UC SANTA BARBARA OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE

Aug. 26, 2008

• The Schedule
Cal Molten Classic
at Haas Pavilion (11,877)

Saturday, Aug. 30, 2008
Match No. 1: UC Santa Barbara vs. St. John's, 1:00 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 31, 2008
Match No. 2: UC Santa Barbara at Cal, 1:00 p.m.

• In the Beginning...
The UC Santa Barbara women's volleyball team will open the 2008 season this weekend at the Cal Molten Classic in Berkeley, Calif. The Gauchos will take-on 2007 NCAA Regional qualifier St. John's on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. before facing the tournament host, No. 5 Cal, on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. This week's is the first of four season-opening tournaments as the Gauchos begin 2008 with a 13-match road swing.

• 2007 In Review
For the first time in program history, the Gauchos failed to make the NCAA Tournament field in 2007 after posting a 14-18 overall record and finishing seventh in the Big West (6-10). The season did not pass, though, without several high-points. Three players were named to All-Big West teams, including senior outside hitter Lauren McLaughlin, who was named to the conference's first team, and sophomore setter Dana Vargas, who was named to the Big West All-Freshman Team. Senior libero Leigh Stephenson scooped her way to the conference and school records for single season digs with 650.

• Glancing Forward
On their quest for a 27th NCAA Tournament berth, the Gauchos will face yet another challenging schedule in 2008. This season's slate features nine opponents from the 2007 NCAA Tournament field including two Sweet 16 opponents and two Final Four participants. The Gauchos first big test will come this weekend when they face two of those four teams: St. John's, which made it into the Regional Semifinals last season, and Cal, who competed in the Final Four. Following the Cal Molten Classic, UCSB will play in two more Bay Area tournaments, the USF Asics/Powerade Challenge and the Stanford Invitational, before returning to Southern California for a single match with non-conference foe Loyola Marymount and the Pepperdine Asics Classic. After opening the Big West season on the road at Cal State Northridge on Sept. 26 and Cal State Fullerton on Sept. 27, the Gauchos will finally hit the Thunderdome court on Oct. 3 for their home opener against Pacific. In all, UCSB is scheduled to play eight home contests this season.

• Preseason Predictions
UCSB, which finished seventh in the Big West in 2007, has been tabbed to finish fifth this season in the preseason coaches poll. Cal Poly, which is ranked 10th nationally in the CSTV/AVCA Top-25 Preseason Coaches Poll, was predicted to pick-up its third consecutive conference crown this year, while Long Beach State was picked to finish second.

• The Gregory File
Kathy Gregory is the only coach UCSB women's volleyball has ever known, guiding the program to a 798-346 (.698) record since accepting the reigns of the team in 1975. In her 33 years at the helm - the longest tenure in the history of Gaucho Athletics - "The Queen" has guided Santa Barbara to 20 or more victories 26 times, while her teams have finished the season ranked amongst the nation's top-25 on 28 occasions. She can boast five NCAA Sweet 16 appearances in the past eleven years (including three Elite Eights) as well as National Coach of the Year honors in 1993. Gregory, a member of the Volleyball Hall of Fame and currently the sixth-winningest coach in the Division I ranks, has also earned Big West Coach of the Year acclaim in four of the last six seasons. Gregory is currently just two wins away from her 800th career victory and is one of only seven coaches in NCAA history to surpass the 700-win career mark.

• Senior Citizens
Returning for their final season in the blue and gold are two three-year letterwinners: libero Leigh Stephenson and outside hitter Lauren McLaughlin. Stephenson, who set the Big West and UCSB records for single season digs in 2007, averaged 5.24 digs per game and was also second on the team with 24 service aces. The senior is expected to once again earn the starting nod at libero this fall. Outside hitter and 2007 All-Big West First Team selection McLaughlin started every match last season and led the Gauchos with 541 kills (averaging 4.36 per game) and tallied 21 double-double performances. McLaughlin is expected to once again pace the UCSB offense this season.

• The Outsiders
For the first time in several seasons, the Gauchos have several viable options to play the left side. In addition to McLaughlin, UCSB returns junior Rebecca Saraceno, who was second on the team with her 3.27 kills per game average and also paced the team with 41 service aces. Able to play both the left and right sides, as well as lend a hand in the middle, Saraceno will once again be a great asset to the UCSB line-up. Sophomore Charlene DeHoog has improved greatly after playing 29 of 32 matches last season and will likely see an increased role on the outside in 2008. DeHoog posted 134 kills as a freshman. New additions to the outside include junior college transfer Chelsea Pavlik (Laguna Beach/Irvine Valley College), who was the Orange Empire Conference MVP in 2007, and freshman Nikki Doyle (Santa Maria, Calif./Pioneer Valley HS), a First Team All-Pac-7 League honoree. On the right side, freshman Whittany Radcliffe (La Habra, Calif./La Habra HS) is expected to make an immediate impact.

• Stuck In The Middle With You
After losing three-time First Team All-Big West middle blocker Brett Quirarte to graduation, UCSB will look to a pair of underclassmen to man the middle this season. Sophomore Kasey Kipp, who started all but two matches in 2007 and led the team with 108 block assists, will carry more of an offensive load this season according to Gregory. Freshman Lily Lopez (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei HS) is also likely to receive the starting nod in her debut weekend with the Gauchos.

• Setting Us Up For Success
With a year of college experience under her belt, sophomore setter Dana Vargas returns to once again quarterback the UCSB offense. The Big West All-Freshman team honoree, led the Gauchos in 2007 with 11.51 assists per game and averaged 2.15 digs. The Gauchos will also likely utilize a 6-2 offense more frequently this season, giving an increased role to sophomore Jessica Welch, who dished out 118 assists during her rookie season.

• Red Storm Watch
St. John's of New York will be the Gauchos' first opponent this season. The Red Storm finished the 2007 season with a 33-4 record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16. St. John's roster features 10 letterwinners from last year's squad and three newcomers. Saturday's pairing will be the first-ever between the two programs.

• Tracking the Golden Bears
The Gauchos' second match of the weekend will be against No. 5 ranked Cal, which advanced to the NCAA Final Four last season before losing to eventual national champion Penn State. The Golden Bears return nine letterwinners from the 2007 squad while adding five newcomers to the roster. UCSB holds a 13-4 advantage in its all-time series with Cal, winning the last pairing in three games in September of 2004.

• Coming Soon
Following the Cal Molten Classic, the Gauchos will return to the Bay Area the weekend of Sept. 5-6 for the USF Asics/Powerade Challenge where they will play Utah State and Texas Arlington after facing off with host San Francisco.