Fresno State Athletics
Volleyball Makes First Home Appearance with Own Fresno State Invitational
9/13/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 13, 2004
FRESNO, Calif. -
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Fresno State Makes First Home Appearance This Week
After opening the 2004 campaign on the road for the first two weeks, the Bulldog volleyball team will make their first home appearance this week with the 18th Fresno State Invitational, Thur.-Sat., Sept. 16-18, at the North Gym. The three-day five-team tournament field showcases host Fresno State, Oral Roberts, San Diego State, San Francisco and UNLV. For the 18th straight year the Bulldogs will host their own invitational. Winning six of the last 10 tournament titles, Fresno State boasts nine tourney crowns.
Bulldogs Open WAC Play Next Week
Fresno State opens Western Athletic Conference play on the road next week with trips to Rice (Sept. 23) and Tulsa (Sept. 25). The Bulldogs were the No. 2 preseason pick in the coaches' preseason poll; Rice was selected third and Tulsa ninth.
'Dogs Open WAC Home Schedule Against Hawai'i
After playing cross-divisional play on the road to begin league play, the 'Dogs open Western Division play at home when they host No. 13 Hawai'i on Thur., Sept. 30, 7:00 p.m., at the Save Mart Center. Tickets for the 2004 Fresno State volleyball season can be purchased at the Bulldog Ticket Office (278-DOGS) or on-line at www.gobulldogs.com.
Taking It On the Chin
After opening the year at 3-1, Fresno State will look to get back on the positive side after going 1-2 last weekend. Dropping three of their last four matches, the 'Dogs are 7-10 in their last 17 games and have dropped six by the two point minimal -- equal to six one-run losses in baseball/softball.
Records Falling Early
Just two weeks in the 2004 season, 14 rally scoring school records have been set individually and as a team, combined. The Bulldogs have set eight team marks and six individual marks thus far.
Head Coach Lindy Vivas
In her 14th season as head coach of the Bulldog volleyball program, Lindy Vivas (UCLA, 1980) collected her 250th school win against Western Illinois on Sept. 3. Recording the program's 200th overall league victory versus Nevada on Oct. 11, 2003, Vivas has been a three-time WAC Coach of the Year selection. Vivas has led Fresno State to eight of its nine 20-win seasons while advancing to postseason play six times. With three NCAA Tournament appearances, including two in the last six years, her 2002 squad established the school's best win percentage (.767, 23-7) while advancing to the WAC Tournament Semis for two of the last three seasons. Averaging 19 wins a year, Vivas owns a 14-year record of 252-157 (.616) at Fresno State and an 18-year career mark of 324-217 (.599). The Bulldogs, who are 113-51 (.689) at home under Vivas, have gone 30-6 (.833) in the North Gym the past three seasons. Vivas has coached two AVCA All-Americans, eight AVCA all-region/all-district winners, 28 all-WAC picks (31 overall) and the WAC's first preseason player of the year outside of Hawai'i. Leading the 'Dogs to all six WAC Volleyball Tournaments (1996-98, 2001-03), she directed the program to its best start (16-2) and third-most wins (23) in 2002 while her '03 squad posted a new single-season average attendance mark (1,031). Opening 2004 with a No. 43 showing, Vivas has directed the program to five of its six preseason listings.
Keeping Watch
While the program started in 1965, the Bulldog volleyball program is two wins shy of notching its 500th victory since records have been kept 1971 ... Since 1991 there has been 99,968 fans pass through the gates for home volleyball contests under Vivas ... Fresno State is 48-17 overall the last three years combined ... Fresno State is 30-6 in its last three years at home ... Fresno State is 14-2 in non-conference play in its last three years at home ... Fresno State will look for its 100th WAC win next week ... With 909 career digs, senior Honorable Mention All-America outside hitter Kristen Fenton (Marysville, Mich.) is two digs shy of cracking the school's Top 10 career digs list and 91 short of 1,000 ... With 1,251 career kills and 909 career digs, she is looking to become just the fifth Bulldog to record 1,000 career kills and digs ... With four matches on tap this week, Fenton will move past former Bulldog and USA National Team member Suzie Regul (1989-92) in all-time career kills as she sits third with 1,257 ... Fenton will have her eye next on the No. 2 spot held by outside hitter Diana Nalbandian (1994-97), who totaled 1,495 kills.
Week 2 in Review: 'Dogs Finish Third at Cal Poly Invitational
Fresno State finished third at the Cal Poly-Best Western Royal Oak Invitational with a 1-2 mark ... The Bulldogs dropped a tough five-game decision to No. 26 Notre Dame (2-3), defeated host Cal Poly (3-1) and dropped another touch match to Sacramento State (1-3) ... The `Dogs had two all-tournament picks in Fenton and freshman outside hitter Christianna Reneau (Corona, Calif.) ... Named to her second straight all-tournament team this fall, Fenton posted double-doubles in all three matches played as she totaled 47 kills (3.92 kpg), a team-high 54 digs (4.50 dpg) and 10 blocks (0.83 bpg) ... She tallied a career-high 26 digs and had a season-best five total blocks against Sacramento State ... While picking up 54 digs last week, Fenton has 909 career digs - two shy of cracking the Top 10 and 91 from 1,000 ... She has a current streak of 51 10+ kill matches and has totaled 955 kills in 195 games (4.90 kpg) for an average of 18.73 kills per match ... Posting a team-best 25 total blocks (1.92 bpg) last week, junior middle blocker Lauren Howell (Fresno, Calif.) was a force at the net as she totaled a season-high 11 block assists and 13 total blocks versus Sacramento State ... The 13 total blocks in a four-game match is a new rally scoring school record (old record was 11 by Carrie Hartt vs. Nevada, 11/23/02 and UNLV (9/21/02) ... The last Bulldog to post a 10-block match was Andrea Thrower, who had 11 versus San Jose State on Nov. 21, 2003 ... Senior outside hitter/middle blocker Amanda Magalei (Bountiful, Utah) made her first start in the middle last weekend after practicing at that position two days prior to tournament action ... Magalei posted a career weekend in kills (9), attempts (30) and digs (8) versus Notre Dame, points (12) and service aces (4) against Cal Poly (12) and block solos (3), block assists (5) and total bases (8) versus Sacramento State ... Freshman setter Ilima Sam Fong (Hurricane, Utah) saw extensive playing time with two starts ... With 47 assists versus No. 26 Notre Dame, Sam Fong recorded a pair of double-doubles against the Fighting Irish and Cal Poly ... Sophomore outside hitter Tuli Peters (Laie, Hawaii) tied her season-high mark of 24 digs against Sacramento State after digging 24 against Western Illinois in the season-opening weekend ... It was her fifth career 20-dig match versus the Hornets ... On the year, she has collected six double-figure kill and double-figure dig matches as well as five double-doubles out of seven matches played ... Freshman libero Yuko Mori (Anan, Tokushima, Japan) owns a streak of five consecutive double-figure dig matches ... In this span she is averaging 15.2 digs per match (3.62 dpg) ... As a team last weekend, the Bulldogs served up a season-high 14 aces and 89 points versus Cal Poly ... At the net, the `Dogs had season-highs in block solos (6), block assists (32) and total blocks (22) against Sacramento State ... The last time the Bulldogs had 20 or more blocks was 22 versus San Jose State on Nov. 6, 2003 ... Overall, Fresno State is 48-17 overall the last three years combined.
Top Dog
Selected all-tournament at the Cal Poly-Best Western Royal Oak Invitational, Reneau finished among the tournament's top 10 in kills and digs. She led all Bulldogs in kills (49), was second in digs (49) and fourth in blocks (8) as she wrapped up last weekend as one of two Bulldogs to post double-doubles in all three matches. In the opener versus No. 26 Notre Dame, Reneau had 16 kills and posted her first career 20-dig match with a team-high 20. Against Cal Poly, she had a match-high 18 kills and a match-best 16 digs to lead all players. In the tournament finale, she collected 15 kills, 13 digs and a season-best five blocks. Scoring 20 points for the second time on the year versus Sacramento State, Reneau has a streak of five consecutive double-double performances. In this span she is averaging 3.76 kills per game (78 in 21 games) and 3.67 digs per game (77 in 21 games). On the year, she is third on the team in kills (78, 3.55 kpg), third in points (90.0, fourth in digs (78, 3.55) and fifth in blocks (12, 0.55).
Mileage Plus Plan
Opening the year by playing nine of its first 13 matches on the road, Fresno State's 26-match regular-season schedule features 15 road contests and 11 home matches. With the majority of travel happening this month, the Bulldogs will play six at home and six on the road in the final two months. Since 2000, Fresno State will have played 76 road matches to just 62 home dates. The 'Dogs have fared well the last three years combined by going 28-13 away from home.
Bulldogs Receive Preseason National Votes
For the second straight year, the Fresno State volleyball team received preseason national recognition after picking up votes in the USA Today/CSTV Top 25 Coaches Preseason Poll (Aug. 9). The Bulldogs received 12 votes for a No. 43 showing, up a spot from a year ago in the 2003 USA Today/AVCA Top 25 Coaches Preseason Poll. While the preseason nod marks the sixth time in the program's history that the `Dogs received preseason votes, it also makes it the fifth time under Vivas that Fresno State has received early acknowledgments.
Fresno State Invitational - Opponent Outlook
San Francisco (3-6):
Dropped all three matches at the Stanford Invitational last weekend ... Fell 0-3 to No. 7 Penn State, 1-3 to Eastern Washington and 0-3 to No. 12 Stanford ... With a current four-game skid, the Dons opened the year at 3-3 ... Senior outside hitter Stephanie Voelckers leads USF in kills (134) and kills per game (4.19) while second in digs (101, 3.16 dpg) ... Returns six letterwinners and one starter from a 23-8 team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
UNLV (3-3):
Coming off a 1-2 mark at the CS Northridge Tournament ... Dropped the first two matches to SMU (0-3) and CS Northridge (1-3) before bouncing back with a sweep over Cornell (3-0) ... Opened the year at 2-1 in its own invitational ... Freshman outside hitter Maria Aladjova leads UNLV in kills (90) and kills per game (4.29) ... Returns eight letterwinners and three starters from a 13-17 team.
San Diego State (0-7):
Dropped all three matches at the Texas State Invitational last weekend ... Fell to 0-3 to Texas State, 0-3 to Ole Miss and 2-3 to James Madison ... Has a current seven-match losing streak in which two have come by Top 25 teams (0-3 to then No. 16 UC Santa Barbara and 0-3 to then No. 17 Arizona ... Junior outside hitter Melissa Stapley leads SDSU in kills (76) and kills per game (3.17) while fourth in digs (36, 1.50) and blocks (15, 0.62 bpg) ... Returns five letterwinners and one starter from an 18-14 team.
Oral Roberts (2-6):
Coming off a 0-3 record at the Oregon State Invitational ... Fell 1-3 to Oregon State, 2-3 to St. Mary's and 0-3 to Auburn ... Is riding a four-match skid after opening the year at 2-2 ... With eight trips to the NCAA Tournament, the Golden Eagles return 11 letterwinners and all six starters plus libero from a 21-14 team.
Oh Boy, Guess Who's 40
The Fresno State volleyball program is in its 40th year as a varsity sport and has posted a 498-429-12 (.537) mark since records were kept in 1971 (6 years unknown, 1965-1970). Since 1965, the Bulldogs have had five coaches. Vivas is the program's all-time winningest coach with a 14-year mark of 252-157 (.616). It was just nine years ago that Vivas put the program back at the .500 level. In addition, the program has made more postseason appearances under her (6) than the entire Bulldog volleyball history combined (2) prior to her arrival in 1991. The 'Dogs also have enjoyed more NCAA Tournament appearances (3) and 20-win seasons (8) under Vivas as compared to one NCAA showing and two 20-win campaigns prior.
Fresno State Picked Second in WAC Preseason Coaches Poll
Picked to finish second in the 2004 Western Athletic Conference preseason poll last month, Fresno State is coming off a 21-7 record and finished second to Hawai'i for the second consecutive year after posting a 10-3 league mark. Receiving the most first place votes in a preseason volleyball coaches poll since joining the WAC, Fresno State turned heads by tallying 66 points, including three first-place votes. The Bulldogs, who are a combined 44-14 over the past two seasons, placed second to eight-time WAC champion and 2002 and '03 NCAA Semifinalist Hawai'i for the third straight year in the coaches' preseason poll. The 2004 WAC Coaches Preseason Poll is the closest vote since UH edged San Jose State by nine votes in 2000. This year, the Rainbow Wahine recorded 74 points with five first-place votes while the 'Dogs were eight points back.
Individual 'Dogs Receive Preseason WAC Recognition
While Fresno State returns nine and welcomes six newcomers, the WAC released its 12-member preseason all-conference team and four Bulldogs were selected, including the WAC Preseason Player of the Year, to lead all WAC schools with four picks. Fenton was voted by the league coaches as the preseason player of the year. This honor makes it the first time in WAC history that a Hawai'i player was not picked. In addition, this is the first preseason conference player of the year honor for the Bulldogs' volleyball program. Also receiving notoriety was first team pick Bishop and second team selections Keune and Peters. Since 2001, the "Dogs have now had 10 preseason selections and their first preseason player of the year pick.
Home Success
The Bulldogs have enjoyed success in the North and South Gyms over the years and own an all-time home record of 179-119 (.601) since 1978; the Bulldogs are 135-84 (.616) since 1987 in the North Gym and 0-1 at the Save Mart Center. The 'Dogs went 10-2 at home in 2001 and set the school record for consecutive wins (9). In 2002, the 'Dogs went 11-2 at home, tied the school record for most home victories (11), had the first back-to-back 10-win home campaigns, tied its own record for consecutive wins (9) and tied the school record for consecutive conference home wins (6). Also tying its record for consecutive conference home wins (6) and going 9-2 at home in 2003, Fresno State is 113-51 (.689) overall and 30-6 (.833) at home under Vivas since 2002.
Coming Through the Gates
While the WAC traditionally leads the nation in volleyball attendance for the last 10 years, Fresno State did its part last fall. Finishing No. 50 in average attendance (603) in 2002, the Bulldogs finished 30th in the nation with a 1,031 average. With 99,968 fans coming through gates since Vivas arrived in 1991, the 'Dogs are enjoying their second-best two-year average of 799 (19,186 fans in 24 dates). In 1997-96, Fresno State averaged a two-year high of 884 (22,104 fans in 27 dates). The 11,344 fans drawn in 11 home dates for 2003 is the second-most in the program's history -- just behind the 1996 mark of 12,958 (13 home matches). In the WAC, the Bulldogs drew the second-largest total and average attendance as Hawai'i led all league schools, and the nation, with 172,178 fans (7,486 in 23 matches).
Keune Cracks Top 10 Career Assist List
Keune was pushed into a starting role in 2003 after joining the Bulldogs as a walk on the previous year. In 2003 she averaged 12.65 assists per game while dishing out 1,379 assists, single-season marks that rank second- and third-best, respectively, in school history. Nationally-ranked three times in assists per game, her last ranking was No. 29 (12.77 apg, Oct. 12). Keune became the seventh Bulldog setter to record at least a 1,000-assist season and also set the school's rally scoring record for assists in a four- and five-game match. In her third year, she currently ranks No. 8 in career assists with 1,793 and No. 4 assists per game (11.72).
2003 in Review
Catapulting off a 23-win season in 2002, the Fresno State volleyball team went 21-7 in 2003 while making its sixth straight trip to the WAC Volleyball Tournament ... Fresno State has gone a combined 44-14 overall the last two seasons while being 30-6 the last three years at home ... The Bulldogs had four all-WAC picks while Fenton repeated as an AVCA All-West Region honoree ... Fresno State was nationally ranked as a team in wins, assists and blocking while having players individually ranked in kills and assists per game ... The `Dogs set 12 school rally scoring records while tying their own mark set in 2002 for consecutive conference home wins (6) ... Fresno State set a new school average attendance mark (1,031), which finished at No. 30 in the nation, and a new single-date attendance mark (4,708 vs. Hawai'i, Nov. 9) ... Improving to 16-4 at home in conference play the last three years, Vivas picked up her 300th career win to open 2003 while collecting the program's 200th conference win overall ... Fresno State had its second All-American ever in Fenton ... Fresno State went 11-4 against non-conference opponents and 14-5 versus West Region squads ... The 'Dogs posted back-to-back 20-win seasons for the fourth time in school history and finished second to Hawai'i in the WAC's Western Division for the second straight year ... Fenton, who set five rally scoring school records, became the ninth Bulldog to amass 1,000 career kills and did so at the second fastest pace (64 matches) in school history ... She ranked every week in the NCAA stats for kills per game, she pounded out a school and then national-best 41 kills against CS Northridge on Nov. 12 ... As the ninth player in Division I history to record a 40-kill match (since rally scoring began in 2001), she is the first Bulldog to hit .300 in more than one year and the first to do so in back-to-back seasons ... Peters made her freshman campaign one of the top five in school history as she finished among the top five by all true Bulldog rookies in kills, attempts, service aces, digs, block solos and total blocks ... Bishop garnered Second Team All-WAC honors as she led the team in blocks per game and finished second in total blocks and fourth in kills ... Keune, a Second Team All-WAC pick, became the seventh player in school history to tally a 1,000-assist season ... Ranking among the league's top five in setting, she dished out the third most assists in a season (1,345) and set the second-best mark for assists per game (12.65) ... Nationally ranked three times in assists per game last fall, she owns the school's rally scoring mark for assists in a four- and five-game match.
'Dogs Set New Attendance Record; Finish 30th in Nation
The Fresno State volleyball team got a bigger stage on Sun., Nov. 2, when the Bulldogs hosted 2002 National Semifinalist and second-ranked Hawai'i at the Save Mart Center (16,116). As the first true athletic competition in the Save Mart Center, the Bulldogs drew 4,708 fans for a new school volleyball record -- shattering the previous mark of 1,982 versus UH on Nov. 23 1996 at the North Gym. At that point in time, the attendance was the 27th-best attended NCAA Division I volleyball match in the nation -- it finished 34th in the final volleyball attendance list in 2003. In addition to drawing its second 1,000-plus match of the year, the volleyball program has totaled 19 one-grand crowds, 18 of which have come under Vivas, since 1991. In 2003, the Bulldogs also drew 11,344 fans in 11 home dates for a 1,031 average -- a new school record that finished 30th in the nation.
Fenton Gets Honorable Mention All-America Honors
Fresno State had only one All-American in school history and that individual is current assistant coach Ruth Lawanson -- until 2003. The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) selected Fenton to the AVCA Honorable Mention All-America Team. She is the second Bulldog to be honored as an All-American as she joins Lawanson, who was named CVCA/Russell Athletic All-America First Team in 1984. The two-time AVCA All-West Region selection put together one of the most dominating all-around performances by a Bulldog in program history. She was nationally ranked in kills per game all 15 weeks during the season, including a final regular-season No. 20 ranking (5.21 kpg). In addition, Fenton was the fifth player in the nation to tally a 40-kill match (41 vs. CS Northridge, Nov. 12) and the ninth player in Division I rally scoring history (since 2001) to reach the 40-kill plateau in 2003. Fenton became the second fastest Bulldog to total 1,000 career kills (64 matches) this year as well as being the seventh Bulldog to tally a 500-kill season while establishing herself in five Top 10 single-season marks. Named to her second straight all-WAC Tournament team, she was one of just 25 players in the nation to average better than 5.00 kills per game. The two-time First Team All-Western Athletic Conference pick recorded double-figure kills in all 28 matches played, including 15 20-kill performances and 15 double-doubles. As the `Dogs' top kill leader in 22 matches, Fenton totaled 20 or more points in a match 18 times and hit better than .300 in 16 matches. The three-time WAC Player of the Week honoree also was a four-time all-tournament selection with two MVP honors. In addition, she became the first Bulldog to hit .300 or better in more than one season and the first to do so in back-to-back seasons. Fenton set the second-highest single-season mark for kills per game (5.21) and the third-best total for kills (568) while hitting .314, a mark that sits fifth-best on the school's single-season list. Leading the team in kills, kills per game and hitting while third in blocks (72, 0.66 bpg) and digs (291, 2.67 dpg), she also set five school rally scoring records, including a North Gym mark in kills (41), in 2003.
Making A Contribution
Peters made significant contributions as a freshman as she would go on to make her mark in six different Bulldog freshman records. She, along with Fenton, were the only two 'Dogs to have at least 200 kills and digs on the year. Overall, she finished second in digs (348, 3.25 dpg) and third in kills (281, 2.63 kpg), service aces (28, 0.26 sapg) and points scored (342.5) while fifth in blocks (53, 0.50 bpg).
In the Final NCAA Statistics
In the final release of the NCAA Division I volleyball statistics (Dec. 21, 2003), Fenton finished 20th in kills per game with a 5.21 average (568 kills in 109 games). Ranked every week last season in kills per game, she finished the year as one of 25 players in the country to average at least 5.00 kills per game. In the Oct. 12 release of the national statistics, Keune made her third showing of the season and was ranked 29th in assists per game (894, 12.77). She finished the year with a No. 35 ranking with a 12.65 assist per game average. As a team, the Bulldogs appeared nationally in assists, W-L and in blocking. The 'Dogs were strong at the net coming down the stretch as they were ranked the last seven straight weeks in blocks per game and finished at No. 27 with a 2.90 average. In the first release of the national statistics on Sept. 7, the Bulldogs appeared at No. 22 in assists per game (15.14 apg) and tied for No. 24 in W/L (6-1, .857). Fenton was ranked 26th in kills per game (5.18 kpg) while Keune was tied for 22nd in assists per game (13.07 apg).
