The Week Ahead

• Sacramento State (10-11, 6-3) concluded a three-game road trip with a 3-1 loss at Portland State on Saturday night. The Hornets fell in four sets (27-25 in the 4th) and gave the Vikings all they could handle despite playing without the Big Sky leader in digs Caty Cordano (injury).
• Despite playing six of their first nine Big Sky matches on the road, the Hornets' 6-3 record is tied for third in the Big Sky standings, behind Portland State (8-1) and Weber State (7-2). They are tied with Northern Colorado (12-8, 6-3) who the Hornets host on Thursday night at 7 p.m.
• Sacramento State will also host Northern Arizona (3-13, 2-7) on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.
• The Hornets will now enjoy some home cooking over the final month of the regular season as five of their final seven matches will be played at home. The Big Sky Tournament will take place during Thanksgiving week (Nov. 23-26) in Ogden, Utah.
• Dating back to last year, Sacramento State has won 10 straight matches at home vs. Big Sky competition, and nine of those resulted in three-set sweeps. That includes a 3-0 record this year with sweeps of Idaho State and Montana State, and a four-set win against Montana.
• Two wins this week would clinch the Hornets a Big Sky Tournament berth.
• Northern Colorado will enter Thursday's match as winners of four straight, the second longest current winning streak in the Big Sky. The Bears are 2-2 on the road vs. conference opposition, and defeated the Hornets earlier this year in Greeley in four sets.
• Northern Arizona (3-13, 2-7) is seeking its first road win of the season (0-5). Sacramento State beat the Lumberjacks in five sets earlier this year in Flagstaff.

Multimedia Options

• Every match the remainder of the season will be streamed live on ESPN+ as all home matches, and every contest played at a Big Sky venue will be streamed on the network. Video streams can be found on watchespn.com and the ESPN app.
• Reminder that all multimedia links, including video and live stats, can be found next to each game on the volleyball schedule at hornetsports.com.
• Live stats will be provided for every match - home and away - this year.

vs. This Week's Opponents

• Northern Colorado is the only member of the Big Sky that Sacramento State has a losing record in the all-time series. The Hornets are 15-18 vs. the Bears, including a four-set loss in Greeley on Oct. 1.
• Northern Colorado has won five of the last six meetings in the series, but that lone Hornet win was a three-set sweep in the Nest last season.
• Sacramento State has enjoyed success at home against the Bears with an 11-5 record. That includes Hornet wins in five of the last six meetings in Sacramento.
• NAU has finished fourth place or better in the Big Sky standings each of the last four years, but that streak will likely come to an end this season as the Lumberjacks enter the week at 3-13 overall, 2-7 in the Big Sky, and 0-5 on the road.
• Sacramento State is 39-24 all-time against NAU, including a five-set win (15-12 in the 5th) on Sept. 29 in Flagstaff. That win snapped a three-game losing streak against the Lumberjacks.
• NAU is the last Big Sky team to defeat the Hornets in the Nest, and that came via three-set sweep on Oct. 7 of last season. Since then, the Hornets have won 10 straight vs. Big Sky opposition in the Nest.
• Sacramento State has dominated the series at home with a 25-2 record against NAU in the Nest.

Against The Big Sky Conference

• Since joining the Big Sky in 1996, Sacramento State is 290-135 in conference play, which breaks down to a .682 winning percentage.
• The Hornets won the Big Sky's regular season and/or tournament championships 11 straight years from 1997-07. Between 1999 and 2007, the Hornets won 59 straight home matches vs. Big Sky teams.
• Sacramento State's last Big Sky crown was a 2017 regular season championship, prior to falling in five sets in that season's Big Sky Tournament title match at home to North Dakota.
• The Hornets have finished .500 or above in league play seven straight seasons, including a 10-6 mark each of the last two years. During that seven-plus year run, the Hornets have combined for an 86-38 Big Sky record, including a 53-7 mark at home.

Notables

• Libero Caty Cordano, who currently leads the Big Sky with 5.50 digs per set in league play, did not play last week because of injury. The Hornets are hoping to get her back this week. The senior set the program record with 43 digs earlier this season at Northern Arizona. She needs just 37 digs to notch 1,000 for her career.
• Outside hitter Bridgette Smith has posted double figures in kills in 10 of the last 12 matches, and her average of 3.68 kills per set in league play trails only Montana's Paige Clark (3.91 kps). Smith also has double-doubles (kills and digs) in two straight, and three of the last five contests.
• Middle blocker Tiyanane Kamba-Griffin is now tied for first in the Big Sky with 1.20 blocks per set. She had been all alone in first place all season, but has tallied three blocks or less in four straight matches. That is the longest stretch of the season for Kamba-Griffin without four stuffs.
• Middle blocker Kalani Hayes (1.89 kps, 0.98 bps, .299 hit%) has been nearly unstoppable at home. In the Hornets' seven matches in the Nest, Hayes is hitting .440 with averages of 2.04 kills and 1.27 blocks per set. She has hit better than .300 in all seven of those contests.
• Outside hitter Caitlin Volkmann (2.66 kps, 1.19 dps, 0.36 bps) had a very strong match vs. Northern Arizona earlier this season. In Flagstaff on Sept. 29, Volkmann had 15 kills, five blocks and a .316 hitting percentage. The 15 kills are her second highest total against any Big Sky team this season.
• Setter Ashtin Olin, a four-time second team all-Big Sky Conference selection, is averaging 0.64 kills, 9.27 assists, 2.62 digs and 0.75 assists per set. She was injured late in the Portland State match, and missed a small stretch of action before returning. A fifth-year starter, Olin is nine assists shy of 4,000 for her career. She would become just the seventh Hornet in school history to reach the milestone.
• The Hornets rank among the top 40 in the nation in two categories - 29th in total blocks (206) and 35th in total aces (144).
• Sacramento State leads the conference in opponent hitting percentage (.149) in Big Sky matches. Each of the last five Hornet opponents have hit below .190.