FULLERTON, Calif. – The Titans return to Titan Gym this week to face second-place Long Beach State in a midweek contest followed by a match with UC Riverside on Saturday night.
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 for both matches this week will be available through FullertonTitans.com
Audio Webcast: A live audio broadcast will be available for both of Fullerton's matches this week. Links at FullertonTitans.com
Live Stats: Live in-game stats for both matches this week 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.
WEDNESDAY, NOV 4 VS. LONG BEACH STATE
(TITAN GYM), 7 P.M.
Cal State Fullerton vs. Hawai'i
Series Record: Long Beach State leads 66-5
First Meeting: Lost, Nov.10, 1980, 4-15, 5-15, 12-15
Last Meeting: Lost, Nov. 29, 2014, 16-25, 10-25, 13-25
Current Streak: Lost 5
Last 10 Meetings: 1-9
LONG BEACH STATE NOTES:
Long Beach State comes into Titan Gym on Wednesday night having won seven of its last eight matches including a pair of road victories over UC Irvine and UC Davis this past weekend. The 49ers are currently sitting in second place in the Big West Conference, a game and a half back of the No. 6 Rainbow Wahine, who defeated the Titans on Sunday night.
BARBER GOES BACK-TO-BACK
For the second straight week, junior Nele Barber was named the Big West Women's Volleyball Player of the Week, the conference announced Monday.
Barber continues to lead Long Beach State in several facets of the game, recording team highs in both kills and digs during four-set victories on the road at UC Irvine and UC Davis. Barber had her second-straight match with 20+ kills against the Anteaters, registering number 21 on match point. She also added a team-leading 16 digs in the win.
Against UC Davis, Barber achieved her 19th double-double of the campaign, putting up 16 kills and 19 digs, plus three blocks. For the week, the junior averaged 4.62 kills and 4.38 digs per set. Barber currently ranks third in the Big West in kills/set (3.98) and 10th in digs/set (3.30), one of just two players to appear in the Top 10 in both categories.
She ranks second in the conference in total kills this season with 366, and 174 of those have come during her 11 conference matches, trailing only Kaylin Squyres of UC Davis.
SATURDAY, NOV. 7 VS. UC RIVERSIDE
(TITAN GYM), 7 P.M.
Cal State Fullerton vs. UC Riverside
Series Record: Cal State Fullerton Leads 28-5
First Meeting: Won, Sept. 14, 1984, 15-10, 15-6
Last Meeting: Lost, Sept. 25, 2015, 27-25, 10-25, 25-14, 29-31, 10-15
Current Streak: Lost 1
Last 10 Meetings: 9-1
FIRST MEETING VS UC RIVERSIDE:
Cal State Fullerton got double-digit kills from three players but it was not enough as the Titans fell 3-2 (27-25, 10-25, 25-14, 29-31, 10-15) Friday night at the SRC Center in Riverside, Calif.
Megann Delgado set a new career high with 18 kills for the Titans (0-13, 0-1) and also posted a .275 attacking percentage while Kyra Hill and Kyra Smith added 16 and 13 kills respectively against the Highlanders (6-8, 1-0). Mackenzie Olsen recorded her second double-double of the season with 45 assists and 12 digs while Rachel Brown posted a new career high with 18 digs to lead the team.
For the Highlanders, Alexis Urbach led the way with 18 kills while Helena Peric added 16, Alex Gresham had 12 kills and Meg Graham posted 11 in the win. Peric finished with a double-double as she added 10 digs while Chelsea Doyle added a double-double of her own with 47 assists and 13 digs.
UC RIVERSIDE NOTES:
The Highlanders are coming off a four-set loss to the No. 6 Rainbow Wahine in Honolulu on Friday night. The Highlanders took a set off the Rainbow Wahine for the second straight season, scoring a 25-18 win in the third set at the Stan Sheriff Center. Riverside will host CSUN on Tuesday night before heading to Fullerton on Saturday night to face the Titans for the second time this season.
HUBBEL LEADING THE CONFERENCE
Maddie Hubbel has accumulated 412 digs in 86 sets played this season, good for a 4.78 per set average to lead the Big West and rank 53rd in the nation overall. She also leads the conference in total digs and is 80th in the nation in that category.
GET DEFENSIVE
As a team, the Highlanders are averaging 15.49 digs per set, which ranks second in the Big West behind only Cal Poly. It also rates as the 103rd best mark in the country. Along with conference leader Hubbel, Chelsea Doyle (247 digs, 2.87 average), Cristina Maietta (165, 1.99) and Fabiana Rosas (149, 1.96) have anchored the defense for Riverside this season.
TITANS EFFICIENT IN LOSS:
The Titans posted their second best attacking percentage in Sunday night's loss at Hawai'i. Fullerton posted a .261 clip (34-11-88) in the three-set loss to the No. 6 Rainbow Wahine. The 34 kills were also the most the Titans have recorded in a three-set match this season.
HILL LEADING THE WAY:
After recording a team-high 12 kills to go along with a .300 attacking percentage, Kyra Hill continues to lead the Titans offensively this season. Hill has posted 169 kills in 67 sets played, good for a 2.52 per set average.
RAISING THE ROOF:
Freshman Kyra Smith has racked up 22 solo blocks this season, which leads the Big West Conference. Overall, Smith has tallied 65 total blocks to place 11th in the conference.
OLSEN WITH THE HELPERS:
Mackenzie Olsen has dished out 576 assists for the Titans this season, which ranks sixth in the Big West. She is averaging 7.68 helpers per set, which places her seventh in the conference. Olsen also leads the team with three double-doubles this season after leading the Titans with eight last season.
THE HOME-STRETCH:
The Titans will play five of their last seven matches at Titan Gym following Sunday night's trek to Hawai'i.
THE SLIDE CONTINUES:
Fullerton has lost its first 21 matches of the season for the second time since 1980 and first since 1994. It is the third worst start in program history. The Titans went 1-28 after losing the first 26 matches of the season in 1994 and dropped 25 straight to start 1992. In 1993, Fullerton lost 18 straight games to open the year.
DELGADO SETTING CAREER BESTS THIS SEASON:
Megann Delgado had 40 attacks on Oct. 23 against UC Irvine, tying her career high. She hammered down a career-best 18 kills on Sept. 25 in the conference opener at UC Riverside. Delgado also set a new best with a .275 hitting percentage (18-7-40). She also set a new career mark with 14 digs at Cal Poly on Oct. 16.
