UC SANTA BARBARA OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE

Sept. 30, 2008

• The Schedule
Friday, Oct. 3, 2008
Match No. 14: Pacific at UC Santa Barbara, 7:00 p.m.
at The Thunderdome (6,000)
KCSB Live Audio
Gametracker
Live Video Stream

Saturday, Oct. 4, 2008
Match No. 15: UC Davis at UC Santa Barbara, 7:00 p.m.
at The Thunderdome (6,000)
Gametracker
Live Video Stream

• This Week in Gaucho Volleyball
After spending the first five weeks of the 2008 season on the road, the UC Santa Barbara women's volleyball team finally hits its home court on Friday in its home-opener against Pacific at 7:00 p.m. at the Thunderdome. The following evening, the Gauchos will play host to UC Davis, same time, same place.

• How to Catch the Action
For tickets to Friday and Saturday's matches, call (805) 893-UCSB or visit the ticket link on this website. If you are unable to attend either of the Gauchos' home contests, both will be video streamed and also can be followed on Gametracker. Click on the links above for further information on these services. Additionally, UCSB's very own KCSB will be doing a live internet audio broadcast from Friday's match with Pacific. Check it out on KCSB.org.

• For the Record
UCSB opened its Big West Conference schedule last weekend with a pair of victories, marking its best conference start since the 2004 season. Last Friday, the Gauchos outlasted Cal State Northridge in five sets (25-27, 25-16, 28-26, 22-25, 15-12). It marked UCSB's first five-set match of the season as well as the Gauchos' first win on their opposition's home court. UCSB kept things rolling the following evening as it defeated Cal State Fullerton, 25-19, 22-25, 25-18, 25-16. Prior to Saturday's match, the Gauchos had gone 0-4 in four-set matches. UCSB now holds a 6-7 overall season record and is 2-0 in the Big West along with Cal Poly and Pacific.

• The Gregory File
The Sept. 6 win over Utah State marked the 800th career victory for Gaucho head coach Kathy Gregory. The only coach UCSB women's volleyball has ever known, Gregory has guided the program to a 804-353 (.695) record since accepting the reigns of the team in 1975, making UCSB the 20th winningest Division I program. 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 one of only six coaches in NCAA history to surpass the 800-win career mark.

• The McLaughlin Group
Senior Lauren McLaughlin led the Gauchos offensively for the second straight weekend. The outside hitter averaged 4.22 kills per set over the two matches and recorded her third and fourth double-doubles of the season. In Friday's match at Northridge, McLaughlin tallied a season-high 20 kills and also had 12 digs. Additionally, she collected a season-best four block assists. The following night, she posted yet another double-double with 18 kills and 10 digs in the win over Fullerton. This season, McLaughlin is averaging 3.11 kills per set, ranking her seventh amongst all Big West players. She is second among the Gauchos with her 2.36 dig per set average. She is also currently 50 kills away from making the UCSB top-10 list for kills in a career.

• DeHoog Doubles Up
Sophomore outside hitter Charlene DeHoog was second on the team last weekend, averaging 2.78 kills per set and she also pitched in 1.67 digs per set. In the match against Northridge, she tallied 12 kills and a career-high 12 digs for her first double-double of the year. DeHoog is currently second on the team and ninth in the Big West with her 3.07 kill per set average and she also averages 1.72 digs per game, ranking third among the Gauchos.

• Leigh-bero
Senior libero Leigh Stephenson collected a season-high 22 digs in each of last weekend's two matches, marking the first time she has surpassed 20 digs in a match this year. Currently she averages 4.28 digs per game and ranks second in the Big West. Stephenson is the conference record-holder for digs in a single season with her 650 tallied in 2007 and currently has 197 so far this year.

• Kipp, Kipp, Hooray!
Sophomore middle blocker Kasey Kipp continues to lead UCSB with her .309 season clip, ranking fifth amongst Big West players. For the third time this season, Kipp recorded double-digit kills with her 10 against Cal State Northridge on Friday. During the same match, she recorded 11 total blocks, including a career-high tying nine block assists. Against Fullerton the next evening, she tallied eight kills on 20 attempts with just one error for a .350 hitting percentage. For the weekend, she averaged 2.00 kills per set and 1.56 blocks per set. This season, her average of 1.00 block per set, ranks fifth amongst Big West players.

• Setting Us Up For Success
Sophomore setters Dana Vargas and Jessica Welch each played in both of last weekend's contests. Vargas chipped in a total of 61 assists for a 6.78 assist per set average and also posted her third double-double of the season with 34 assists and 10 digs in the win over Fullerton. She also had a season-high two block assists in the match with the Titans. Welch tallied a season-high 19 assists in the win over Northridge and followed the performance with 11 helpers against Fullerton. In each of the last three contests, Welch has also contributed an ace to the Gaucho efforts. Currently Vargas is averaging 8.04 assists per set, ranking tenth in the conference, while Welch is averaging 2.58.

• Smokin' Aces
The Gauchos are currently ranked second in the Big West with their 1.41 service ace per set average with two players: Dana Vargas and Rebecca Saraceno ranking in the top-10 for aces per set. Vargas ranks fifth with 0.35 and Saraceno is sixth with 0.33. Freshman Lily Lopez led the squad this past week as she tallied a career-high four aces in the win over Northridge. Vargas, Saraceno, and Jessica Welch each pitched in two aces over the weekend.

• Rookie Roll Call
In addition to Lily Lopez's career-high four aces on Friday, a couple other UCSB newcomers had their top performances of the season at Northridge or Fullerton. Junior transfer Chelsea Pavlik posted a career-best four kills and 11 digs against Fullerton. Freshman Whittany Radcliffe had a career-best three digs and three block assists at Northridge.

• Tracking the Tigers
Pacific enters this weekend as one of four undefeated Big West teams after posting a 2-0 record last week with a 3-1 win over UC Davis and a surprising sweep over then-ranked No. 22 Long Beach State. The Tigers have gone 2-8 overall this season. Mallori Gibson leads the team with 3.66 kills per set and ranks second in the Big West. Current Big West Player of the Week, Alexa Anderson, led the squad in their two wins, averaging 4.71 kills per set and a .305 clip. Pacific leads the all-time series with UCSB 45-24 and the teams split the 2007 series with the Gauchos taking the final pairing on Oct. 27, 2007 in four sets.

• About the Aggies
Now entering its second season as a member of the Big West, UC Davis has gone 8-7 overall this season, but has gone 0-2 so far in conference play. After falling to Pacific, 3-1, last Wednesday, the Aggies then faced a 3-2 loss at the hands of Long Beach State on Saturday. Renee Ibekwe paces the team with her conference-leading 4.00 kills per set average. The Gauchos own a perfect 10-0 all-time series record with the Aggies and have won six of the last seven contests with UC Davis via a three-game sweep.

• On the Horizon
This Gauchos' homestand will be short-lived as they hit the road once again next weekend to visit Long Beach State on Saturday, Oct. 11. The two teams will face off at 7:00 p.m. at the 49er's Walter Pyramid.