The Week Ahead

• Only two weeks remain in the regular season, and Sacramento State (12-13, 8-5) will play twice at home this week. In fact, each of the Hornets' final three regular season contests will come at home.
• The Hornets host Eastern Washington (9-15, 4-8) on Thursday, and Idaho (4-20, 1-11) on Saturday. Both matches will start at 7 p.m.
• Thursday's contest will be the only meeting of the season vs. Eastern Washington, while the Hornets defeated Idaho in Moscow earlier this season by a 3-1 score.
• Only 1.5 games separate the top five teams in the Big Sky Conference standings - Northern Colorado (9-3), Weber State (9-3), Portland State (9-4), Sacramento State (8-5) and Montana (8-5).
• The top eight teams in the 10-member conference qualify for the Big Sky Tournament (Nov. 23-26) in Ogden, Utah. The winner of the Big Sky Tourney receives an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
• The Hornets have already clinched a Big Sky Tournament berth, and are now jockeying for the highest possible seed in the postseason event. Should the Hornets finish the regular season tied in the standings, they would own the tiebreaker over Montana, but Northern Colorado and Weber State both hold the tiebreaker against Sacramento State. The tiebreaker against Portland State will be decided in the Hornets' final regular season match on Nov. 18 when they host the Vikings.
• Of Sacramento State's 13 conference matches, eight have come on the road.
• The Hornets have won 11 of the last 12 meetings at home vs. Big Sky competition, and will attempt to continue that streak over the next two weeks.
• Sacramento State is attempting to win at least 10 conference matches for the third year in a row.

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. The Big Sky Tournament will also be aired on ESPN+.
• 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

• Eastern Washington will enter Thursday's match with a 9-15 overall record and 4-8 mark in league. The Eagles were 3-3 at one point, but have dropped five of their last six.
• Eastern Washington is one of two Big Sky teams (Weber State is the other) the Hornets play just once.
• The Eagles are 2-10 on the road, including a 1-5 mark against conference competition.
• Sacramento State is 40-18 all-time vs. Eastern Washington, and has won three straight, and nine of the last 10 meetings between the two teams. The Hornets are 25-6 at home against the Eagles.
• Two of the last three matches between the teams in the Nest have gone to five sets.
• Idaho, which plays at Portland State on Thursday, brings a 4-20 overall record and 1-11 conference mark into the week. The Vandals have dropped four straight since their lone Big Sky win at Northern Arizona on Oct. 22.
• Sacramento State defeated the Vandals in Moscow on Sept. 22, but it wasn't easy as the Hornets won in four sets (18-25, 25-23, 25-14, 25-21).
• The Hornets are 9-6 in the all-time series against Idaho. That includes a 4-2 record at home. Sacramento State has won the last three matchups in the Nest, and hasn't lost to the Vandals at home since a five-set defeat in 2018.

Against The Big Sky Conference

• Since joining the Big Sky in 1996, Sacramento State is 292-137 in conference play, which breaks down to a .681 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 eight straight seasons, including a 10-6 mark each of the last two years. During that run, the Hornets have combined for an 88-40 Big Sky record, including a 54-8 mark at home.

Notables

• Libero Caty Cordano notched her 1,000th career dig in the first set of Saturday's win at Montana. Cordano walked on to the program as a freshman, and has since earned a scholarship. She is listed as a senior, but will return to play for one more season in 2023. Her current average of 5.15 digs per set in league play is the second best mark in the Big Sky.
• Setter Ashtin Olin, two weeks removed from becoming the seventh player in program history to amass 4,000 assists, has been named second team all-Big Sky each of the last four seasons. She is, once again, posting very impressive numbers which include 0.68 kills, 9.36 assists, 2.65 digs and 0.77 blocks per set to go along with a .282 hitting percentage. Her average of 9.96 assists in league play is the fourth best mark in the Big Sky.
• Middle blocker Kalani Hayes consistently dominates at home. In nine matches this year in the Nest, she is hitting .441 with averages of 2.03 kills and 1.39 blocks per set. She has 67 kills with just 11 errors in 127 attacks. Hayes has hit better than .300 in eight of those nine home contests.
• Outside hitter Bridgette Smith has posted double figures in kills in 12 of the last 15 matches, and her average of 3.59 kills per set in league play ranks third in the conference. A six-rotation outside hitter and reigning first team all-Big Sky selection, Smith is coming off Saturday's match at Montana in which she hit .333 with 16 kills, six digs and three blocks.
• Like Kalani Hayes, fellow middle Tiyanane Kamba-Griffin has also enjoyed the home floor. Inside the Nest this season, she is hitting .306 with averages of 1.29 kills and 1.26 blocks per set. Her 111 total blocks currently rank as the 29th best mark in the nation.
• Outside hitter Caitlin Volkmann will look to continue her strong play against Idaho. In the Hornets' five set win over the Vandals in September, she had a career-high 20 kills go along with a season-best .594 hitting percentage. In that match, she committed just one error in 32 swings.
• Sacramento State sits second in the league in opponent hitting percentage in Big Sky play (.178).