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Nov. 16, 2004

The Schedule
Match 25 • Thursday, Nov. 18, 2004 • 7:00 p.m. • San Luis Obispo, CA
No. 18 UC Santa Barbara at Cal Poly • Mott Gym (3,032)
Match 26 • Sunday, Nov. 21, 2004 • 2:00 p.m. • Davis, CA
No. 18 UC Santa Barbara at UC Davis • The Pavilion (7,600)

2004 Gaucho Record
21-3 overall/15-2 Big West Conference
9-2 home/9-1 away/3-0 neutral
USA Today/CSTV Ranking: 18th
Volleyball magazine Ranking: 17th

Gauchos Ride Season-Long 11-Match Winning Streak into Road Trip
Already having clinched its third consecutive Big West Conference title, the 18th-ranked UC Santa Barbara women's volleyball team concludes regular season play on the road this week. On Thursday, Nov. 18, the Gauchos wrap up league action at Central Coast rival Cal Poly (5-21 overall, 3-14 Big West). The 7:00 p.m. showdown from Mott Gym can be heard live on KCSB 91.9 FM. UCSB is 37-15 all-time vs. the Mustangs, most recently defeating CP 3-0 at home on Sept. 14 to open conference play. On Sunday, Nov. 21 at 2:00 p.m., Santa Barbara will play its first match since 1978 against UC Davis (2-20 overall), a school that is transitioning to the NCAA Division I ranks and will join the Big West beginning in 2007. The Gauchos are 3-0 all-time vs. the Aggies.

Nelson On the Verge of Making More History
After establishing a new UCSB record of 1,651 career digs last week, senior libero Kristin Nelson became the first libero ever to earn Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week honors. She is the fifth Gaucho to claim the prestigious weekly award, and first since 1999. Nelson averaged 8.60 digs per game last week, boosting her season average to 6.33 which ranks fourth-best nationally. The Manhattan Beach, Calif., native - who has led the Gauchos in scoops in all 24 matches this season - has positioned herself within 32 digs of tying the all-time Big West mark of 1,683 currently held by a pair of players who competed in the mid-1980's.

UCSB Clinches Another Big West Crown at Long Beach, then Beats UCI
A trio of important streaks were extended on Friday, Nov. 12 as UCSB, scored a 27-30, 30-27, 30-22, 30-24 victory at Long Beach State. The Gauchos' sixth consecutive win over their longtime Big West rivals clinched their third straight conference crown, giving Santa Barbara the league's automatic NCAA Championship berth. That means UCSB will extend its streak of appearing in every Big Dance dating back to the tournament's inception in 1981. The following night, the Big West champs kept the ball of success rolling with a 19-30 30-24, 30-28, 33-31 road win at UC Irvine. These marked the only two matches in 2004 during which UCSB has rallied for victory after dropping game one. The Gauchos racked up double-digit blocks in each contest, and can now boast 10 or more stuffs in each of their last five outings.