SERVICE!: The Cal State Fullerton women's volleyball
team (9-7 overall, 2-5 in the Big West Conference) completes its first
go-round with Big West Conference foes this weekend as the Titans play
host to Utah State and Idaho.
The Aggies visit on Friday night (Oct. 15), while the Vandals come calling
on Saturday night (Oct. 16). Both matches begin at 7 p.m.
SERIES RECORDS: Cal State Fullerton is 13-15 all-time
against Utah State, but has lost the last 10 consecutive meetings to the
Aggies dating back to the 1998 season... the Titans' last win in the series
was in 1997, a four-game triumph at Logan, Utah... Fullerton is 3-11 all-time
against Idaho, losing the last five meetings dating back to 2001... the
Titans downed the Vandals in five games on Oct. 5, 2001 at Titan Gym.
BIG WEEKEND IN STORE FOR GOINS?: With a big weekend against Utah
State and Idaho, Cal State Fullerton senior outside hitter Lauren Goins
could reach a milestone accomplised by only three other players in Titan
volleyball history.
Goins stands just 42 kills away from her 1,000th career kill, ranking
fourth all-time with 958 kills during her 3-plus years in a Titan uniform.
Should she reach that plateau, Goins would become the first player since
Megan Sabo in 2000 to reach the 1,000-kill mark.
IN OTHER RECORDS: Goins also moved up a couple other lists last
weekend, tallying 25 digs to give her 845 for her career to rank seventh
all-time, and also had three aces to rank sixth with 89.
WHAT A RETURN: Cal State Fullerton sophomore setter Jenna Carney
made her return to the lineup a special one on Thursday night against
Pacific, racking up 40 assists and digging 10 balls in a 3-1 loss to the
Tigers. Carney missed the Titans' previous five matches after the passing
of her father.
DIG IT!: Cal State Fullerton freshman libero Vanessa
Vella is quickly making a name for herself as one of the best diggers
in the Big West Conference and in the school record books. Vella's 259
digs have her just 86 digs short of moving into the top five on Fullerton's
single season record books. Her 4.62 dpg rank her third in the Big West
entering play this weekend.
ALL IN WITH A PAIR OF ACES: Serving has been a strength
of the Titans in 2004, and that is reflected in the most recent Big West
Conference statistical reports. Fullerton ranks second in the league with
1.89 per game and the Titans have two players among the top 10 in the
individual category: Alyssa Opeka stands fifth at 0.45 pg while Lauren
Goins ranks sixth at 0.38 pg.
NOW AVAILABLE... HOME COOKING WITH THE TITANS: Cal State
Fullerton returns home this weekend to Titan Gym – a place that
has been very friendly to the Titans in 2004. Fullerton is 8-1 this season
on its home floor, posting the most wins at Titan Gym since the 1996 team
finished 9-3 at home en route to a 16-13 overall record.
GREAT WALL OF TITANS: Cal State Fullerton continues to play well
at the net this season, outblocking the opposition in eight of the team's
nine victories and ranking a close third in the conference with 2.64 bpg
(UC Santa Barbara is second at 2.65 bpg). This success is led by the play
of senior Tiffany Dolven, who ranks fifth in the league with 1.29 bpg
and has the most block solos (20) of any player in the Big West Conference.
MS. CONSISTENT: Cal State Fullerton senior Lauren Goins may not
have her picture in Webster's next to "consistent," but she
could be the poster child if she wanted to. Goins has posted double-digit
kills in 14 of the Titans' first 16 matches (including the first seven
straight) and has had 10 matches of 10-or-more digs (including a season-high
23 digs against Arizona State).
She's well ahead of last year's pace when she had just five matches of
10-or-more kills in the first 10 matches and in 18 overall. 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.
