Matches 8-11: Fullerton Classic
Air Force vs. Cal State Fullerton
Date: Thursday, September 8
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Weber State vs. Cal State Fullerton
Date: Friday, September 9
Time: 12:00 p.m.
The Citadel vs. Cal State Fullerton
Date: Friday, September 9
Time: 7:30 p.m
Colgate vs. Cal State Fullerton
Date: Saturday, September 10
Time: 7:30 p.m
Location: Fullerton, Calif.
Venue: Titan Gym
Live Stats: FullertonTitans.com
Video: FullertonTitans.com
Tickets: FullertonTitans.com/Tickets
CAL STATE FULLERTON HOSTS QUALITY INN-PLACENTIA FULLETON CLASSIS
The Cal State Fullerton volleyball team returns home after a 1-2 showing at the Grand Canyon Classic to host the Quality Inn-Placentia Fullerton Classic beginning Thursday, Sept. 8 and concluding Saturday, Sept. 10. Fullerton welcomes Air Force, Weber State, The Citadel and Colgate to Titan Gym for the annual tournament. The Titans will take on Air Force Thursday night at 7 p.m., before facing Weber State and The Citadel on Saturday at 12 noon and 7:30 p.m., respectively. The Titans will close out the tournament against Colgate on Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m.
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 one hour prior to the scheduled time at the specific venue. All Cal State Fullerton students with a school ID get free admission.
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 THE TITANS
Cal State Fullerton home volleyball matches will be broadcast live over the internet at FullertonTitans.com. The Titans also offer live streaming video for home volleyball matches courtesy of Big West TV. Fans can catch all the exclusive action from the comfort of their home computers. To access the links, click on the audio or live video links on the schedule page.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 8 vs. AIR FORCE || 7 p.m.
Cal State Fullerton vs. Air Force
Series Record: First Meeting
First Meeting: N/A
Last Meeting: N/A
Current Streak: N/A
Last 10 Meetings: N/A
AIR FORCE NOTES
Air Force brings a 5-1 record into Titan Gym for the Fullerton Classic marking the Falcons' best start in Division I history.
The Falcons are led by Elizabeth Pennington who was named MVP of the tournament and averages 4.14 kills per set. She also adds 0.75 digs per set and 0.21 blocks per set. Sarah Hellman is Air Force's setter as she has dished out 281 assists on the year to average 10.04 per set. On defense, the Falcons are anchored by Natalie Seitz who averages 4.11 digs per set.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 9 vs. WEBER STATE || 12:00 p.m.
Cal State Fullerton vs. Weber State
Series Record: Cal State Fullerton leads 4-1
First Meeting: Cal State Fullerton defeated Weber State 3-1 in 2006
Last Meeting: Cal State Fullerton defeated Weber State 3-1 in 1990
Current Streak: Won 2
Last 10 Meetings: 4-1
WEBER STATE NOTES
Weber State opened the season with a 3-0 showing at the Houston Baptist Tournament where the Wildcats swept host, Houston Baptist, before defeating Houston and Louisiana in four sets each.
The 'Cats are led offensively by Amanda Varley who averages 3.82 kills per set, while hitting .326. She also has posted seven total blocks, four digs and three assists thus far. Taylor Christensen is the team's setter with 118 assists to average 10.73 assists per set. On defense, Weber State is led by Jesse Hover's 4.64 digs per set and Megan Thompson's 2.00 blocks per set.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 9 vs. THE CITADEL || 7:30 p.m.
Cal State Fullerton vs. The Citadel
Series Record: First Meeting
First Meeting: N/A
Last Meeting: N/A
Current Streak: N/A
Last 10 Meetings: N/A
THE CITADEL NOTES
The Citadel brings a 2-1 record into the Fullerton Classic after the Bulldogs opened the year with a pair of wins over Morehead State and Gardner-Webb. Their only loss came at the hands of Robert Morris in a five-set defeat.
The Bulldogs' Moriah Smith leads the team with 69 kills for an average of 4.60 per set, while adding 56 digs to average 3.73 per game. Her digs are second only to Samantha Espy's 81 which are good for 5.40 per set. Logan Smith is the team's setter as she has dished out 105 assists to average 7.00 per set, while Priscilla Irzizarry adds 4.10 assists per set.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 10 vs. COLGATE || 7:30 p.m.
Cal State Fullerton vs. Colgate
Series Record: First Meeting
First Meeting: N/A
Last Meeting: N/A
Current Streak: N/A
Last 10 Meetings: N/A
COLGATE NOTES
Colgate comes into the tournament with a 2-3 record after having posted a 1-2 showing at the Cornell Invitational last week.
The Raiders' Kathleen Harris leads the squad with 3.50 kills per set to go along with a .215 hitting percentage. Molly Smith has set the tone for the offense with 163 assists for an average of 9.06 assists per set, while adding a team-best seven service aces. Defensively, The Raiders' Madison McAndrews has logged 72 digs to lead the team and average 4.00 digs per set, while Taylor Flaherty's 16 total blocks are good for 0.89 blocks per set.
ABOUT THE TITANS
Cal State Fullerton snapped a four-match losing streak with a 3-1 victory at Grand Canyon last week to bring the Titans' record to 3-4 on the year.
Shimen Fayad and Madeline Schneider have combined to lead the Titans' offense with Fayad posting 95 kills (3.96 per set) and Schnieder registering 80 kills (3.33 per set). Summer Kerins has done a solid job offensively as well as she leads the team with a .408 attack percentage (50-8-103). Freshman Rachel Hall has done a good job setting the ball with 179 assists to average 7.46 assists per set, while Precious Manu's 69 assists are good for 5.75 assists per set.
Defensively, the Titans' Madisen Babich leads the way with 3.53 digs per set, while Kyra Smith leads the team at the net with 0.92 blocks per set.
GETTING OFFENSIVE
Newcomers sophomore Madeline Schneider and redshirt sophomore Shimen Fayad lead the Cal State Fullerton offense as the duo have combined for 175 of the Titans' 301 kills. Fayad leads the way with 95 kills to average 3.96 per set and Schneider has contributed 80 for an average of 3.33 per game. Additionally, sophomore Summer Kerins owns a team-leading attack percentage of .408 after knocking down 50 kills on 103 attempts, while commiting just eight errors.
SETTING THE BAR
Rachel Hall and Precious Manu have split setter duties with Hall averaging 7.46 assists per set and Manu contributing 5.75 per set. The duo have done a solid job setting the offensive tone for the Titans as the squad averages 12.17 assists per set on the year.
BLOCK PARTY
Sophomore middle blocker Kyra Smith, who led the Titans at the net last season as a freshman, did not waste any time this year. Smith, boasts a team-leading 22 blocks (2 solo blocks and 20 block assists) on the year as she is now averaging 0.92 blocks per set.
ACES WILD
Shimen Fayad had quite a day at the line in the opening weekend as she served up six aces in one match to help Cal State Fullerton defeat Mississippi Valley State. With her half-dozen service aces, Fayad made her way into the Titans' single-match record book as she tied for fourth most aces in a single match. She now leads the team with nine aces on the year to average 0.38 per set.
UP NEXT
Cal State Fullerton hits the road for its final tournament of the season when the Titans head down to San Diego, Calif., for the SDSU/USD Mixer on Friday, Sept. 16 and Saturday, Sept. 17. The Titans will take on San Jose State Friday at 4:30 p.m., before meeting up with the co-hosts of the tournament on Saturday. On the final day of the tournament, the Titans will go up against San Diego on Saturday at 10 a.m., before finishing up with San Diego State at 2:30 p.m.
