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THE WEEK AHEAD: The Titans (9-13, 2-8) have dropped their last six consecutive matches and seven of their last eight and look to get back into the W column this Saturday against a scuffling UC Riverside (1-21, 0-10) squad which has won just one of their 22 games this season. The Highlanders won on Sept. 14 against Winthrop at the Bankers Classic in Stockton, but have lost 13 in a row since.
SATURDAY, NOV. 9 vs. UC RIVERSIDE (Titan Gym), 6 p.m.
Cal State Fullerton (9-13, 2-8) vs. UC Riverside (1-21, 0-10)
Series Record: Fullerton leads 25-4
Big West Record: Fullerton leads 23-3
First Meeting: Won, Sept. 14, 1984, 15-10, 15-6 (home)
Last Meeting: Win, Oct. 12, 2013, 25-15, 26-24, 25-20 (road)
Current Streak: Won 17
Last 10 Meetings: 10-0
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LAST WEEKEND: The Titans are coming off an 0-2 week that saw them drop a Halloween contest against then-No. 24 Cal State Northridge and then UC Davis, both on the road. Fullerton dipped to 3-7 all-time on Halloween and had their second-worst offensive performance of the year with just 29 kills as a team and just a .062 attack percentage. Julie Consani was a bright spot in the 3-0 loss, posting a 20-assist, 13-dig double-double while also adding a pair of aces and a block. At Davis, the Titans were roughed up in a marathon effort. After battling back from an 0-2 deficit and taking a 14-10 fifth-set lead, the Aggies rattled off six straight points for the win. There were plenty of stats to go around – Bre Moreland (16 kills, 21 digs, two aces), Alyse Hensley (16 kills, 11 digs and four blocks) and Holland Crenshaw (15 kills without an error for .484) provided the fireworks offensively for Fullerton.
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:
• Cal State Fullerton has an all-time lead of 25-4 against UC Riverside dating back to their first meeting in September of 1984. Fullerton has won 21 of the last 22 meetings including 17 in a row back to 2002. The Titans are 14-1 on their home court. The only loss came on Oct. 28, 2004, a five-set defeat.
• The Highlanders rank ninth in the nine-team Big West Conference all the major statistical categories except aces per set (7th) and digs (7th).
• Setter Mae Bender is 8th in the league in assists per set with a 7.39 average. Fullerton's Julie Consani leads the league at 10.90.
• UC Riverside Freshman Maddie Hubbell is third in the conference with 3.92 digs per set. Fullerton's McKenna Painton leads with a 4.59 scoop per set average.
• Bender and Hubbell are Riversides lone representatives in the Big West statistical Top 10 this week.
• Head Coach Michelle Patton is in her first season at the helm of the Highlander volleyball program. She came from San Francisco State where she led the Gator program to an NCAA tournament run in 2012.
TITAN TIDBITS:
• The Titans' six-match losing streak is the first streak of its length since losing six consecutive contests from Sept. 14 to Sept. 28, 2012.
• Fullerton has dropped 15 of it last 18 sets including 11 in a row from Oct. 25 to Nov. 2.
• Fullerton's 18.08 digs per sets ranks them fourth in the NCAA. McKenna Painton scoops up 4.59 attack attempts every set to lead the Big West and rank 72nd in the country.
• McKenna Painton recorded her eighth 20-plus dig match of the season last Saturday against UC Davis. She leads the Big West by nearly a half a dig per set at 4.59 and has the second-most total digs in the league (317). Bre Moreland (3.48 dps) and Alyse Hensley (3.28 dps) are 8th and 9th in the league behind Painton and have the 9th and 10th most total digs in the league, respectively.
• With 861 assists in 2013, junior Julie Consani has amassed 1,819 career assists, passing former Titan setter Jenna Carney (2003-06) for sixth on the Titan career Top 10. Next up for Consani is No. 5 Melissa Blackler (1995-97) at 2,360. Consani currently leads the Big West, collecting 10.90 assists per set (39th in the NCAA).
• Sophomore Holland Crenshaw is the only Titan represented in the Big West's Top 10 in hitting percentage (8th). The 6-foot-3 middle blocker / right-side hitter has posted a .300 average thus far, and after 17 kills this past weekend, has 167 kills in 400 swings. She's miscued just 47 times. UC Davis' Victoria Lee is leading the league with a .409 attack percentage.
• Senior Alyse Hensley has maintained her No. 4 status in the Big West in kills per set. The senior tacked on 25 kills last weekend and is averaging 3.15 blasts per set.
• Titan senior Bre Moreland is 16 kills away from entering the Cal State Fullerton career Top 10 in kills. With 16 more, she will be tied with former Titan middle Alex Wolnisty with 917 total kills. Her 17th 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 171-182 (.484). The sixth head coach in Fullerton's 37-year history, she is the winningest (.484) head coach in CSF volleyball program history.