2015 Green & Golden Globes Winners
Caprice Powell
Mikh McKinney
Dallas Smith
Alexa Chattleton
Mason McCann
Dominique Whittington
DeAndre Carter
Astha Madan
Taylor Knoll
Fantasia Hilliard
Female Student-Athlete of the Year
Female Individual Performance of the Year
Male Student-Athlete of the Year
Male Individual Performance of the Year
Hornet Award Recipient
Female Newcomer of the Year
Hornet Award Recipient
Male Newcomer of the Year
Hornet Award Recipient
Director’s Award Recipient
Baseball
Male Academic Team of the Year
Women’s Tennis
Female Academic Team of the Year
Women’s Basketball
Female Team Performance of the Year
Garrett Safron Director’s Award Recipient
Alexandra Santella Female Senior ScholarAthlete of the Year
Marek Marksoo Male Senior ScholarAthlete of the Year
Men’s Basketball
Male Team Performance of the Year
MESSAGE
Athletics Director
Hornet Fans, The 2014-15 athletics year was a memorable one for Sacramento State. Outstanding performances by our student-athletes in both the classroom and on the field of play highlighted a year filled with numerous record-breaking accomplishments. We invite you to look through the stakeholders report to remind you of some of the great memories made during the year and to inform you about some successes you may not have heard about in 2014-15. Sacramento State sponsors 21 intercollegiate sports in its athletics department and supports more than 500 student-athletes. Thanks to the outstanding efforts of our students, coaches and staff, we were able to garner four league titles, five Coach of the Year honors, and the Big Sky Conference women’s all-sports trophy. In the classroom, our student-athletes posted the program’s first cumulative GPA above a 3.0 and continued to graduate in solid numbers. Many of the memories of the year were made extra special by the support we received from our student body, our alumni and our fans in the community. For those of you who helped fill The Nest during the men’s and women’s basketball seasons, we thank you and want you to know you helped create one of the toughest environments for an opposing team to play. We also want to thank those of you who helped us exceed our goals in Hornet Club membership and special events, such as the annual Crab Feed and golf tournaments. As we move forward, exciting opportunities lay ahead for Sacramento State Athletics. We will continue to be guided by the course set in our strategic plan as well as the vision and leadership of incoming University President Dr. Robert S. Nelsen. I know I speak for all Hornet student-athletes, coaches and athletics staff when I say ‘thank you’ to our incredible students, alumni and fans – we truly appreciate all the support you have given us this year. Stingers Up!
Bill Macriss Director of Athletics Sacramento State
2014-15 Sacramento State Athletics Annual Report 1
CHAMPIONS
Conference
Women’s Indoor Track & Field
Women’s Tennis
Women’s Outdoor Track & Field
Men’s Outdoor Track & Field 2 2014-15 Sacramento State Athletics Annual Report
ALL-AMERICANS
DEANDRE CARTER, FOOTBALL §§ Senior wide receiver DeAndre Carter concluded his collegiate career by earning several All-America awards at the Football Championship Subdivision level. §§ Carter became just the third Hornet to be named to the first team by The Sports Network, joining running back Charles Roberts and offensive tackle Jon Osterhout who were both honored in 1999. §§ The San Jose, Calif., native was named first team AllAmerica by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, College Sports Madness and the FCS Athletics Directors Association. He was also a second team All-American by the Associated Press. §§ Carter led the FCS and the Big Sky during the regular season with 1,321 receiving yards and 17 receiving touchdowns. His 99 receptions were also the most in the FCS and ranked second in league history. He also set school records in each category. He was a model of consistency throughout the season, amassing at least 100 yards in six games and averaging 10.1 receptions and 139.2 yards in the eight league games. Carter earned national player of the week honors during the season after setting the school record with 16 receptions for 237 receiving yards and four touchdowns against Southern Utah. §§ Following the season, Carter was invited to play in the NFLPA All-Star Game. During that week, he captured the attention of several coaches and scouts in attendance and earned national media attention for his performance. He signed as an undrafted free agent with Baltimore Ravens.
MIKH MCKINNEY, MEN’S BASKETBALL §§ Senior guard Mikh McKinney was named honorable mention All-America by the Associated Press, becoming the first Hornet to earn the honor in the Div. I era (1991-pres.). McKinney joined Alex Williams (second team Div. II All-American in 1988) and Lynn Livie (honorable mention Div. II All-American in 1965) as the only three Hornet men’s basketball players to receive All-America accolades since the University began playing basketball in 1948. §§ Along with the All-America award, he was invited to compete at the Portsmouth Invitational, was the Big Sky Conference Player of the Year, a finalist for the Lou Henson MidMajor Player of the Year award, first team all-District 6, unanimous first team all-Big Sky, all-Big Sky Tournament and a four-time Big Sky Player of the Week selection. §§ McKinney helped lead Sacramento State to a record-setting season in which the team posted a 21-12 overall record, a 13-5 Big Sky Conference mark, and the program’s first postseason berth during the Div. I era when the Hornets qualified for the CIT. He finished the season averaging 19.2 points, 4.9 assists, 2.8 rebounds, 2.4 steals, a +2.3 assist-to-turnover ratio and 37.0 minutes per game while shooting .507 (219-432) from the field, .430 (65-151) from the 3-point line and .803 (110-137) from the free throw line. §§ Despite playing just three years with the program, McKinney ranks fourth in school history in career points (1,468, and ranks among career top 10 in 14 different categories. 2014-15 Sacramento State Athletics Annual Report 3
STRATEGIC PLAN
The Sacramento State athletics department established its strategic plan in 2012 with the goal for the plan to be implemented between 2013-18.
ATHLETICS VISION Sacramento State Athletics is committed to success. We work hard to achieve excellence — on the field and in the classroom. We inspire campus pride and engage our community. We win.
HORNET VALUES The Hornets’ commitment to athletic excellence is based upon four core values. These values define who we are and how we act. More importantly, they also reflect the values of the University we represent:
Integrity We work hard, we play fair and we expect the conduct of our student-athletes, coaches and staff to be beyond reproach.
Commitment to Student-Athletes We provide our student-athletes with the support to develop and succeed — as competitors, scholars, citizens and leaders — at Sacramento State and beyond.
Accountability We are stewards of University and community resources. We take this responsibility seriously and conduct our activities in a professional and transparent manner.
Engagement We enrich lives on campus, in the community and among our alumni. We connect the University to our region.
4 2014-15 Sacramento State Athletics Annual Report
ATHLETICS STRATEGIC GOALS The following goals were designed to establish a strong, definitive direction for Sacramento State Athletics. Below are updates on each goal.
GOAL: Build and communicate a clear, consistent identity for Sacramento State Athletics §§ Sacramento State coaches, student-athletes and staff were involved in many community service projects and presentations during the 2014-15 academic year. §§ Hornet teams had games on regional television networks four times and nearly 75 live events were streamed via the Watch Big Sky format. §§ The marketing office integrated its messaging into the overall University brand.
GOAL: Support student-athlete well-being, achieve academic success and promote exemplary conduct §§ Hornet student-athletes recorded their highest GPA in school history and continued to outperform the general student body. The overall student-athlete GPA exceeded a 3.00 which met an objective. §§ All teams met or exceeded an APR score of 940 which also met a strategic plan objective. §§ A total of 123 student-athletes earned academic all-conference honors.
GOAL: Build a dedicated fan base that supports Sacramento State Athletics §§ Hornet Club membership outperformed its goal of 600 members by 2018 by reaching 700 members this year. §§ Hornetsports.com exceeded 3 million visits for the first time in school history. §§ Social media followers totaled 13,500 on Facebook and Twitter followers increased by 51% over the last year. §§ Men’s basketball sold out its final five home games of the season.
GOAL: Improve Sacramento State athletic facilities §§ A new playing surface and irrigation system was installed at John Smith Field in June. §§ Plans continue to be developed for the installation of lights at John Smith Field. §§ The floor in the North Gym was resurfaced and new lights were put in place allowing the building to serve as a quality practice facility for men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball. §§ Volleyball debuted a new sport court for the 2014 season. The surface features updated colors and is one of the few sport courts utilized in NCAA Div. I. §§ Volleyball and women’s soccer each received renovations to their locker rooms. §§ A video board was installed at The Nest. The board helped add production value of volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball and gymnastics.
GOAL: Foster a championship culture §§ The Hornet women captured the Big Sky All-Sports Trophy for the first time in three years. Along with the men’s thirdplace finish, Sacramento State placed second overall out of 11 teams for the first time in school history. §§ Four Hornet teams won conference titles comprised of women’s indoor track and field, men’s and women’s outdoor track and field and women’s tennis. §§ Twelve of the 20 intercollegiate sports in recognized NCAA conferences placed among the top three in their respective leagues.
2014-15 Sacramento State Athletics Annual Report 5
RESOURCE CENTER
Student-Athlete
MISSION, VISION AND VALUES §§ Mission: The Student-Athlete Resource Center (SARC) provides Division I student-athletes with the support to develop as independent and successful young adults and the skills to achieve their academic goals, to persist towards graduation, and to meet all NCAA eligibility requirements. §§ Vision: To provide resources and guidance for the crucial academic, compliance and life skills needs of our student-athletes, coaches and staff in order to optimize academic and personal growth. §§ Values: Integrity, Student Success, Inclusion, Respect, Excellence and Accountability
HIGHLIGHTS §§ The SARC has a mandatory advising policy for all student-athletes every semester that results in an average participation rate of 98%. §§ 2014 Federal Graduation Rates: 64% for student-athletes vs. 41% for the general student body. §§ The NCAA’s Graduation Success Rate for our student-athletes is 73%. This specialized data set includes transfer and freshman student-athletes and excludes those student-athletes that transfer out in good standing. §§ In Fall 2014, the overall GPA for all student-athletes was 3.002 — highest in school history. This was the first semester the student-athlete population achieved its goal of a 3.000 department GPA. The general undergraduate student body GPA was 2.982 during the same period. §§ 55% of the Fall 2014 student-athletes were above a 3.000 term GPA. §§ 92.9% of the student-athletes are currently in academic “Good Standing” (after Fall 2014). §§ Sacramento State athletic teams continue to excel with the NCAA’s Academic Performance Rates. All teams are above the minimum 930 score and 18 of 20 teams monitored are above a 950, including 11 of those teams above a 980.
NCAA Academic Progress Report Scores
§§ The SARC successfully passed the NCAA’s Academic Performance Program Review conducted November 2014-January 2015. §§ The SARC’s Compliance & Initial Eligibility staffs conducted 54 rules education sessions to coaches, student-athletes and staff. This group also presented at 10 local high school and/or community colleges events in 2014-15. They serve as an excellent resource for on and off campus communities to assist with NCAA rules education, interpretation and support. §§ The SARC’s Compliance Staff continues to prove its commitment to rules education and oversight as they reported 14 level III violations this past year.
6 2014-15 Sacramento State Athletics Annual Report
MEN’S BASKETBALL Zach Mills Justin Strings Alex Tiffin
Academic
HONORS
NCAA APR PUBLIC RECOGNITION AWARD Men’s Cross Country Men’s Tennis
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY Drew Azevedeo Abe Espinoza Sam Scheuer WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY Gracie Albano Chloe Berlioux Emily Johnston Stephanie Rasmussen Adrianna Royal Veronica Stinnett FOOTBALL Austin Clark Casey Dakin Smith Heath Tyler Meteer Derek Nielsen WOMEN’S SOCCER Kassi Anast Chelsea Arnold Kristen Bridges Adaurie Dayak Emily Hooper Rachel Leonard Jennifer Lum Kimberly Mata Amanda Mielke Jessica Small Regan Smithers Bianca Tabuso VOLLEYBALL Lauren Aikels Shannon Boyle Madeline Cannon Courtney Dietrich Kennedy Kurtz Lexie Skalbeck Morgan Stanley
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Briana Burgos Justyce Dawson Gretchen Harrigan Margaret Huntington MEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD Eric Adorno Cory Barger David Bean Christian Gonzales Max Jette James Kinloch Steven Pust Matthew Sepulveda Michael Turner WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD Siobhan Anderson Maria Barragan Chloe Berlioux Stephanie Blumm Breeann Braucher Hayley Ann Carbullido Kassandra Corrigan Candice Dominguez Miranda Dumas Amanda Garcia Emily Johnston Marki Middleton Molly Pearlman MEN’S GOLF Aaron Beverly WOMEN’S GOLF Chloe Bartek Katie Dunaway Lexie Hall Astha Madan SOFTBALL Alexa Chattleton Nicole Clark Shelby Johnston Paris Prado MEN’S TENNIS Christopher Clayton Tom Miller Niranjan Ram
WOMEN’S TENNIS Olivia Boija Ana Loiza Anna-Maria Nau Jennifer Ong Daria Savchenko Alina Soltanici MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD Drew Azevedeo Cory Barger David Bean Richard Casas Max Jette James Kinloch Steven Pust Matthew Sepulveda Michael Turner WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD Gracie Albano Siobhan Anderson Maria Barragan Chloe Berlioux Stephanie Blumm Breeann Braucher Hayley Ann Carbullido Kassandra Corrigan Morgan Dampier Candice Dominguez Miranda Dumas Kathleen Durand Karle Fitzhugh Anna Jensen Emily Johnston Lauren Kinloch Ashley Kittle Marki Middleton Molly Pearlman Adrianna Royal Carly Schulz Veronica Stinnett Elizabeth Venzon Elaine Weaver Joy Weems
GYMNASTICS Alyssa Anderson Cassie Benning Anneke Klaver Julia Konner Tina Necas Dallas Smith Kayla Wonderly
BASEBALL Dan Deely Justin Dillon Vinny Esposito Dane Fujinaka Bronson Grubbs Brandon Hunley Grant Kukuk Devin Lehman Brennan Leitao Chris Lewis
ROWING TBA - Summer 2015 To be eligible for an academic all-conference honor, student-athletes had to earn a 3.20 cumulative grade point average as well as compete in over 50 percent of their team’s events during the 2014-15 year.
2014-15 Sacramento State Athletics Annual Report 7
Student-Athlete
WELL-BEING
SPORTS MEDICINE §§ The Sports Medicine team functions to provide quality health care to student-athletes. This is done through the following domains: risk management and injury prevention, pathology of injuries and illnesses, assessment and evaluation, acute care of injury and illness, pharmacology, therapeutic modalities, therapeutic exercise, general medical conditions and disabilities, nutritional aspects of injury and illness, psychosocial intervention and referral, health care administration, professional development and responsibilities, from the entire sports medicine staff. §§ The team is made up of several certified athletic trainers, graduate assistants and student assistants. In addition, there are several doctors and other sport medicine professionals available to fill the medical needs of student-athletes. §§ Athletic training rooms are located in the Broad Athletic Fieldhouse as well as Yosemite Hall. A member of the athletic training staff is on hand for every home event and accompanies most teams on the road and at practices.
STRENGTH & CONDITIONING §§ Sacramento State employs four certified strength & conditioning coaches and student interns to work with its student-athletes. §§ The weight room has 10 Olympic platforms, a large dumbbell area, and numerous machine weights to help strengthen student-athletes. The facility also has equipment used for rehabilitation purposes. The weight room is also air conditioned and features a high performance sound system. §§ The strength and conditioning program has the following goals: To be the best physically prepared team each game; To be the best mentally prepared team each game; Prepare for each contest by matching workout tempo to pace of a game, sometimes at no-huddle pace; Emphasis is on ground based exercises: applying maximum amount of force through the ground as fast as possible to move quicker, run faster, jump higher, be stronger, be more explosive; Decrease the chance of injury; To learn to compete under adversity; To be winners on and off the field as a team and individually.
SUPPORT SERVICES §§ Dr. Kathleen Deegan was brought into the athletics department to serve as a nutrition consultant. During the year, she met with teams and student-athletes to suggest meal planning. She also hosts workshops where student-athletes learn to prepare meals on their own. §§ The Hornet athletics department works corroboratively with the Student Health Center on campus to provide mental health care. Any student-athlete needing counseling can be seen almost immediately on campus. §§ Sacramento State partnered with Recovery Happens to provide substance abuse education and counseling to all its student-athletes. §§ Several guest speakers were brought in during the year. The guests ranged from motivational speaker Ben Newman at the fall kickoff event to Bobby Petrocelli and his “10 Seconds” series which talks about drinking and driving. §§ Students helped produce the department’s “If You Can Play, You Can Play” video. The antidiscrimination video later won a bronze Telly award. §§ Several other events were held to benefit student-athletes. These ranged from career education to an etiquette dinner to the annual Green & Golden Globes (which recognizes academic and athletic accomplishments during the academic year).
8 2014-15 Sacramento State Athletics Annual Report
HORNET CLUB
HIGHLIGHTS §§ Associate Athletics Director Markus Jennings began his tenure at Sacramento State in July of 2014. Along with Jennings, the Hornet Club features Cheryl Boyes, Noelle Giddens and Jami Shimada. §§ During the 2014-15 academic year, Hornet Club membership went over 700. That number surpasses the strategic plan goal to have 600 members by the end of the 2017-18 year. §§ A total of 445 new members joined the Hornet Club in 2014-15. §§ Along with the increase in membership, total dollars donated also increased. The 2014-15 total featured over $283,000 with unrestricted gifts exceeding $74,000. The Hornet Club received six major gifts of at least $25,000 during the year. §§ The Hornet Club started the Kim Hughes Endowment to honor the longtime gymnastics coach who retired following the 2015 season. The endowment will help assist with summer school tuition for Sacramento State gymnasts. §§ Northwestern Mutual committed $25,000 for an endowment that will benefit the athletics department. §§ The crab feed continued to be a big success. The event had nearly 400 guests at the Citrus Heights Community Center and raised money with a live and silent auction. §§ The Hornet Club partnered with University Advancement to host the Vintage ‘47 event during the spring. The event featured local restaurants, wineries and breweries for tasting. §§ The Power of 1,000 Hornets campaign launched in April. The campaign is the first step in building an Events Center on campus. Donors who provide a gift of $1,140 during the first year of the campaign will be recognized inside the new building.
2014-15 Sacramento State Athletics Annual Report 9
CROSS COUNTRY
DIRECTOR OF TRACK & FIELD/CROSS COUNTRY Kathleen Raske HEAD COACH Joe Eby ALL-BIG SKY Chloe Berlioux
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS §§ Sacramento State competed in nine cross country meets during the 2014 season. §§ The Hornet women finished first at the Mustang Challenge for its highest finish of the season. The team also placed second at the Aggie Open and had a pair of other top 10 finishes. §§ Individually, junior Chloe Berlioux (pictured) earned all-Big Sky Conference honors after placing third at the Big Sky Championships. Berlioux completed the 5K course in 17:18.8 and recorded the highest finish by a Hornet at the conference meet. §§ Junior Amanda Garcia led the Hornets at the NCAA West Regional at Stanford by placing 35th. Garcia completed the 6K course in 21:13 which was the third-fastest in school history at the meet. Her placement was the fourth best all-time by a Hornet. §§ The men’s team had four different runners lead the team at meets during the season. Junior Jacob Huston (left) posted the highest finish during the year with a victory at the Mustang Challenge. Huston also recorded the ninth-fastest time in school history at the NCAA West Regional after running the 10K course in 31:22.5.
9th
Women’s finish at Big Sky Championships
10 2014-15 Sacramento State Athletics Annual Report
11th
Men’s finish at Big Sky Championships
1,000
APR score recorded by the men’s cross country team to earn an NCAA Public Recognition Award
FOOTBALL
HEAD COACH Jody Sears
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
ASSISTANT COACHES
§§ The Hornets ended the season by winning their final three games and finished the season with a 7-5 overall record to match the most victories in the school’s Div. I era.
Paul Peterson, Off. Coord. Tyler Almond, Linebackers Fred Kelley, TE/Special Teams Bill Laveroni, Off. Line Samuel Lawanson, RBs Anthony Parker, Safeties Jason Pollak, Receivers Solomona Tapasa, Def. Line John Hughes, Def. Asst. James Montgomery, Off. Asst.
ALL-BIG SKY First Team DeAndre Carter, WR Brad Cornish, K Second Team Garrett Safron, QB Nnamdi Agude, WR Jaycee Totty, DL Darnell Sankey, LB Third Team Aleksandar Milanovic, OT Derek Nielsen, OG Robbie Kendall, S Honorable Mention Chris Broadnax, TE Jordan Robinson, RB Henry Fernandez, LB Ben Cowger, DE Russell Smith, ST
7-5 Overall
§§ Following the season, 14 players earned all-Big Sky Conference honors, including wide receiver DeAndre Carter and kicker Brad Cornish who were each named to the first team. §§ Senior quarterback Garrett Safron (pictured) led the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision with 353.4 yards of total offense per game. He set the Sacramento State single-season record with 3,490 passing yards and 34 passing touchdowns. His touchdown total placed him second in the FCS while his yardage was the fourth most. Safron left Sacramento State as the all-time leader in career passing yards, attempts, completions, completion percentage and touchdowns. §§ Carter was the lone unanimous all-Big Sky selection on either side of the ball and was also an All-American. The senior led the FCS and the Big Sky with 1,321 receiving yards and 17 receiving touchdowns. His 99 receptions were also the most in the FCS and ranked second in league history. Carter earned national player of the week honors during the season after setting the school record with 16 receptions for 237 receiving yards and four touchdowns against Southern Utah. Following the year he signed a free agent contract with the Baltimore Ravens. §§ Sacramento State capped its season by winning the 2014 Causeway Classic with a 41-30 win over UC Davis. The Hornet defense forced five turnovers, including four in the second half. The offense was led by Safron who passed for 288 yards and four touchdowns.
5-3
Big Sky Conference
11,619
Career total offense yards by Garrett Safron — the only Hornet to surpass 10,000 yards in a career
2014-15 Sacramento State Athletics Annual Report 11
HEAD COACH Mike Linenberger
2014 Big West Coach of the Year
ASSISTANT HEAD COACH Matt McDougall
ASSISTANT COACH Matthew Tellez
Men’s
SOCCER
ALL-BIG WEST First Team Chimdum Mez, F Honorable Mention Andrew Gosselin, D BIG WEST ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM Paul Geyer, MF
6-11-3 Overall
12 2014-15 Sacramento State Athletics Annual Report
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS §§ In their third season in the Big West the Hornets qualified for the conference tournament for the first time, finishing in third place in the North Division and playing at UC Irvine in the first round of the tournament. §§ The Hornets had a three-win improvement over the 2013 season with Big West road wins at CSUN, Cal Poly, and UC Davis and a draw against the Aggies when the teams met at Bonney Field on Oct. 25. §§ Michael Linenberger was named Big West Coach of the Year, his fourth coach of the year honor in 26 seasons as Sacramento State’s head coach. §§ Senior Chimdum Mez became just the second all-Big West first team selection in program history after ranking third in the conference with seven goals. Sophomore Andrew Gosselin was allWAC honorable mention and Paul Geyer made the Big West allFreshman team. §§ Mez was selected by the San Jose Earthquakes with the fourth pick of the fourth round of the 2015 Major League Soccer (MLS) SuperDraft. As the 66th overall pick in the draft, Mez became the fourth MLS draft pick in program history.
4-5-1
Big West Conference
5.45
Saves per game by the Hornets which ranked at the 16th best average in Div. I
HEAD COACH Randy Dedini
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
ASSISTANT COACHES
§§ For the second consecutive season, Sacramento State was in contention for a berth in the Big Sky Tournament on the final day of the regular season but narrowly missed qualifying.
Marisha Schumacher-Hodge Jenny Lawrence
ALL-BIG SKY
Women’s
SOCCER
Second Team Maggie Pleis, MF Honorable Mention Kassi Anast, D Chelsea Arnold, MF Lydia Bowman, MF Kristen Bridges, F Adaurie Dayak, F Kimberly Mata, GK Regan Smithers, D
9-10 Overall
§§ The Hornets won three straight games and four of five going into their season finale to get in contention for the Big Sky Tournament. §§ Senior Kristen Bridges scored a natural hat trick (three consecutive goals) in the Hornets’ 4-2 win over Idaho in her final home game, just the seventh hat trick in program history. §§ Redshirt sophomore midfielder Maggie Pleis was an all-Big Sky second team selection while Kassi Anast, Kimberly Mata, Regan Smithers, Lydia Bowman, Chelsea Arnold, Kristen Bridges, and Adaurie Dayak were honorable mention all-league. §§ The women’s soccer team had a department-high 12 studentathletes named to the Fall Big Sky all-academic team.
4-6
Big Sky Conference
2
Consecutive years in which a Hornet senior recorded a hat trick on Senior Day
2014-15 Sacramento State Athletics Annual Report 13
HEAD COACH Ruben Volta
VOLLEYBALL
ASSISTANT COACHES Sarah Chlebana Jason Borchin
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS §§ Although the Hornets finished with an 8-23 overall record and a 3-13 mark in the Big Sky Conference, the team continued to get better as the season progressed. Over the last eight matches, the team posted a 3-5 record, and of those five losses, four were decided in agonizingly close fashion. §§ The youngest team in the Big Sky, Sacramento State had zero seniors on the roster, and an amazing 15 players will return for the 2015 season. §§ In fact, the team’s roster featured three juniors, five sophomores and a school-record eight freshmen. §§ In a season where the final record wasn’t reflective of how the Hornets played, Sacramento State lost five matches that were decided by three points or less in fifth set outcomes, and each of those came in conference play. §§ Sacramento State produced 1,430 kills and 1,512 digs, and all of that production will return next season.
8-23 Overall
14 2014-15 Sacramento State Athletics Annual Report
3-13
Big Sky Conference
0
Number of seniors on the 2014 Hornet volleyball team
HEAD COACH Brian Katz
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH
§§ Sacramento State finished the 2014-15 season a 21-12 overall record, a 13-5 mark in the Big Sky Conference and the team’s first postseason appearance in the Div. I era (1991-pres.).
Men’s
BASKETBALL
Brandon Laird
ASSISTANT COACHES Ajay Riding Chris Walker
BIG SKY CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Mikh McKinney, G ALL-BIG SKY First Team Mikh McKinney, G Second Team Dylan Garrity, G
§§ The overall record marked the first time in the Div. I era that Sacramento State finished above the .500 mark, and first time since the 1988-89 season. In addition, the 21 wins tied for second most in program history (1948-pres.), and the 13 conference wins were the most in school history (regardless of conference). §§ The Hornets qualified for the CIT Postseason Tournament, marking the first time the program had qualified for a postseason event since the 1988 NCAA Div. II Tournament, and just the fifth postseason appearance in school history. §§ Sacramento State’s 73-66 victory over Portland in the first round of the CIT marked the first time since March 16, 1962 the Hornets had won a postseason game. §§ In his seventh season as the head coach of the Sacramento State men’s basketball program, Brian Katz was named the 2015 CollegeInsider.com National Mid-Major Coach of the Year, the District 6 Coach of the Year and Big Sky Conference co-Coach of the Year. §§ Sacramento State has improved its conference record every season of Coach Katz’s seven-year tenure. The Hornets were ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Mid Major Poll for the first time in school history (ranking as high as 14th in the nation), and the team finished just one game back of first place in the Big Sky standings, narrowly missing out on the program’s first conference championship since 1977.
21-12 Overall
13-5
Big Sky Conference
53
Years since the Hornets won a postseason game before this season
2014-15 Sacramento State Athletics Annual Report 15
HEAD COACH Bunky Harkleroad
Women’s
BASKETBALL
ASSISTANT COACHES Kim Stephens Bill Baxter Derrick Florence
BIG SKY CONFERENCE CO-TOP RESERVE Gretchen Harrigan, F
ALL-BIG SKY First Team Fantasia Hilliard, G Honorable Mention Gretchen Harrigan, F
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS §§ The 2014-15 team advanced to the postseason for the first time in the program’s Div. I history and won two games in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT), advancing to the round of 16. §§ The squad tied for second in the regular season Big Sky standings and was the No. 2 seed for the Big Sky Tournament, the highest tournament seed in program history. The Hornets advanced to the semifinals of the Big Sky Tournament before an overtime loss. §§ In two years under head coach Bunky Harkleroad, the Hornets have twice broken the NCAA Div. I single season records for 3-pointers made and attempted. In 2014-15, the team led all of Div. I in 3-pointers, steals, and offensive rebounds per game as well as turnover margin. §§ Senior Fantasia Hilliard (below) broke program records for career assists and steals and was all-Big Sky first team while becoming just the fourth player in program history to be a three-time all-Big Sky selection. Sophomore Gretchen Harrigan was named the top reserve in the Big Sky and honorable mention all-Big Sky. §§ The team has recorded winning records in three straight seasons, the longest such streak in the Div. I era (1991-pres.)
18-16 Overall
16 2014-15 Sacramento State Athletics Annual Report
13-5
Big Sky Conference
4
Number of statistical categories the Hornets led NCAA Div. I (3FG, steals, off. rebounds & turnover margin)
HEAD COACH Kim Hughes
GYMNASTICS
2015 MPSF Coach of the Year
ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH Randy Solorio 2015 MPSF Assistant of the Year
ASSISTANT COACHES Tanya Ho
MPSF NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR Lauren Rice
ALL-MOUNTAIN PACIFIC SPORTS FEDERATION Vault Julia Konner Lauren Rice Caitlin Soliwoda Bars Cassie Benning Kayla Wonderly Lauren Rice Courtney Soliwoda
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS §§ After 38 seasons at Sacramento State, including 34 as the head coach, Kim Hughes retired following the conclusion of the 2015 gymnastics season. Hughes will be replaced by longtime assistant Randy Solorio on a interim basis in 2016. §§ Hughes was named the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Coach of the Year, Solorio was named the Assistant Coach of the Year and freshman Lauren Rice earned the MPSF Newcomer of the Year Award. §§ Sacramento State set its program record with a 196.000 against Utah State in the final home meet of the season. The performance came in front of one of the largest crowds in school history and coincided with Hughes’ final home meet. §§ Junior Cassie Benning advanced to the NCAA Berkeley Regional as a specialist on bars. Benning placed 25th in the meet after scoring 9.750. Benning also tied for the MPSF lead with an RQS of 9.845 on floor. §§ Senior Kalliah McCartney, who advanced to the NCAA Championships in 2014, was injured during the 2015 season and elected to redshirt. She will return to the team along with 2014 MPSF all-around champion Jesse Williams (who missed all of 2015 due to injury) next season.
Beam Julia Konner Alyssa Anderson Kayla Wonderly Floor Cassie Benning Annie Juarez Lauren Rice All-Around Lauren Rice
9-17-2 Overall
3rd
Mountain Pacific Sports Federation
22
Consecutive seasons Sacramento State has had at least one NCAA Regional qualifier
2014-15 Sacramento State Athletics Annual Report 17
DIRECTOR OF TRACK & FIELD/CROSS COUNTRY Kathleen Raske
Men’s
INDOOR T&F
ASSISTANT COACHES Terry VanLaningham Jeff Magley Daniel Issacs Joe Eby Kim Graham-Miller
ALL-BIG SKY Evan Crayton-Crogan, 400m, 4x400 Karsten Niederer, 60m Kyle Orloff, 200m, 4x400 Paul Lyons, 60m hurdles Casey Wheeler, 4x400 Osaretin Ogbeide, 4x400 Steven Pust, PV Richard Cooper, LJ Michael Turner, LJ Mitchell Bland, TJ Zach Coniglio, SP Alec Acevedo, HEP Gathungu Ndirangu, TJ
2nd
Big Sky Conference Championships
18 2014-15 Sacramento State Athletics Annual Report
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS §§ The Hornets finished second at the Big Sky Conference Championships at Northern Arizona. The team scored 127.5 points and had 12 top-three finishers. §§ Senior Zach Coniglio (pictured) finished first in the shot put with a mark of 61-00.00. Coniglio leaves Sacramento State ranked second in school history in the shot put (61-03.50) and weight throw (64-01.75). §§ The team set 24 top-10 marks during the season. The highlight came at the Big Sky Championships where Casey Wheeler, Osaretin Ogbeide, Kyle Orloff and Evan Crayton-Crogan set the school record in the 4x400 relay with a time of 3:13.37. §§ Freshman Mitchell Bland made an immediate impact at his first Big Sky Indoor Championship. Bland placed third in the triple jump, fourth in the high jump and seventh in the long jump at the meet. He also set season highs in all three events and cracked the school top 10 in the triple (third, 48-10.25) and high jumps (fourth, 6-09.00).
1
Big Sky Conference Event Champion
24
School top 10 marks set during the 2015 season.
DIRECTOR OF TRACK & FIELD/CROSS COUNTRY Kathleen Raske
Women’s
INDOOR T&F
2015 Big Sky Coach of the Year
ASSISTANT COACHES Terry VanLaningham Jeff Magley Daniel Issacs Joe Eby Kim Graham-Miller
ALL-BIG SKY Caprice Powell, 200m, 4x400 Dominique Whittington, 400m, 4x400 Brianna Cole, TJ, 4x400 Stephanie Blumm, 4x400 Erinn Jones, SP, WT Kassandra Corrigan, PENT Elizabeth Venzon, PENT
1st
Big Sky Conference Championships
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS §§ Sacramento State captured its fifth Big Sky Women’s Indoor Track & Field title with a dramatic victory at Northern Arizona. The Hornets finished with 99.83 points while Montana State was second with 98.33. §§ The Hornets entered the final event — the 4x400 relay — trailing Montana State by less than a point and holding a narrow lead over Northern Arizona. NAU had the disadvantage of competing in the first of three heats and finished with a time of 3:53.52. Both Sacramento Stat and MSU were seeded in the final heat knowing that the winner would likely win the team championship. The Bobcats got out to a quick start and held the lead through the first three legs. However, senior Dominique Whittington took the baton and erased the deficit en route to a conference record of 3:41.84. §§ Kathleen Raske was named the Big Sky Women’s Coach of the Year for her efforts in leading the team. §§ Along with the win in the 4x400 relay, Sacramento State had individual event victories at the Big Sky Championships from Erinn Jones in the shot put, Caprice Powell (left) in the 200 and Dominique Whittington in the 400.
4
Big Sky Conference Event Champions
25
School top 10 marks set during the 2015 season.
2014-15 Sacramento State Athletics Annual Report 19
HEAD COACH Reggie Christiansen
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH
§§ The 2015 Hornets recorded the team’s fourth straight 30-win season, the longest such streak since a string of nine straight 30-win years from 1985-1993.
Steve Holm
ASSISTANT COACH
BASEBALL
Jake Angier
ALL-WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE First Team Nathan Lukes, OF Ty Nichols, RP Brennan Leitao, SP Second Team Scotty Burcham, SS
§§ Sacramento State beat No. 18 UC Santa Barbara, 5-4, on March 7. The Gauchos moved as high as the No. 6 team in the country later in the season. §§ Junior Nathan Lukes and senior Scotty Burcham both broke the previous program career hits record during the season. Senior Ty Nichols ended the year with a 1.23 ERA, a single season program record and the sixth-lowest ERA in all of NCAA Div. I. §§ Lukes, Nichols, and Brennan Leitao (pictured) were all-WAC first team selections and Burcham made the all-WAC second team. Leitao was a national finalist for the Senior CLASS Award and the TD Ameritrade Fan’s Choice Award. §§ The Hornet pitching staff ended the season ranked third in all of NCAA Div. I in both WHIP and walks allowed per nine innings and ninth in hits allowed per nine innings. The staff led the WAC in all of those categories as well as ERA and strikeout to walk ratio. §§ Lukes was selected in the seventh round of the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft by the Cleveland Indians marking the second consecutive season in which the Hornets had a player picked in the top 10 rounds. Sutter McLoughlin (Philadelphia Phillies), Burcham (Colorado Rockies) and Leitao (St. Louis Cardinals) were also drafted and Nichols signed with the Tampa Bay Rays.
33-27 Overall
20 2014-15 Sacramento State Athletics Annual Report
16-11 Western Athletic Conference
244
Career hits for junior Nathan Lukes who became the school’s all-time leader
HEAD COACH Lori Perez ASSISTANT COACHES
SOFTBALL
Nichole Willis Danielle Kaminaka
BIG SKY CONFERENCE PITCHER OF THE YEAR Caitlin Brooks
ALL-BIG SKY First Team Caitlin Brooks, P Second Team Sasha Margulies, 1B Honorable Mention Paige Castro, SS Alexa Chattleton, OF Nicole Clark, OF Zamari Hinton, 2B Shelby Johnston, OF Kortney Solis, C Alexis Martinez, 3B
28-26 Overall
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS §§ Sacramento State finished the season with a 28-26 overall record and a 15-6 mark in the Big Sky Conference. That 15-6 record was good for second place in the eight-member league, just two games out of first place. §§ The Hornets’ 28 wins were the most since the 2009 team also had 28 victories, and the squad finished the year with top three Div. I-era (1990-pres.) marks in on-base percentage (1st, .376), walks (1st, 150), hits (2nd, 436), batting average (T-2nd, .294), doubles (T-2nd, 77), runs (3rd, 240) and RBIs (3rd, 218). §§ The team reached the championship game of the Big Sky Tournament before falling to Weber State. Had the Hornets won the postseason tournament, they would have received an automatic berth into the NCAA Regionals. §§ The Hornets concluded the season by winning six of their final eight games, which included eliminating both Southern Utah and Idaho State from the Big Sky Tournament. §§ Nine Sacramento State softball players received some form of all-Big Sky Conference recognition, highlighted by senior Caitlin Brooks (below) being named to the first team and the conference’s pitcher of the year for the second straight season. Brooks would later be named to the all-Pacific Region team for the second straight season, becoming just the second Hornet pitcher during the Div. I era to be named all-region more than once.
15-6
Big Sky Conference
0
Hits allowed by freshman Celina Matthias against North Dakota for the first Hornet no-hitter since 2011
2014-15 Sacramento State Athletics Annual Report 21
HEAD COACH Christopher Hall ASSISTANT COACH Randall Brown
ALL-BIG SKY First Team Taylor Knoll
Honorable Mention Aaron Beverly Robert Parden
§§ The Hornet men’s golf team posted one of its best seasons in school history, tallying six top-three finishes. Sacramento State concluded its season by finishing second at the Big Sky Championships which it hosted at Greenhorn Creek GC in Angels Camp, Calif. §§ During the year, the Hornets earned team titles at the Folino Invitational in Industry Hills, Calif., as well as the Sacramento State Invitational at Valley Hi Country Club. At their own tournament, the Hornets were victorious by 13 strokes and were led by Luke Kristo who was the medalist and finished at 8-under par. §§ The team set the school single-round record after totaling 274 during the first round of the Barona Collegiate Cup in Lakeside, Calif. The score was 14-under par and beat the previous best by two strokes. §§ Kristo and Taylor Knoll (pictured) recorded the second and third best single-season scoring averages by a Hornet. Kristo averaged 72.50 while Knoll averaged 72.53. The pair were separated by just one stroke in 36 rounds.
Men’s
GOLF
Second Team Luke Kristo
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
§§ Knoll and Aaron Beverly were co-medalists at the Folino Invitational. Knoll shot 69 in the final round and Beverly had a 68 in the first round. Each totaled 215 for the event to finish at 1-under.
82-43-3 Overall
22 2014-15 Sacramento State Athletics Annual Report
2nd
Big Sky Conference
19
Rounds of 69 or better recorded by Sacramento State golfers during the 2014-15 season
HEAD COACH David Sutherland ASSISTANT COACH Julie Shutler
BIG SKY CO-FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR Astha Madan
ALL-BIG SKY Honorable Mention Astha Madan
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS §§ Sacramento State finished second at the Big Sky Conference Championships for the third time in the last four years. The Hornets entered the final round in third place but rallied to take a late lead before finishing two strokes behind Northern Arizona. §§ Astha Madan was named the Big Sky’s co-Freshman of the Year and also earned honorable mention all-Big Sky honors following her first collegiate season. Madan had a late start to the season as she missed the first three tournaments while representing India at the Asian Games. Once she returned, she averaged 76.18 in 17 rounds which ranks third in school singleseason history.
GOLF
Women’s
§§ Junior Rockelle Sande also cracked the school’s single-season list after averaging 77.50 in 26 rounds to tie for eighth place. Sande shot 68 during the third round of the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic to tie the school record. §§ Sacramento State earned the team title at the Matador Invitational in Simi Valley as well as the Sacramento State Invitational at Sierra View Country Club. Madan was the medalist at the Matador Invitational. Lexie Hall had a hole-in-one and Sagee Palavivatana finished second at the home event.
53-49 Overall
2nd
Big Sky Conference
68
Rockelle Sande’s score in the final round of the Cowgirl Classic to tie the school record
2014-15 Sacramento State Athletics Annual Report 23
HEAD COACH Slava Konikov
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
ASSISTANT COACH
§§ Sacramento State finished the season with a 10-14 overall record and a 7-4 mark in the Big Sky Conference despite absorbing injuries to four of the team’s top six players.
Kevin Kurtz
ALL-BIG SKY
Honorable Mention Sean Kolar
§§ The men’s tennis program has been one of the most successful on campus over the years, winning 11 Big Sky Tournament championships (1998-99, 2001-03, 2007, 2009-13) since 1998, and advancing to the NCAA Tournament 10 times over that span (1999, 2001-03, 2007, 2009-13). §§ The Hornets finished 8-2 at home, which included wins over Cal Poly, Saint Mary’s and six additional wins over Big Sky Conference competition.
Men’s
TENNIS
Second Team Roy Brandys
§§ Seven of the team’s final eight losses of the season came via 4-3 score, including a heartbreaking loss in the Big Sky Tournament quarterfinals to Montana State that came down to a third set tiebreaker.
§§ At the conclusion of the season, senior Roy Brandys was named second team all-Big Sky while junior Sean Kolar was an honorable mention all-league selection.
10-14 Overall Record
24 2014-15 Sacramento State Athletics Annual Report
7-4
Big Sky Conference Regular Season Record
1,000
APR score recorded by the team to earn an NCAA Public Recognition Award
HEAD COACH Dima Hrynashka
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
ASSISTANT COACH Daryl Lee
§§ Sacramento State earned is 14th consecutive Big Sky Championship, winning the regular season league title before falling to Idaho, 4-3, in the Big Sky Tournament final.
ALL-BIG SKY
§§ The Hornets were a perfect 11-0 in Big Sky regular season play, totaling a 57-9 singles record and a 24-9 doubles mark in conference matches.
TENNIS
First Team Daria Savchenko Alina Soltanici Deimante Bulatovaite
§§ Sacramento State had wins over two ranked teams with a 4-3 victory over No. 43 Long Beach State and a 6-1 win against No. 73 UC Santa Barbara.
Women’s
§§ Sophomore Alina Soltanici opened the spring ranked No. 51 in singles play and beat No. 80 Elianne Douglas-Miron from No. 52 Washington in singles. §§ Junior Daria Savchenko (pictured), Soltanici and sophomore Deimante Bulatovaite were named first team all-Big Sky. Sacramento State was the only team with three first team selections and had multiple first team honorees for the 14th consecutive season.
17-11 Overall
11-0
Big Sky Conference
14
Consecutive seasons the Hornets have won the Big Sky regular season and/or tournament titles
2014-15 Sacramento State Athletics Annual Report 25
OUTDOOR T&F
Men’s
DIRECTOR OF TRACK & FIELD/CROSS COUNTRY Kathleen Raske ASSISTANT COACHES Terry VanLaningham Jeff Magley Daniel Issacs Joe Eby Kim Graham-Miller
ALL-BIG SKY Eric Adorno, 100, 200, 4x100 Alec Acevedo, DEC Richard Casas, SP Zach Coniglio, SP Brian Cuellar, 4x100 Max Jette, DEC James Kinloch, DIS Paul Lyons, 110-hurdles Osaretin Ogbeide, 4x100 Steven Pust, PV Michael Turner, LJ, 4x100 Aric Walden, 110-hurdles
T1st
Big Sky Conference Championships
26 2014-15 Sacramento State Athletics Annual Report
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS §§ The Hornet men earned a share of the Big Sky Conference Outdoor title for just the second time in school history after tying with Northern Arizona for the top spot. §§ Sacramento State led by double digits for most of the final day but saw Northern Arizona score 24 points in the men’s 5K to pull within two points. NAU entered the 4x400 knowing it needed to win the relay to have a chance to win the title and Sacramento State had to place among the top three. The Lumberjacks came through by winning the race and the Hornets disappointedly placed fourth — .15 seconds out of third. That outcome gave Northern Arizona an apparent half-point victory for the team title. As the final meet results were being conferred, several ties were discovered that had been broken incorrectly. One of the changes resulted in Sacramento State earning an additional half point to draw even with NAU with 157 points. §§ Junior Eric Adorno was the Big Sky champion in the 100, senior Zach Coniglio finished first in the shot put and sophomore Michael Turner continued the team’s dominance by winning the long jump. §§ The Hornet men had eight entries at the NCAA West Preliminary in Austin, Texas. Included in that group was junior Paul Lyons who placed 13th in the 110-hurdles and missed advancing to the NCAA Championships by .04 seconds.
8
Entries at the NCAA West Preliminary
22
School top 10 marks set during the 2015 season
OUTDOOR T&F
Women’s
DIRECTOR OF TRACK & FIELD/CROSS COUNTRY Kathleen Raske
2015 Big Sky Coach of the Year
ASSISTANT COACHES Terry VanLaningham Jeff Magley Daniel Issacs Joe Eby Kim Graham-Miller
ALL-BIG SKY Chloe Berlioux, 1,500, 5K Stephanie Blumm, 4x400 Brianna Cole, TJ, 4x100, 4x400 Kassandra Corrigan, HEP Markita Hinton, SP Erinn Jones, SP Teresa Mallory, 800 Marki Middleton, 4x100 Caprice Powell, 100, 200, 4x100 Joy Weems, 4x400 Dominique Whittington, 400, 4x100, 4x400
1st
Big Sky Conference Championships
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS §§ Sacramento State completed its sweep of the 2015 team titles by winning the outdoor crown just months after it finished first at the Big Sky Indoor Championships. The title was the seventh for the Hornet women since 2008. §§ Much like the indoor championships, Sacramento State needed a dramatic finish in the 4x400 relay to finish on top. Dominique Whittington again chased down Montana State during the final leg to win the race by .002 seconds. §§ Senior Caprice Powell cemented herself as the Big Sky’s fastest woman by winning both the 100 and 200 and also being a part of the 4x100 relay team which finished first. §§ The Hornets also had individual wins from Whittington in the 400, Chloe Berlioux in the 1500 and Erinn Jones in the shot put. §§ The women had nine entries at the NCAA West Preliminary in Austin, Texas. Among those were the 4x400 relay team of Brianna Cole, Joy Weems, Stephanie Blumm and Whittington which set the school record after running 3:39. 41.
9
Entries at the NCAA West Preliminary
26
School top 10 marks set during the 2015 season
2014-15 Sacramento State Athletics Annual Report 27
HEAD COACH Mike Connors ASSISTANT COACHES George Jenkins Stephanie McNabb
ROWING
ALL-AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE First Team Alexandra Santella Second Team Rosemary Kloh Michelle Evers
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS §§ Competing for the first time ever in the American Athletic Conference, Sacramento State brought home medals in all four grand finals it competed, and finished third out of eight schools at the conference championship regatta. §§ Among the schools the Hornets finished ahead of at the conference championship were Temple, SMU, Villanova, UConn and San Diego State. §§ At the conference championship, Sacramento State won gold in the varsity four, and bronze in the varsity eight, second varsity eight and second varsity four grand finals. The Hornets were able to qualify for the grand final in each of those events by placing among the top two boats in their respective time trials. §§ Not only did the Hornets finish a very respectable third at the American Athletic Conference Championship, the team also won the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) title and claimed the Jean Runyon Cup over UC Davis. §§ The Hornets will return 14 rowers next season that competed at the conference championship regatta in either the varsity eight, second varsity eight or varsity four grand finals. §§ Senior Alexandra Santella was named first team all-conference, while seniors Rosemary Kloh and Michelle Evers were both named to the second team.
3rd
American Athletic Conference
28 2014-15 Sacramento State Athletics Annual Report
1st
Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association
4
Medals won in the Hornets’ first-ever appearance at the American Athletic Conference Championship in 2015
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Aven Lee
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS §§ In just its third year of existence, the Sacramento State sand volleyball program concluded the 2015 season with a 6-8 record, but finished the year by winning four of its final six matches. §§ Among those wins to close the season, the Hornets defeated Cal, Boise State, San Jose State and Cal Poly. In fact, of the seven teams at the three-day, six-match Sacramento State Invitational to close the season, the Hornets’ 4-2 record was the best mark. §§ Making the 4-2 record to close the season that much sweeter was Sacramento State used a number of underclassmen during the tournament, including at least three freshmen and three sophomores in all six matches. §§ Of the team’s eight losses during the season, five came against opponents ranked among the top 20 teams in the nation.
Sand
VOLLEYBALL
CO-HEAD COACHES Ruben Volta Jason Borchin
§§ Of the 13 players used during the sand season, five were freshmen and four were sophomores. §§ The combination of freshman Shannon Boyle/sophomore Lexie Skalbeck (7-6 record) and freshmen Kennedy Kurtz/Hannah Meadows (3-0 record) proved to be the team’s best doubles squads.
6-8
Overall Record
3
Years that Sacramento State has sponsored sand volleyball
3
Straight wins to close the season over California, Cal Poly and Boise State, respectively
2014-15 Sacramento State Athletics Annual Report 29