After having played 14 matches away from home, the Titans return to Titan Gym this weekend to host UC Irvine and UC Davis.
FOLLOW THE TITANS:
Fans can keep up with the latest in Titans athletics by following us on Facebook (FullertonTitans), Twitter (@FullertonTitans), Instagram (@FullertonTitans), and YouTube.com (YouTube.com/csfathletics). In addition, the volleyball team has established its own official Twitter page (@FullertonVB).
CATCH ALL THE ACTION:
Television: None
Streaming Video: A live video stream will be available for both matches this weekend. Links are available at FullertonTitans.com
Audio Webcast: Live audio broadcasts are available for both matches this weekend. Links at FullertonTitans.com
Live Stats: Live in-game stats for both of the Titans matches will be available. Links at FullertonTitans.com.
TICKETS:
Tickets for all Titans home games can be purchased online at FullertonTitans.com, or at the Cal State Fullerton Athletics Ticket Office, located in the Titan House on campus off of Gymnasium Drive on the northeast side of Titan Gym. Game day sales and will call tickets will open an hour prior to the scheduled time at the specific venue. All Cal State Fullerton students with a school ID get free admission.
RALLY TOWEL GIVEAWAY/PINK NIGHT:
Along with holding the annual Pink Night at Titan Gym, free rally towels will be given out to fans in attendance for Friday night's game against UC Irvine while supplies last.
FRIDAY, OCT. 23 VS. UC IRVINE
(TITAN GYM), 7 P.M.
Cal State Fullerton vs. UC Irvine
Series Record: UC Irvine leads 40-29
First Meeting: Won, Oct. 22, 1980, 15-8, 15-6, 15-10
Last Meeting: Lost, Sept. 30, 2015, 17-25, 28-26, 25-19, 24-26, 13-15
Current Streak: Lost 5
FIRST MEETING VS. ANTEATERS:
The Titans and Anteaters battled for five grueling sets on Sept. 30 at Crawford Court. Kyra Smith set a new career high with 14 kills and Mackenzie Olsen dished out a season-high 50 assists but it was not enough as UC Irvine pulled out the match, 3-2. Freshman Harlee Kekauoha led the way for UC Irvine with 19 kills and 10 digs.
UC IRVINE NOTES:
ANTEATER BLOCK JUMPS TO THIRD IN BIG WEST
-After going toe-to-toe with Hawai'i at the net, the Anteater block climbed from sixth to third in the conference with a 2.09 average.
-The team had been held to single digit blocks against Cal Poly and UC Riverside but found its footing against the Rainbow Wahine, registering 17 team blocks.
-UCI had 26 block assists and four solo stuffs in the four-set effort.
-The Anteaters left the net untouched and have logged zero blocking errors in five of the last six matches.
AKPAKPA TIES CAREER-HIGH
-Idara Akpakpa had a solid match and tied a career-high with seven block assists for the third time this year.
-The freshman also had a solo block against Hawai'i to go along with eight kills.
-Akpakpa is second with 62 blocks on the year and a .86 average.
-She has chipped in 80 kills and is averaging 1.11.
BLAIR BLOCKS CAREER-HIGH
-Emily Blair started in the second set for the Anteaters and showed her talent at the net with a career-high five block assists.
-Blair's previous best was two block assists against UC Davis.
-The setter also dished out 33 assists while picking up eight digs, her second-highest total this year and recorded two kills, including one that was bumped over and dropped in the middle of the Wahine side.
HAKIM BESTS PERSONAL MARK
-The Anteater back-row edged Hawai'i in digs, 63-61.
-Chloe Hakim led the team with a career-best 16 digs, two better than her previous mark of 14 against Oregon State.
-Hakim has recorded double-figure digs in four matches this year.
-She is averaging 2.37 digs per set.
SATURDAY, OCT. 24 VS UC DAVIS
(TITAN GYM), 7 P.M.
Cal State Fullerton vs. Titan Gym
Series Record: Cal State Fullerton leads 13-9
First Meeting: Won, Oct. 22, 1980, 15-8, 15-6, 15-0
Last Meeting: Lost, Oct. 10, 2015, 13-25, 23-25, 18-25
Current Streak: Lost 5
FIRST MEETING BETWEEN AGGIES AND TITANS:
Cal State Fullerton was swept for the 10th time this season against the Aggies on Oct. 10 at Hickey Gym. Kyra Hill tallied 11 kills to lead the Titans and Olsen dished out 29 assists with seven digs and four blocks. Kendall Walbrecht led the Aggies with 13 kills on the night.
UC DAVIS NOTES:
MIDTERM REPORT: At what is essentially the midway point of the conference season, senior Kaylin Squyres leads UC Davis at 4.58 kills per set in seven Big West dates, up from 4.38 in the preseason... Walbrecht went from 2.08 kps and .178 hitting in the first 14 matches to 3.67 and .225 in league play, mostly because of the position change... Eichie's hitting numbers have improved – 0.97 kps/.152 hitting to 1.42 kps/.258 – mostly since she was recovering from an injury to start the year... As a team, the Aggies are significantly up in aces (1.23 to 1.67) and digs (14.88 to 16.04), down in blocks (2.44 to 1.88); and largely even in kills (13.21 to 13.04), hitting average (.196 to .192), passing (.954 to .950).
MILESTONE WATCH: Squyres looks to jump from ninth to sixth among the all-time UC Davis career kills leaders... She enters the upcoming weekend with 1,044, putting her in range of Heidi Knapp (1,049 from 1988-91), Jen Bryan (1,052 from 1993-96) and Devon Damelio (1,058 from 2010-13)... Squyres also has 271 digs, needing 29 more to become just the second player in the Division I era to post both 300 kills and 300 digs in back-to-back seasons... Allison Whitson achieved the feat in 2011 and 2012; in fact, she went 400-plus kills and 300-plus digs each year.
STAT RANKINGS: Squyres paces the Big West Conference in kills per set (4.45) and total kills (338), although the margin ahead of Hawaii's Nikki Taylor (4.32) has closed... Bolko's 16 digs against the 'Bows lifted her average above 4.0 (4.04), good for third in the league... Eichie (1.19) and Kelechi Ohiri (1.05) are fourth and fifth in blocks behind the UH trifecta at the top... Junior Allie Wegener slipped to third in aces (0.33)... As a team, the Aggies rank second in blocks (2.26), third in digs (15.25) and aces (1.37).
DELGADO DOES IT AGAIN:
One week after recording her first double-digit dig performance on Oct. 10 against UC Davis, freshman Megann Delgado one-upped her performance as she set a new career mark with 14 digs at Cal Poly on Oct. 16.
ON THE DOUBLE:
Freshman J'Nai Higgins racked up her first career double-double on Oct. 17 at UC Santa Barbara. Higgins dished out 10 assists, one shy of her career high, and set a career-best with 11 digs against the Gauchos.
OVER THE HILL:
Kyra Hill set a new career high with nine digs at Cal Poly on Oct. 16, eclipsing her previous best of five digs that she set twice during her freshman season at UT Rio Grande Valley.
THE HOME-STRETCH:
The Titans will play four of their next five at Titan Gym. So far, the Titans have played 14 of their 18 matches away from home (eight road, six neutral site). They will wrap up the season with seven of their last 10 matches at home.
THE WRONG SIDE OF HISTORY:
Fullerton has lost its first 18 matches of the season for the fourth time since 1980 and first since 1994. They have matched the third worst start in program history. In 1993, Fullerton lost 18 straight games to open the year. The Titans went 1-28 after losing the first 26 matches of the season in 1994 and dropped 25 straight to start 1992.
