned all-tourney honors for the second
consecutive week.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN TRANSFER MAKING IT ROCKY FOR OPPONENTS: Cal State
Fullerton senior Tiffany Dolven has brought her high altitude game to
Orange County and is making things tough on the opposition thus far this
season.
Dolven leads the team in hitting (.402), blocks (44), and blocks per game
(1.76) and ranks fourth overall in the Big West in hitting and second
in blocks .
GOINS THE DISTANCE: Cal State Fullerton senior outside
hitter Lauren Goins continues to climb the record books in three different
categories.
Her 99 kills this season gives her 842 for her career and places her firmly
in fifth place all-time and just 93 more kills out of fourth. If Goins
matches her offensive output from last season (300 kills), she would become
only the fourth player in Fullerton history to reach the 1,000 kill mark.
In other record book news, Goins' 753 digs puts her three back of ninth
place on that all-time list and she needs just four more service aces
to move into seventh on that career list.
ABOUT THE TITANS: Cal State Fullerton returns eight letterwinners
from last year's squad which went 8-22 overall (2-16 in the Big West),
including five players who started 20 or more matches in 2003. The roster
is very balanced with a good mix of experience (seven upperclassmen, including
four seniors) and youth (eight freshmen and sophomores). Fullerton also
returns a potent offense with the returners accounting for just ovr 92
percent of the offense last season, 96.5 percent of the team's blocks,
and just under 52 percent of the digs from 2003.
TITANS PICKED NINTH IN PRESEASON COACHES POLL: Cal State
Fullerton was picked to finish ninth in the Big West Conference this season
according to a poll of the league's head coaches. The Titans, who finished
10th last season, received 21 points to finish ahead of UC Riverside –
the source of Fullerton's only two conference wins in 2003.
UC Santa Barbara received nine first-place votes and was picked to repeat
as league champs for a third consecutive season with 99 points.
