Nov. 13, 2001

The Schedule
Match 27 * Friday, Nov. 16 * 7:00 p.m. * Santa Barbara. CA
No. 23 UC Santa Barbara vs. No. 15 Pacific
Match 28 * Saturday, Nov. 17 * 7:00 p.m. * Santa Barbara, CA
No. 23 UC Santa Barbara vs. Cal State Northridge

Gauchos Return To Thunderdome For Final Home Weekend
The 23rd-ranked UC Santa Barbara women's volleyball team will host 15th-ranked Pacific on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. in the Thunderdome. The match will determine which team will finish the season second in the Big West Conference standings. The Tigers defeated the Gauchos in a five-set thriller on Oct. 30th after trailing two games to one. Cal State Northridge will head north to face UCSB in the conference finale at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday night. The Gauchos knocked out the Matadors 3-1 back on Oct.16th in the first ever Big West meeting between the schools.

On The Road Again
The Gauchos were back on the road last week, and in the air as they dropped a three-set match, 30-26, 35-33, 30-27, to 12th-ranked Hawai'i on Nov. 5th. Outside hitter Courtney Guerra spearheaded the Gaucho attack with 15 kills and a career-high 18 digs in the loss. Back on the mainland, UCSB continued their tear through the Big West with a 30-18, 30-18, 30-23 sweep at UC Riverside on Nov. 9th. Freshman middle blocker Niki Carroll set a new career-high with 13 kills, while hitting a superb .800. The Gauchos knocked off another conference foe with a 30-25, 30-22, 30-25 victory over Cal State Fullerton on Saturday night. Junior middle blocker Danielle Bauer recorded her 13th double-double with 15 kills and 13 digs to lead the Gauchos.

The Gregory File
Kathy Gregory is the only coach UCSB women's volleyball has ever known, guiding the program to a 669-288 (.699) record since accepting the reigns of the team in 1975. In her 26 seasons at the helm of the Gauchos she has guided Santa Barbara to 20 or more victories 21 times. For 24 straight years UCSB has finished the season ranked in the top-25, never finishing lower than 17th. Gregory was named the National Coach of the Year in 1993 and is a member of the Volleyball Hall of Fame. She is currently the eighth-winningest active coach in Division I women's volleyball.

Probable Starters Notes
#3 * Brie Lampe * Sr. * OH Sixth in Big West with .332 hitting %
#7 * Courtney Guerra * Jr. * OH 15 kills, 18 digs against Hawai'i
#8 * Erica Menzel * So. * OH Fifth in Big West with 3.24 dpg
#12 * Danielle Bauer * Jr. * MB 13 double-doubles, second in Big West
#16 * Brooke Niles * Jr. * S 10.37 assists per game in league matches
#17 * Niki Carroll * Fr. * MB Career-high 13 kills against Riverside

Reserves
#2 * Mari Bell * Fr. * S Reserve setter with 44 assists this season
#4 * Kristin Nelson * Fr. * DS Career-high 21 digs vs. Utah State
#5 * Brooke Rundle * Sr. * S 18 assists, 12 digs in win over Cal Poly
#9 * Casey McFarland * So. * DS 78 digs in conference matches
#10 * Francina Edmonds * So. * MB Career-high five kills vs. Riverside
#13 * Missy Blackshire * Sr. * OH Three kills, no errors against Utah State
#20 * Amy Sarkaria * Fr. * MB Four put-aways vs. Idaho tied career high

Bauer of Power
For the 13th time this season, junior middle blocker Danielle Bauer recorded a double-double with her 15 kills and 13 digs in the Gauchos three-game sweep of Cal State Fullerton. Saturday night's performance was her eighth double-double in conference action, pushing her total to second in the Big West. The Santa Ana, Calif., native has also paced the UCSB attack in 19 of its 26 matches in 2001, and has registered double-digit kills in all but four contests, two of which were nine-kill performances. She has reached a season-high 23 kills twice, at top-ranked Long Beach State and Cal State Northridge. The 2000 All-Big West First Team honoree is well on her way to repeating such honors, ranking fourth in the conference with 4.36 kills per game and tenth in digs at 2.98 per game.

What About Erica?
Sophomore outside hitter Erica Menzel has been on fire since the start of conference play, registering double-digit kill totals in 14 of the 16 Big West matches UCSB has played. Her defensive play has been equally sizzling, with 10 or more digs in 10 league contets including a career-best 27 scoops at Pacific on Oct. 30th, the second highest total by a Big West player this year. The 2000 All-Big West Second Team member can boast five double-doubles over her past seven matches and a total of 10 on the season.

The River Niles
One of the most versatile players in UCSB history, junior Brooke Niles has assumed the role of starting setter in 2001 after seeing most of her time at outside hitter and defensive specialist the past two seasons. Niles has flourished in her new position, averaging 10.37 assists per game in conference matches, sixth best in the Big West. She posted a career-high 56 helpers at Utah State. Against Cal Poly the Woodland Hills, Calif., native nearly recorded her second triple-double of the season with eight kills, 10 digs and 23 assists. Niles averaged 2.70 kills per game en route to Big West Freshman of the Year honors in 1999, and led all Gauchos with 369 digs last season.

Brie's Wedge
Senior Brie Lampe is the Gauchos' most effective attacker this season with a .332 hitting percentage that ranks her sixth in the Big West. The outside hitter from Nevada City, Calif., has gone on a tear during league play, connecting at a .376 clip, and has committed just 15 errors over her past eight matches. Lampe has registered double-digit kills 10 times this season, imost recently at 17th-ranked Pacific when she notched 12 put-aways. She was nearly flawless against UC Riverside last Friday night with 9 kills and no errors for a season-high .750 hitting percentage, surpassing her .733 hitting performanceon Oct.12th in a three-game sweep of Cal State Fullerton.

Eye of the Tigers
15th-ranked Pacific has won seven of its last nine matches heading into Friday night's showdown in Thunderdome. The Tigers are 22-7 overall and level with UCSB with a 13-3 mark in Big West play. Senior outside hitter and a member of last season's all Big West squad Jamie Hamm leads the Big West with 4.15 digs per game and also boasts a powerful 3.69 kills per game. Last week Hamm was named Big West Player of the Week after averaging 5.00 kills, 3.00 digs and .33 blocks per game and tallying a .510 hitting percentage in wins over Utah State and Idaho. Jennifer Jones paces the Tigers and the Big West with 5.00 kills per game in conference play. Jones' 1.52 blocks per game places her second in the conference. UCSB is looking to avenge a crushing 28-30, 30-26, 30-32, 30-22, 15-12, loss at Pacific on Oct. 30th in which the Gauchos led two games to one. Four different Gaucho hitters recorded double-digit kills in the match, but UCSB was unable to bounce back after dropping the fourth game.

Matador Might
Cal State Northridge enters the final weekend of Big West play with an overall record of 14-13 and a Big West mark of 7-9. The Matadors are currently sixth in the conference standings and will face off with Cal Poly before heading to UCSB. The Gauchos defeated Northridge 3-1 on Oct. 16th. Danielle Bauer matched a season-high 23 kills against Northridge, while Brie Lampe crushed 19 kills with two errors en route to a .486 hitting performance. Laura Walter leads the Matadors with 4.09 kills per game in conference matches, good for fifth in the Big West. Alexis Cormier paces Northridge with 3.25 digs per game while adding 3.16 kills per game as well.