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THE WEEK AHEAD: Fullerton (9-11, 2-6) has struggled to get things back on track in recent weeks, most recently last weekend with an 0-2 record against visiting Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara. Standing in the way this week will be one of the hottest teams in the league in first-place Cal State Northridge (17-4, 7-1), the other fifth place UC Davis (12-9, 4-4). Both of the Titans' opponents are coming off upsets of then-No. 8 Hawaii.
THURSDAY, OCT 31 at CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE (The Matadome), 7 p.m.
Cal State Fullerton (9-11, 2-6) at Cal State Northridge (17-4, 7-1)
Series Record: Northridge leads 25-11
Big West Record: Northridge leads 18-7
First Meeting: Lost, Nov. 16, 1980, 11-15, 12-15, 9-15
Last Meeting: Lost, Nov. 24, 2012, 19-25, 22-25, 22-25
Current Streak: Lost 4
Last 10 Meetings: 5-5
Audio / Live Stats / Video
SATURDAY, NOV. 2, 2013 at UC DAVIS (The Pavilion), Noon
Cal State Fullerton (9-11, 2-6) at UC Davis (12-9, 4-4)
Series Record: Fullerton leads 12-5
Big West Record: Fullerton leads 9-3
First Meeting: Won, Oct. 29, 2004, 30-25, 30-19, 30-20
Last Meeting: Lost, Oct. 26, 2012, 25-22, 24-26, 15-25, 19-25
Current Streak: Lost 1
Last 10 Meetings: 7-3
Live Stats / Video
LAST WEEKEND: The Titans came out strong on Friday night against Cal Poly, quickly snapping a six-set skid that dated back two weeks with a set-one victory. But despite a career-high 22 kills from Fullerton senior Alyse Hensley, Cal Poly rallied to take the next three sets for a 25-19, 26-24, 25-15, 25-23 victory. On Saturday, the Gauchos of UC Santa Barbra overpowered the Titans, out-hitting them .341 to .196. Hensley provided the brunt of Fullerton offense (16 kills) with Holland Crenshaw (7 kills) and Faith Rockmore (8 kills) adding support in the 20-25, 25-27, 18-25 loss.
FOLLOW THE TITANS: Fans can keep up with the latest in Titans athletics by following us on Facebook (CSUF.Athletics), Twitter (@FullertonTitans) and YouTube.com (YouTube.com/csfathletics). In addition, the volleyball team has established its own official Twitter page (@FullertonVB).
TICKETS FOR UPCOMING HOME EVENTS: Tickets 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.
VOLLEYBALL PROMOTION NIGHTS: There will be one more promotion night this year when the Titans hand out free rally buff to all those in attendance (while supplies last) at the November 16 match in Titan Gym against rival Long Beach State. The match is slated for a 7:30 p.m. first serve.
A LOOK AT THE WEEK AHEAD:
• The Titans are 3-6 all-time on All Hallows' Evening, and will be playing its 10th Halloween match this coming Thursday night in Northridge. The Titans' last Halloween match came in 2009 with the Titans beating the Mustangs of Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. That win snapped a string of six consecutive losses back to 1992. Fullerton's first Halloween contests came with a doubleheader against Santa Clara at the Diet Pepsi Classic in Eugene, Ore., in 1981. Fullerton won both those games.
• Fullerton is 11-25 all-time against Cal State Northridge dating back to 1980. The Titans have dropped their last four matches against the Matadors, with their last wins coming in 2010, when they swept the season series. The Titans are 3-14 on the road against the Matadors, but are 3-2 in their last eve meetings away from Titan Gym.
• Northridge, a top the Big West standings, rightfully is near the top in most offense categories. They rank second in both hitting percentage (.269) kills per set (13.87) and assists per set (12.62). Defensively they rank third in blocks per set (2.39) and last (ninth) in digs per set (12.62).
• Sam Kaul (.322) and Casey Hinger (.322) sit fourth and fifth in the Big West Top 10 for attack percentage. Hinger is also a Top 10 blocker, sitting sixth in the league with 1.06 blocks per set.
• Matador setter Sydney Gedryn ranks third in the Big West in assists per set (10.42) and also sixth in service aces per set (0.29).
• Fullerton and UC Davis have a relatively short playing history dating back to 2004. The two programs have squared off 17 times with the Titans emerging victorious in 12 of the matches. On the road, Fullerton is 6-2, and have won the last three road tilts.
• UC Davis, as a team, sits higher than fifth in the Big West in just digs per set (third - 15.55) and aces per set (third - 1.30).
• Davis' Victoria Lee is leading the Big West in attack percentage at a whopping .409 clip. Kaitlyn Squires has collected 2.96 kills per set, good for 10th in the conference.
• Aggie blocker Katie Quinn is ranked fourth in the Big West with 1.07 blocks per set.
TITAN TIDBITS:
• The Titans four-match losing streak is the first streak of four or more games in 2013 and the longest since losing six consecutive contests from Sept. 14 to Sept. 28, 2012. The Titans have also lost 12 of their last 13 sets.
• With 782 assists so far in 2013, setter Julie Consani has amassed 1,740, 32 shy of tying former Titan Jenna Carney (2003-06) at 1,772 assists. The Titan junior is currently leading the Big West Conference with 11.02 assists per set.
• Sophomore Holland Crenshaw is the only Titan represented in the Big West's Top 10 in hitting percentage (7th). The 6-foot-3 middle blocker / right-side hitter has posted a .302 average thus far, and after 23 kills this past weekend, has 150 kills in 354 swings. She's miscued just 43 times. UC Davis' Victoria Lee is leading the league with a .409 attack percentage.
• Alyse Hensley was the most outstanding offensive player this past weekend for the Titans. The senior from San Diego set a career-high on Friday night with a 22-kill performance against UC Santa Barbara, and followed it up with a solid 16-kill effort against UC Santa Barbara on Saturday. On the weekend, Hensley made just six hitting errors while collecting 38 kills to hit a hefty .344. Hensley has also moved up to 4th in the Big West in kills per set. She's averaging 3.15 blasts per frame.
• McKenna Painton recorded her seventh 20-plus dig match of the season on Friday against Cal Poly. She leads the Big West by over a half a dig per set at 4.62. She also sits 4th in the conference in total digs with 282. Bre Moreland (3.52 dps) and Alyse Hensley (3.42 dps) are 6th and 9th in the league behind Painton and have the 9th and 10th most total digs in the league, respectively.
• Titan senior Bre Moreland is 37 kills away from entering the Cal State Fullerton career Top 10 in kills. With 37 more, she will be tied with former Titan middle Alex Wolnisty with 917 total kills. Her 38th will knock Wolnisty from the list. After that, Moreland will chase Heather Bassett's 935 kills from 1995-96, and Sarah Morrison's 954 kills from 2001-2005.
AWARD SEASON: Senior transfer Alyse Hensley followed up an all-tournament performance at the UNLV Invitational with an MVP effort at the Fullerton Classic. Hensley was named MVP of the tournament after averaging 3.14 kills per set and attacking at a rate of .337. She added a team-leading eight service aces along with 34 digs and nine blocks while totaling back-to-back double-doubles. McKenna Painton was also named to the all-tournament team after averaging 4.31 digs per set and five aces.
At Texas Tech, Bre Moreland was named to the Lone Star Showdown all-tournament team after averaging 3.22 kills and 4.78 digs per set. In addition Paige Reed earned all-tournament honors in Lubbock, Texas, after averaging 4.67 digs per set in the tourney.
2013 BIG WEST PRESEASON POLL: For the second straight year, the University of Hawai'i has been selected as the Big West Conference's top pick in the women's volleyball preseason poll, as selected by the nine league coaches. The Rainbow Wahine were a unanimous favorite, collecting all nine first-place votes en route to an 81-point total. Cal State Fullerton finished in seventh place with 35 points.
CAROLYN ZIMMERMAN: Entering her 12th season at Cal State Fullerton, Carolyn Zimmerman possesses an all-time record of 171-180 (.487). The sixth head coach in Fullerton's 37-year history, she is the winningest (.487) head coach in CSF volleyball program history.