Nov. 26, 2005

LONG BEACH, Calif. - With 17 wins in its last 18 matches, the UC Santa Barbara women's volleyball season has concluded the 2005 regular season on a tear, its latest triumph being a 28-30, 30-26, 30-24, 30-27 victory over South Dakota State on Saturday during the Baden Thanksgiving Classic.

With their eighth consecutive win, the Gauchos improved to 21-8 overall, and will now await Sunday's announcement of the 64-team NCAA Tournament field. Meanwhile the Jackrabbits complete their second season as a Division I program at 16-19 after dropping their first-ever meeting with UCSB.

SDSU was clearly not intimidated by the four-time defending Big West Conference champions, taking game one while holding Santa Barbara to a meager .128 hitting percentage in the Walter Pyramid. The `Jacks again out-hit UCSB during a well-played second frame - .378 to .304, but the Gauchos were able to pull out a victory to even the score. Games three and four were also hotly-contested, but Santa Barbara was able to pull both out by a combined nine total points.

Senior middle blocker Megan Blackshire and junior outside hitter Janine Sandell - both First Team All-Big West selections - led the Gaucho attack with 16 kills apiece, but Blackshire was the more efficient attacker by hitting .312 on the night. Meanwhile sophomore opposite hitter Bethany Johansen slammed home a career-high 15 balls - connecting at a scintillating .528 clip - while freshman outside hitter Jaimarie Sutherland obliterated her previous personal bests with a double-double of 10 kills and 11 digs. As a team, Santa Barbara served up a season-high 15 aces.

Minette Ridenour led a trio of SDSU hitters in double-figures with a match-best 17 kills, followed by Kristina Martin and Amy Anderson with 16 and 11 put-aways, respectively. The Jackrabbits lost despite out-hitting UCSB .256 to .246 on the evening.

The Gauchos will gather at Zodos Bowling and Beyond in Goleta on Sunday to watch the NCAA Tournament selection show live on ESPNews at 11:30 a.m. All fans are welcome to join them. UCSB is one of only four programs in the nation to earn a berth in the Big Dance every year since its inception in 1981.