The Week AheaD

• After completing a 3-1 homestand with a pair of four-set victories over the Montana schools last week, Sacramento State (15-8, 8-1) jumps back on the road this week.
• The Hornets will take on Northern Colorado (10-9, 5-3) on Thursday at 5 p.m. PT, before facing Northern Arizona (5-14, 2-6) on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
• Thursday will mark the only time the Hornets will play Northern Colorado during the regular season, and Sacramento State defeated NAU, 3-0, at home in the conference opener on Sept. 21.
• The Hornets' 8-1 conference record is the team's best mark since the 2017 squad began the year 9-0. That team would eventually start 10-0 before suffering its first loss.
• With just seven matches left in the regular season, Sacramento State (8-1) sits atop the Big Sky standings ahead of Weber State (7-2), Montana State (6-3) and Northern Colorado (5-3).
• Sacramento State is seeking its first Big Sky regular season championship since 2017. The program has won nine regular season titles since joining the conference in 1996.
• The Hornets have yet to lose a Big Sky match on the road (3-0). That includes a five-set win at Weber State on Sept. 23. That remains one of just two home losses the Wildcats have suffered this season.
• Of the nation's 344 Div. I teams, the Big Sky boasts three teams in the top 140 in the latest RPI report. That includes Weber State (114), Northern Colorado (127) and Sacramento State (138).
• The Hornets' win on Thursday vs. Montana gave head coach Ruben Volta his 250th career win at Sacramento State. A two-time Big Sky Coach of the Year, Volta became head coach in 2008. Since 2015, he has led the program to a 158-105 overall record, and a 98-42 mark in league play.
• Sacramento State has gone seven straight matches without playing to five sets. In fact, the Hornets have played just one five setter (the win at Weber State) in their last 13 contests.
• The Hornets have run a 6-2 offense in every match this season, with Hailey Plugge (5.43 aps, 1.82 dps) and Kate Doorn (4.90 aps, 1.80 dps) handling the setting duties.
• In conference play, Sacramento State currently leads the Big Sky in eight different categories. That includes first in points (18.42 pps), kills (13.79 kps), hitting percentage (.242), assists (12.67 aps), blocks (3.09 bps) and opponent hitting percentage (.139). The Hornets are also fourth in aces (1.55 aps) and fifth in digs (15.18 dps).
• Four Hornets have started every match this season - middle blockers Kalani Hayes and Tiyanane Kamba-Griffin, rightside hitter Caitlin Volkmann, and libero Caty Cordano.
• Thursday's match begins a stretch that will see the Hornets play five of their final seven regular season matches on the road. Six of the first nine came at home.

Multimedia Options

• Every match the remainder of the season - home and away - will be streamed on ESPN+. That includes both matches this week.
• Matches on ESPN+ can be found on watchespn.com and the ESPN app.
• Live stats will be offered for every match this season.
• Reminder that all multimedia links can be found on the volleyball schedule at hornetsports.com.

Against This Week's Opponents

• Northern Colorado is the only team in the Big Sky the Hornets have an all-time losing record against. Sacramento State is 10-15 against the Bears, which includes a three-match losing streak.
• One of those losses came in last year's Big Sky Tournament semifinal match in Ogden. The Hornets won the first two sets handily before the Bears ripped off three straight to win by a 3-2 score. That included a 15-11 win in the fifth set.
• The Hornets have lost three straight, and seven of the last eight to the Bears. The only Hornet win over the Bears dating back to 2019 came via three-set sweep in Sacramento on Oct. 21, 2021.
• Sacramento State is 2-12 when playing the Bears in Greeley and have lost four straight on UNC's home floor. The last Hornet win in Greeley came in 2016, a 3-1 victory.
• Last year's five set match snapped a streak of 14 straight matches between the teams that resulted in three or four set outcomes.
• Sacramento State has a 41-24 all-time record against Northern Arizona, including three straight wins
• The Hornets swept last year's series, and defeated NAU in the Nest by a 3-0 score on Sept. 21.
• The Hornets are 11-19 when playing in Flagstaff. Sacramento State has won two of the last three meetings in Flagstaff after dropping 12 straight on NAU's home floor between 2011 and 2021.
• Sacramento State has won seven straight sets against the Lumberjacks spanning the teams' last three matchups. That includes two straight 3-set sweeps (both in Sacramento).

Block Party

• Sacramento State's defense has been stout all year, as the Hornets rank first in the Big Sky and 28th in the nation limiting the opposition to a .163 hitting percentage.
• A big part of that defensive prowess has been the team's blocking. In fact, Sacramento State is 10th in the nation in total blocks (222.5) and 35th in blocks per set (2.53).
• The Hornets have two players that rank in the top 40 in the nation in total blocks - Kalani Hayes is 19th with 104 blocks, and Tiyanane Kamba-Griffin is 36th with 96 blocks. The duo has been a huge factor in the Hornets registering 10+ team blocks in six of the team's nine conference matches. That includes at least nine team blocks in all but one match.
• The Hornets are averaging 3.09 blocks per set in Big Sky play, with the next closest conference team averaging 2.70 (Eastern Washington).
• Sacramento State has limited Big Sky opposition to a .139 hitting percentage thus far.
• Statistically speaking, its very easy to figure out if the Hornets will win or lose based on the opponent hitting percentage. Sacramento State is 15-0 when holding an opponent below .200, and 0-8 when the opposition hits above .200. Weber State's .291 hitting percentage is the highest by any opponent.

Hornet Players Sitting Atop Big Sky Rankings

• Not only does Sacramento State sit atop the Big Sky rankings (in conference play) in nearly all team categories, but Hornet players lead the conference in four different categories.
• That includes outside hitter Bridgette Smith leading the conference with 3.88 kills and 4.58 points per set. She has at least 12 kills in eight of the team's nine matches vs. Big Sky competition.
• Middle blocker Kalani Hayes sits atop the Big Sky in blocks per set (1.64) and is second in hitting percentage at .383. She has hit better than .310 in eight of the nine games vs. conference foes.
• Libero Caty Cordano has posted at least 17 digs in four straight matches, vaulting her to the top spot in the Big Sky with 4.61 digs per set in league. In the last two weeks, she is averaging 5.29 digs per set.
• Middle blocker Tiyanane Kamba-Griffin is hitting .425 in conference play, which would rank as the top spot if she had a large enough attempts to qualify for the leader board.

Notables

• Rightside hitter Caitlin Volkmann is just 95 kills away from reaching the 1,000 kill milestone.
• Libero Caty Cordano needs 60 to become the 11th player in the Div. I era to amass 1,500 career digs.
• The Hornets have won eight straight matches when winning the first set.
• Sacramento State has played seven straight, and 11 of the last 12 matches, in under two hours.
• The Hornets now have three winning streaks this season of at least three matches long.