UC SANTA BARBARA OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE

Sept. 2, 2008

• The Schedule
USF Asics/Powerade Challenge
at War Memorial Gym (5,300)

Friday, Sept. 5, 2008
Match No. 3: UC Santa Barbara at San Francisco, 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 6, 2008
Match No. 4: UC Santa Barbara vs. Utah State, 1:00 p.m.
Match No. 5: UC Santa Barbara vs. Texas Arlington, 5:00 p.m.

• This Week in Volleyball
The UC Santa Barbara women's volleyball team will compete in the second of four season-opening tournaments this weekend at the University of San Francisco's Asics/Powerade Challenge. The Gauchos will face host USF on Friday in the tourney opener before facing both Utah State and Texas Arlington on Saturday.

• For the Record
After opening the 2008 season at the Cal Molten Classic this past weekend, UCSB now holds a 1-1 overall season record. UCSB opened the season with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-21) victory over St. John's before falling the next evening in a three-set sweep (25-15, 25-14, 25-21) to No. 5 ranked Cal.

• Saraceno Stands Out
Junior outside hitter Rebecca Saraceno earned Tournament Standout honors at last weekend's Cal Molten Classic after leading the Gauchos in each of their two contests. Saraceno opened the season with 13 kills and a .237 clip (4e, 38 att) along with five digs and a block assist against St. John's. The following day against Cal, Saraceno was the Gaucho point leader and tallied eight kills, both of UCSB's service aces, five digs, and one block assist. She averaged 3.50 kills per set, ranking fourth amongst Big West players, and is third on the team with a 1.67 dig per set average.

• The Gregory File
With the victory over St. John's this past Saturday, Kathy Gregory is now just one-win shy of her 800th career victory. The only coach UCSB women's volleyball has ever known, Gregory has guided the program to a 799-346 (.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.

• 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 14th nationally in the CSTV/AVCA Top-25 Coaches Poll, was predicted to pick-up its third consecutive conference crown this year, while Long Beach State was picked to finish second. The Gauchos will open their Big West schedule on Sept. 26 at Cal State Northridge. Until then, UCSB and the Big West will have to wait and see if there is any validity to the preseason predictions.

• No Sophomore Slump Here
Outside hitter Charlene DeHoog opened her sophomore year on a good note at the Cal Molten Classic. DeHoog tallied seven kills, five digs, four block assists, and one ace in the victory over St. John's. The following day, she led the team in the three-set loss to No. 5 Cal with her nine kills and .368 clip (2e, 29 att.). DeHoog collected a .306 clip during the weekend, which ranks fifth amongst Big West players, and averaged 2.67 kills per game, surpassing her 1.54 average from last season.

• Senior Citizens
After carrying most of the Gauchos' offensive load last season, senior Lauren McLaughlin is getting some help from Saraceno and DeHoog this season. The outside hitter chipped in 14 kills during the weekend, including eight kills with a .318 clip (1e, 22 att) in the match with St. John's. Against the Red Storm, she also contributed nine digs, two blocks assists, and an ace. Fellow senior, libero Leigh Stephenson, posted double-digit digs in each of the Gauchos' two matches. She tallied a total of 22 digs over the weekend, good for a 3.67 scoop per set average.

• A Family Affair
Dana Vargas has switched things up this season and changed her jersey number from #6 to #10. The number holds significance with the Vargas women as her mom, Debbie Green, the former U.S. Olympic team setter, and her older sister, Nicole, Long Beach State's current setter, both have worn the same number. Vargas averaged 7.67 assists per set over the weekend and also chipped in two aces, five digs, and two blocks.

• Scouting San Francisco
San Francisco opened the 2008 season with a 1-2 record at the Long Beach State Invitational. The Dons dropped their opening match to Long Beach (3-1) before defeating Missouri State (3-2). They finished the tourney with a three-set loss to Indiana. Sarah Mandala led the team, averaging 3.42 kills per set and 2.33 digs. USF won the only previous contest with the Gauchos in four games on Sept. 3, 2006.

• A Little Bit About the Aggies
Utah State has gotten out to a rough 0-3 start to the season, dropping contests to Tulane (3-0), Missouri (3-1), and BYU (3-0). Melissa Osterloh leads the squad, averaging 3.60 kills per set and tallying six service aces. The Gauchos hold a 33-5 series advantage over Utah State, though the Aggies won the last pairing in five games on Sept. 15, 2005.

• Matching Up With the Mavericks
UT Arlington got out to a 2-1 start last week, posting wins over Jackson State (3-0) and North Texas (3-2) and dropping a contest against Texas Tech (3-1). The Mavericks were led by Ally Wade and Bianca Sauls, who each average 2.50 kills per set. The Gauchos and Mavericks have split their previous two contests with UCSB, winning the latest in a three-game sweep on Aug. 30, 2003.

• 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 last weekend's opponents: Cal and St. John's. Following this week's USF Asics/Powerade Challenge, the Gauchos will have another road swing in the Bay Area when they travel to the Stanford Invitational where they will take-on 2007 national runner-up Stanford as well as Santa Clara and New Mexico State. Following that tourney, Santa Barbara returns 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.