Oct. 25, 2017
MATCHES 22 & 23Fresno State at San José StateSpartan Gym, San Jose, Calif.Thursday, October 266:00 p.m. PDTMountain West Network
San Diego State at San José StateSpartan Gym, San Jose, Calif.Saturday, October 282:00 p.m. PDTMountain West NetworkLive stats - www.sjsuspartans.comLive video - Links available at www.sjsuspartans.com/videos
SPARTANS WELCOME FELLOW CSU SCHOOLS TO SPARTAN GYM: The San José State volleyball team continues its home stand this week with two matches against fellow Cal State University system schools. The Spartans welcome Fresno State to Spartan Gym on Thursday at 6 p.m. and San Diego State on Saturday at 2 p.m.
San José State begins the week with an 14-7 overall record and 6-4 mark in the Mountain West and brings a two-match winning streak into the week after defeating Nevada (3-0) and Air Force (3-1) last week. The Spartans are third in the Mountain West standings at 6-4, just behind Wyoming and one match in front of fourth-place teams Boise State and San Diego State who are 5-5.
LIVE STATS: Live stat links for the matches are available on the San José State website at www.sjsuspartans.com.
LIVE VIDEO: Both matches this week will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network. Jess Knaster provides the play-by-play. Fans can access the video on the Spartan website at www.sjsuspartans.com/videos or on the "Stadium" app on iPhone under "Live Events."
ABOUT FRESNO STATE: The Bulldogs enter Thursday night's match with a 9-13 overall record and 4-6 Mountain West mark, tied for sixth place in the conference standings with three other teams. The team lost to Boise State, 3-1, but defeated Utah State, 3-1, last week. Head coach Lauren Netherby-Sewell is in her 10th year at the school. Taylor Slover leads the team in kills with 276, 3.21 ps, while Haile Watson is the team's top blocker with 108, 1.26 ps.
Series Record - San José State leads 49-31.
First Meeting - W, 2-0, 1977
Last Meeting - W, 3-1, September 30, 2017, Save Mart Center
Last SJSU Win - 3-1, September 30, 2017, Save Mart Center
Current Streak - W1
Last 10 meetings - 4-6
ABOUT SAN DIEGO STATE: The Aztecs begin the week with an 11-12 overall record and 5-5 MW mark and play at Nevada on Thursday. The team is currently tied for fourth with Boise State in the conference standings, one match behind the Spartans. Last week, San Diego State won home matches against Boise State (3-2) and Utah State (3-1). For the second consecutive week, the Spartans face the MW Players of the Week as San Diego State's setter Gabi Peoples and libero Devyn Pritchard were named the Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively. Head coach Deitre Collins-Parker is in her ninth season at the helm of the Aztec program. Deja Harris leads the team with 255 kills, 2.93 ps, and blocks with 113, 1.30 ps.
Series Record - San Diego State leads 20-10.
First Meeting - L, 2-1, October 22, 1977, Malibu, Calif.
Last Meeting - W, 3-2, September 28, 2017, Peterson Gym
Last SJSU Win - 3-2, September 28, 2017, Peterson Gym
Current Streak - W2
Last 10 meetings - 4-6
HEAD COACH Jolene Shepardson: San José State head coach Jolene Shepardson is in her fourth season at the helm of the program. She has a 43-68 record in four seasons at SJSU, and a 86-115 coaching record in seven seasons.
NATIONAL RANKINGS (as of 10/23): Listed below are the Spartans among national leaders as a team and individually.
Team Rankings (Top 100)
Aces Per Set 54th, 1.48 ps
Team Service Aces 56th, 123
Winning Percentage 80th, .667
Team Assists 88th, 1,031
Team Kills 90th, 1,107
Assists Per Set 91st, 12.42 ps
Kills Per Set 96th, 13.34 ps
Individual Rankings (Top 100)
Service Aces Luiza Andrade, 49th 32
Aces Per Set Luiza Andrade, 74th 0.39 ps
Attacks Per Set Fernanda Vido, 72nd 10.66 ps
Assists Per Set Breann Robinson, 93rd 10.05 ps
Total Assists Breann Robinson, 89th 784
Kills Per Set Giulia Gávio, 93rd 3.68 ps
HOME SWEET OCTOBER: After starting the Mountain West season with four straight road matches in September, San José State plays six of its eight conference matches in the confines of Spartan Gym in October. The month started with home matches against UNLV (L, 3-2) and New Mexico (W, 3-2). After playing on the road at #21 Colorado State (L, 3-0) and Wyoming (L, 3-0), the Spartans returned home for four consecutive matches - Nevada (W, 3-0), Air Force (W, 3-1), Fresno State (26th) and San Diego State (28th).
BEST START SINCE 2001: The Spartans finished September with an 11-4 overall record, the most wins for the program through that month since the 2001 team finished September with an 11-2 record. That team was the last to receive an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the second round.
2,000 ASSISTS ACHIEVED: Setter Breann Robinson became the 12 Spartan to record 2,000 assists in her career earlier this season. Robinson did it in the fourth set of a 3-1 win at Fresno State on September 30. She has now moved into the top-10 list at San José State for career assists. She begins the week with 2,244 assists, good for 10th on the list. Robinson needs 86 assists to move into ninth place with Susie Laymon.
ASSISTS (since 1984) TOTAL YEARS
1. Michelle Sarkees 5482 1996-99
2. Melizza Benitez 3257 1992-95
3. Savannah Smith 3040 1998-01
4. Caitlin Andrade 2759 2009-11
5. Teri DeBusk 2555 1984-85
6. Kristina Conrad 2548 2003-06
7. Michaela Leonard 2494 2012-13
8. Danielle Spier 2461 1984-87
9. Susie Laymon 2330 1986-89
10. Breann Robinson 2244 2014-17
1,000 MILESTONES REACHED: Two Spartans reached 1,000 career milestones on October 12 when the team played at Colorado State. In set two, Nandyala Gama became the 14th player at San José State to record 1,000 career kills. Just a few points later, Luiza Andrade became the eighth player at San José State to record 1,000 career digs.
ANDRADE DIGGIN' AND SERVIN' THE BALL: Spartan libero Luiza Andrade leads the team with 324 digs, 3.90 ps, and is Mountain West leader in service aces with 32, 0.39 per set. This season, she has recored 20+ digs in four matches - 25 at Drake, 24 versus Santa Clara, 23 against Kansas and 20 at San Diego State. Andrade recorded four service aces against UC Riverside and Howard.
She is also moving up the San José State career digs list. Andrade begins the week with 1,039 digs, tied with Barbara Higgins for seventh place. She needs13 digs to move into a tie for fifth place with Joslynn Gallop and Christina Lukens.
VIDO MAKING IMPACT: Redshirt sophomore transfer Fernanda Vido returned to the Spartan lineup last week and made an immediate impact. She led the Spartans in digs in the 3-0 win over Nevada with 11, and recorded 20 kills in the 3-1 win over Air Force. She begins the week with 200 kills, 3.45 per set, and 131 digs, 2.26 ps. In the 15 matches played this season, Vido has recorded double-doubles in five of them. She had a season-best 24 kills in the win at San Francisco.
GAMA BLOCKING UP THE CAREER LISTS: Nandyala Gama continues to cement herself on the San José State career block assists and total blocks list. She is fifth in career block assists at 313 and needs 24 more to jump into fourth place. Gama is sixth in total blocks with 354 and needs three to move into fifth.
BLOCK ASSISTS TOTAL YEARS
1. Joslynn Gallop 391 1997-00
2. Melissa Myers 370 1995-98
3. Barbara Higgins 340 1984-87
4. Liz Hudson 337 2000-02
5. Nandyala Gama 313 2014-C
6. Cristin Rossman 291 1991-94
7. Stephanie Pascucci 287 1999-02
8. Colleen Burke 281 2005-08
9. Kim Hicks 279 1985-88
10. Alex Akana 261 2009-12
TOTAL BLOCKS TOTAL YEARS
1. Joslynn Gallop 456 1997-00
2. Barbara Higgins 447 1984-87
3. Melissa Myers 445 1995-98
4. Liz Hudson 365 2000-02
5. Cristin Rossman 357 1991-94
6. Nandyala Gama 354 2014-C
7. Kim Hicks 324 1985-88
8. Stephanie Pascucci 314 1999-02
9. Colleen Burke 308 2005-08
10. Alex Akana 286 2009-12
UP NEXT: San José State begins the month of November with matches at New Mexico (2nd, 7 p.m. MT) and at UNLV (4th at 12 p.m. PT)