Sports News Southwest

San Diego State remains on the road this week as it travels to Corpus Christi, Texas, for the Islander Holiday Inn-Easter Beach Invitational. The Aztecs’ first match in that event will take place on Friday, Sept. 7, at 6:30 p.m. (CDT) when they face the host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders. On Saturday (Sept. 8), SDSU will face Northern Illinois at 10:00 a.m. (CDT) and conclude tourney play at 6:30 p.m. (CDT) that evening against Texas-Pan American.

 

Series Records:

This weekend’s matches against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Texas-Pan American and Northern Illinois will be San Diego State’s first-ever meetings on the volleyball court with those teams. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi enters the week with a record of 2-4 after dropping a trio of three-game matches to Rice, LSU and Illinois at last weekend’s Rice Mizuno Invitational. Friday’s match vs. SDSU will be the home opener for TAMCC. The Islanders are led by right side hitter Christie Feliz (3.31 kpg, 2.62 dpg) and middle blocker Lauren Pasley (3.00 kpg, 1.11 dpg). TAMCC is hitting .142 as a team through its first six matches.

 

Northern Illinois’ record stands at 3-4 as it prepares to host DePaul on Wednesday (Sept. 5) prior to competing in Corpus Christi. The Huskies won two of three at last weekend’s Butler Invitational with victories over the tourney host and Tennessee Tech. NIU is led by outside hitters Laura Baetzel (3.24 kpg, 1.56 dpg) and Meagen Schoenrock (3.42 kpg), both of whom were named to the all-tourney team at Butler last weekend.

 

Texas-Pan American is off to a 2-7 start in 2007 after losing to Sam Houston State, Tulane and South Dakota State last weekend. UTPA is led by outside hitter Kellie Phillips (3.39 kpg, 2.87 dpg) and middle blocker Deanna Schneyer (2.04 kpg, 1.03 bpg). As a team, the Lady Broncs are hitting .149.

 

San Diego State head coach Mark Warner is in his 13th season at the helm of the Aztec women’s program. His career record over that span stands at 193-181 (.516). Over the past 12 years, Warner has led his teams to a pair of NCAA Tournament berths and a Western Athletic Conference championship. His tutelage has produced 15 all-conference players and he was named the Mountain West Conference co-coach of the year in 2002.

 

Last week:

SDSU opened play at the Hofstra/Asics Invitational last weekend with a 3-0 (30-22, 30-21, 30-17) win over Ball State. The Aztecs were led by nine kills apiece from Lauren Salisbury and Kelley Wahlin along with five blocks by both Salisbury and Sydney De Turk. The next morning, SDSU dropped a four-game match to Siena by scores of 30-24, 22-30, 19-30, 28-30). Stephanie Darnall was the lone Aztec to reach double figures in kills with 17 and she added 14 digs. Aime Cordeiro led all players with 25 digs while Salisbury again registered five blocks. That evening, the Aztecs needed five games to defeat Hofstra with game scores of 30-27m 30-21, 21-30, 28-30, 15-11. For Aztecs hits double figures in kills including Hannah Evans (16), Darnall (14), Salisbury (12) and Lindsey Mahan (11). Cordeiro added 31 blocks in the winning effort.

 

·          Outside hitter Stephanie Darnall and libero Aime Cordeiro were named to the all-tournament team

·          at last weekend’s Hofstra/Asics Invitational.

·          Darnall finished with averages of 3.17 kills, 2.75 digs and 0.33 blocks per game.

·          Cordeiro, meanwhile, had 6.42 digs per game and added 4 kills from the back row.

·          It was the second weekend in which Cordeiro earned all-tournament honors this season