THE WEEK AHEAD

• Sacramento State (7-8, 2-2) enters its third week of the conference season, and will play its first-ever Big West road matches. Each of the team's first four conference contests came at home.
• The Hornets will play at UC San Diego (7-8, 3-1) on Friday night at 6 p.m., followed by a matchup at UC Irvine (5-10, 3-1) on Saturday at 5 p.m.
• After sweeping both California Baptist and UC Riverside in the first week of the league season, the Hornets dropped matches last week vs. Cal Poly (3-0) and UC Santa Barbara (3-1). It was the first time the Hornets have been swept by a pair of conference opponents at home in the same week since 2014.
• Both matches this week, and every match the rest of the season, will stream on ESPN+.
• The Hornets have played just three true road matches, and are 1-2 in those outcomes. 
• Of the team's four Big West matches thus far, three have resulted in sweeps. The Hornets have yet to play a five-set Big West match after six of their 11 non-league matches went five sets.
• Sacramento State's two losses in Big West play have come to the lone two remaining unbeaten teams in Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara, who are both 4-0. 
• The first four conference matches for Sacramento State came at home, but nine of the last 14 will come on the road. That includes four straight roadies to conclude the regular season.
• Sacramento State has never played UC San Diego during the Hornets' Div. I era (1991-pres.). The Hornets and Tritons did play eight times between 1979 and 1988, with Sacramento State winning six of those matchups. The Hornets have won five straight in the series, and the Tritons have not defeated Sacramento State since 1979. The two teams have never played in San Diego. UC San Diego began its transition from Div. II to Div. I in 2020, and became a full Div. I member in 2024.
• The Hornets are 3-1 all-time vs. UC Irvine, and the teams have not played since the Anteaters beat Sacramento State in the first round of the 2017 NIVC postseason tournament in Stockton. All four meetings have been at a neutral site, including Hornet wins in 1996 (Fresno), 1995 (Portland) and 1992 (Flagstaff). 
• UC San Diego (1-1) and UC Irvine (1-4) bring a combined home record of 2-5 into this week's matches.
• Head coach Ruben Volta earned his 300th career victory in Sacramento State's victory over Nevada, and is currently 306-267 in his 19th season as head coach of the Hornets.
• Five Hornets have started all 15 matches, comprised of libero Reese Ampi, middle blockers Skyler Gartin and Nikola Gamlin, outside hitter Victoria Marthaler and setter Makenna Wiepert.
• The Hornets will be playing their first road match since a 3-1 win at San Jose State on Sept. 18.

MULTIMEDIA OPTIONS

• Every match the remainder of the season will stream on ESPN+ and feature live stats. That includes this week's matches at UC San Diego and UC Irvine.
• Links for video and live stats are next to each game on the volleyball schedule at hornetsports.com.

NEW CONFERENCE

• After 30 years in the Big Sky (1996-25), the team has transitioned to its first year in the Big West. Gone are out-of-state conference road trips to Montana, Idaho, Colorado, Arizona, Washington and Oregon. In fact, of the team's nine road matches in Big West play, eight will be played in California.
• In its 30 years in the Big Sky, Sacramento State ripped off 10 regular season titles, and 10 tournament crowns. In conference play, the Hornets were 326-147 (.689 win%) against Big Sky opposition.

POTENT IN THE MIDDLE

• The Hornets' middle blocker tandem of junior Skyler Gartin and freshman Nikola Gamlin has been lethal. The two have combined to form one of the more formidable middle duos in the Big West.
• Gamlin easily leads the Big West with a .407 hitting percentage, and Gartin sits fourth with a .344 percentage. Together, they are combining to hit .375 with 214 kills in 437 swings.
• In conference play, Gamlin is first with a .500 hitting percentage, and Gartin fifth with a .408 mark.
• The two have started all 15 matches, while Gamlin has averages of 1.92 kills and 0.73 blocks per set. Gartin is averaging 1.68 kills and 1.13 blocks per set - fifth best in the Big West.
• Gartin's .889 hitting percentage (8-0-9) vs. UC Riverside is the fourth best mark in program history, while Gamlin owns the sixth best mark with her .857 (12-0-14) at San Jose State.
• Gamlin has hit above .500 seven times, including five of the last six matches.

AMPI CLOSING IN ON 1,000 DIGS

• Libero Reese Ampi, in her third season with the Hornets after transferring from American River Junior College, has 997 digs in a Sacramento State uniform.
• With three more digs, she would become the 30th player in program history to reach the milestone.
• Ampi has started each of her three seasons at Sacramento State as the team's libero, and was named the Big Sky's Libero of the Year in 2025.

MARTHALER HAVING ANOTHER BIG SEASON

• Six-rotation outside hitter Victoria Marthaler is on her way to a second straight big season.
• Last year, she was honorable mention All-America, Big Sky MVP, all-Pacific Region, first team all-Big Sky, and Big Sky all-tournament. She was also selected Big West preseason all-conference this year.
• Marthaler ranked sixth in the nation a year ago with 4.89 kills per set, and seventh in the country with 5.38 points per set. She upped that average to a ridiculous 5.72 kills per set in conference play.
• This season, she has been named all-tournament three times, and currently ranks 15th in the nation with 238 kills, and 23rd in the country with 268.5 points.
• She is currently second in the Big West with 3.90 kills per set, and third with 4.40 points per set.
• Marthaler had registered double figures in kills in 32 straight matches (dating back to last season) until that streak came to a close when she finished with seven kills last week vs. Cal Poly.

FROM THE SERVICE LINE

• Sacramento State's 117 aces rank 19th in the nation. The Hornets have posted double-figure aces seven times, and have registered at least five aces in all but three contests.
• The Hornets have three players ranking among the Big West's top 10 in aces per set - Amy Ito (3rd, 0.42), Makenna Wiepert (5th, 0.39) and Eleanor Weeks (9th, 0.33).

SOLAITA ON A ROLL

• Outside hitter Keonahi'ilani Solaita has been on a roll in conference play, averaging 3.23 kills and hitting .314. That includes connecting for 12+ kills in three of the four matches.
• Solaita has been dealing with injury the majority of the season, but has seemed to turn a corner since conference play began. Last season, she was the Big Sky's Freshman of the Year.
• In non-league, Solaita averaged 1.41 kills per set while hitting .185.

WIEPERT HAVING QUITE THE DEBUT

• Junior setter Makenna Wiepert, a transfer from UTSA, is having a very impressive debut season with the Hornets. That includes being named Big West Setter of the Week on two occasions.
• She has averages of 8.75 assists, 2.38 digs, 0.36 blocks and 0.39 aces per set while hitting .309. She has a team-best eight double-doubles and committed her first attack error on Saturday.