Sept. 19, 2000

The Schedule
Friday, September 22
vs. #6 Long Beach State @ The Thunderdome, 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 23
vs. #16 Pacific @ The Thunderdome, 7:00 p.m.

The Poll
UCSB moved up one spot in the AVCA/USA Today Coaches Poll to 13th in the nation after splitting a pair of matches last week. The Gauchos began the season ranked 14th in the preseason poll and moved up to 13th in the second poll after starting the season with a win over Arizona.

The Gregory File
UCSB head coach Kathy Gregory enters this weekend's matches with a career coaching record of 634-272 (.700) in her 25 years at the helm of the Gauchos. Gregory is the eighth winningest active coach in division I women's volleyball.

Mahalo
The Gauchos left the Aloha State with a split, sweeping UNLV and losing to second-ranked Hawai'i in four games. Danielle Bauer led the Gaucho attack against the Rebels with 11 kills and 8 digs. Courtney Guerra started her first match as a Gaucho against the Rainbow Wahine and led UCSBwith 20 kills and 14 digs, including a 15-5 game one victory 15-5. The game one win over Hawai'i was the first loss for the Wahine on the island this season.

Dome Sweet Dome
UCSB is very happy to be home after starting off the season with nine straight road matches. So far this season the Gauchos have split their four road matches and are 4-1 at neutral sites.

Probable Starters	           Notes
#3 - Brieanna Lampe - Jr. - OH      Averaging 2.17 kills per game.
#5 - Brooke Rundle - Jr. - S        AVCA All-District as a sophomore.
#7 - Courtney Guerra - So. - OH     20 kill, 14 dig performance at Hawai'i.
#8 - Erica Menzel - Fr. - OH        Leads team with 4.03 kills per game.
#12 - Danielle Bauer - So. - MB     Second on team with 3.97 kills per game.
#15 - Simone Kuhn - Fr. - MB        1.23 blocks per game is tops among Gauchos.
Reserves

#4 - Deborah Samson - So. - DS      Eight digs in 17 games played.
#9 - Casey McFarland - Fr. - DS     Has played all 31 games this season.
#10 - Francina Edmonds - Fr. - MB   Six kills and six blocks on the year.
#11 - Sarah Fitzmaurice - Fr. - DS  Four digs in five games played.
#13 - Missy Blackshire - Jr. - OH   Five kills in four games played.
#16 - Brooke Niles - So. - OH       Third on team with 2.43 digs per game.

Menzel's Magic
Freshman outside hitter Erica Menzel has been UCSB's most consistent weapon so far this season. The Santa Barbara native is currently averaging a team best 4.03 kills ber game, and is second on the squad with 2.58 digs per game. She is also secnd on the team with 11 service aces (0.35 per game), while her 16 total blocks (0.52 per game) are third highest among Gauchos.

Warfare
Sophomore transfer Courtney Guerra made the most of her first career start as a Gaucho last Friday. Playing against the second-ranked team in the nation on the road in front of 7,000 people, Guerra shined in her Gaucho starting debut. In the match against Hawai'i she led UCSB with 20 kills and a match-high 14 digs over the four games. She also added a match-best three service aces against the Rainbow Wahine.

Scouting The 49ers
The sixth-ranked 49ers enter Friday's match at the Thunderdome with an 8-1 overall record. They have won two straight matches, both in straight games over New Mexico State and Neveada, after their five-game loss at BYU two weeks ago. Long Beach is led by middle blocker Cheryl Weaver's 3.88 kills and 1.61 blocks per game. Sarah Connor paces the 49ers with 2.18 digs per game.

Scouting The Tigers
The Tigers enter this weekend's play with a 7-2 overall record and are ranked 16th in the nation. UOP's two losses this season have both been in three games to ninth-ranked Minnesota and 19th-ranked Santa Clara. Danielle Shinn paces the Tigers with 3.48 kills per game. Santa Barbara native and San Marcos High graduate Jaima Ortega has played in 21 of UOP's 29 games and in averaging 2.24 kills per game.

Bauer Power
Early in the 2000 season, sophomore middle blocker Danielle Bauer has emerged as a potent offensive weapon for Kathy Gregory. The 5-11 middle blocker was named to both all-tournament teams UCSB has participated in this season. She was also named the Big West Player of the Week on September 4th after leading UCSB to an upset of then 10th-ranked Arizona in the season opener. Bauer is currently averaging 3.97 kills, 2.45 digs and 0.74 blocks per game.

Rundle's Bundle
Junior setter Brooke Rundle has already filled her shelves with plenty of accolades during her two seasons as the starting setter for the Gauchos. Rundle has been named First Team All-Big West for two straight seasons, as well as the Big West's Freshman of the Year two seasons ago. She was also named a Volleyball Magazine Freshman All-American. Last year Rundle was also named AVCA All-District and to the NCAA Pacific Regional All-Tournament Team. She is currently second in the Big West with 12.52 assists per game and paces UCSB with 2.65 digs per game.

Can Kuhn? You Betcha
Freshman middle blocker Simone Kuhn has been a welcone addition to the Gaucho lineup in 2000. Kuhn, a native of Switzerland, is averaging 3.10 kills and a team-leading 1.23 blocks per game. The team's tallest player at 6-foot-2, Kuhn played club volleyball in Switzerland for eight years before graduating from high school last June.

Casey's Corner
Freshman defensive specialist Casey McFarland has quickly made a name for herself as a defensive mainstay and one of the top passers in the program. McFarland, a native of Leucadia, California, has played in all 31 games so far this season and is averaging 1.77 digs per game.