Nov. 4, 2004

(San Diego, CA) - West Coast Conference action continues for No. 21 and first place San Diego (16-4, 9-0 WCC) when the Toreros travel to the Bay Area to face No. 20 Santa Clara (16-4, 7-2 WCC) Saturday, November 6 at 7pm. After last weekend's sweep of Gonzaga and the University of Portland, USD is in command of the league's top spot with an unblemished 9-0 record. The Toreros are making a push for its first WCC Championship since 1998. Live scoring for Friday's match is available via Gametracker on usdtoreros.com.

USD IN THE NATIONAL POLLS
USD is ranked 21st in the USA Today/CSTV Top-25 Coaches Poll
San Diego registers in at No. 20 according to Volleyball Magazine
RichKern.com/AVCA Division I Regional Ranking has San Diego 5th in Pacific Region

Currently, USD is ranked 21st in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) USA Today/CSTV Top-25 Poll released on Monday, November 1, 2004. After beginning the season just outside the Top-25, USD started the year off on a strong note and climbed to a season-high ranking of No. 20 on September 6 after defeating then-No.17 Arizona in three games in the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic. Two weeks later, a loss to Oregon State dropped the Toreros out of the Top-25 until a win over then 12th-ranked Santa Clara on October 9 propelled the USD back into the Top 25. This is the seventh straight year that USD has appeared in the AVCA USA Today/CSTV Top-25 Poll.

USD's Erin Wiskar is emerging as one of the better freshman attackers in the WCC

THE RACE FOR THE WCC CHAMPIONSHIP: No. 20 Santa Clara (16-4; 7-2 WCC) suffered a four-game loss to the Toreros in early October. Saturday's 7pm match with USD at the Leavey Center takes on extra significance in the pecking order atop the WCC standings. USD's 9-0 conference record has the Toreros alone in first place, one match ahead of No. 13 Saint Mary's (19-2; 8-1 WCC) and two matches in front of Santa Clara. With five matches remaining the Broncos can not afford to slip three games behind USD and lose any chance of winning a tie-braking situation at season's end. The remaining schedule favors St. Mary's, who hosts Santa Clara, USD and San Francisco later this month. To view the current WCC standings click here .

SANTA CLARA: The Bronco's feature the WCC's top blocking team, lead by the tandem of Annalisa Muratore and Anna Cmylo. The two freshmen rank #1 and #5 respectively in blocks within the WCC, with Muratore and Cmylo averaging 1.86 and 1.22 blocks per game. Muratore is also the Broncos leading attacker (3.46 kills/game), while outside hitter Kim McGivens is second on the team with a 3.20 kills per game average. Santa Clara is also one of the WCC's top hitting teams, as setters Crystal Mattich and Kristen Luxton run an efficient offense that is hitting .245 on the season. The Broncos are 1-3 this season against ranked opponents, defeating then-12th ranked California 3-0 on September 28. SCU has lost to then-No. 3 UCLA 3-0, then-No. 11 Hawaii 3-1 and to then-No. 14 Saint Mary's 3-1.

USD PROVING ITS CRITICS WRONG: Coming off of a third straight NCAA appearance, the University of San Diego Toreros were picked to finish 4th in the West Coast Conference, behind Pepperdine, Santa Clara, and Loyola Marymount. San Diego has raced out to a 9-0 WCC record and is looking to win its first WCC Championship since 1998, when they finished with a program best 12-2 conference record. Behind the hard hitting of Devon Forster, the crafty setting of Lindsey Sherburne, and the defensive plays of Jackie Bernardin, the Toreros are poised to capture their third-ever WCC crown.

LAST WEEK: San Diego buried both Gonzaga (4-19, 0-9 WCC) and Portland (10-12, 1-8) last weekend to improve their WCC record to 9-0. Against the Bulldogs Friday night, the Toreros overpowered the WCC's last-place team, winning easily (30-16, 30-19, and 30-15). Freshman Moira McCarthy started in middle for the first time in her career and she did not disappoint, collecting 13 kills and 3 blocks. Middle blocker Christie Dawson and opposite Kristen Hurst both hit over .400% for the match, tallying 14 kills. Freshman Jessica Nyrop set the majority of the match, leading the Toreros to a .361 hitting percentage while accumulating 36 assists. On Saturday night, USD did not have any problems disposing of Portland, earning an easy (30-21, 30-22, and 30-17) victory. Outside hitter Devon Forster had a spectacular outing against the Pilots, picking up 24 kills, 5 digs and 2 blocks in the three-game victory. Fellow outside hitter Erin Wiskar chipped in 10 kills and 8 digs, emerging as one of the WCC's top freshmen. With victories over the Pacific Northwest schools, the Toreros are riding a 10-game win streak heading into this weekend's play.

SHERBURNE CONTINUES ASSAULT ON USD ASSIST RECORD: Junior setter Lindsey Sherburne remains on target to surpass Katie Lindquist, as USD's all-time leader in assists. Recently named the WCC's Player of the Week on October 18, Sherburne has the Toreros hitting at a .266 hitting percentage, tops in the league. With 3,982 career assists to her credit as of October 25, 2004, the Saratoga, Calif. native only needs 420 more to break Lindquist's record of 4,402. Since her arrival at San Diego, Sherburne has been considered one of the top playmakers in the country, consistently ranking in the Nation's Top 15 in assists throughout her three years at USD. This year, the All-America candidate is averaging 14.14 assists a game, good for No. 5 in the country. In addition to chasing the USD record book, Sherburne is attempting to overtake former Santa Clara setter Roz Pelayo for the WCC All-Time Assist Record, as the All-WCC selection accumulated 5,732 assists in her stellar four-year career as a Bronco.

FORSTER WCC PLAYER OF THE MONTH?: It has yet to be announced by the conference office, but San Diego's 6-foot-1 senior All-America candidate Devon Forster should be a strong candidate for the WCC's Player of the Month award for October. Forster was essential in helping USD post a perfect 10-0 record during the month. Forster had 188 kills in 34 games (5.53 p/g) in October, best in the league. Forster's 13 aces during the course of October has her at 144 for her career, just six shy of USD's all-time record of 150 set by Leisa Hagen (1985-1988). She entered the season as the top returning attacker in the WCC and it is no surprise that Forster currently leads the conference in both kills (5.48 p/g) and points (6.15 p/g).

FORSTER PUSHES FOR ALL-AMERICAN CONSIDERATION: This season, senior Devon Forster is looking to earn her first AVCA All-America award. If recognized, Forster would be USD's second-ever All-American in school history. The native out of Boulder, Colo. is making a great case for a spot on one of the nation's three coveted teams. Currently, she ranks among the Top 10 nationally in kills, hammering 5.48 balls a game. Named the West Coast Conference's Player of the Week on September 6 and October 25, the outside hitter will also be in contention to earn All-WCC accolades, after garnering a spot on the All-WCC First Team in each of her previous three years as a Torero. In addition to going for national and conference recognition, Forster is chasing former great Petia Yanchulova for USD's school record in kills. Thus far in her stellar career, Forster has accumulated 1,683 kills to Yanchulova's 1,892 kills.

FAR FROM ONE DIMENSIONAL: San Diego's line-up is filled with one of the deepest collections of talent in program history. Sophomore blockers Christie Dawson and Emily Haas have solidified the Torero defense at the net. Both are in the midst of an outstanding season after having earned All-WCC recognition as true freshmen. Haas was given the weekend off during USD's most recent road-trip in favor of freshman Moira McCarthy who is part of an outstanding class of newcomers. In fact the recruiting class brought in this offseason by sixth-year USD head coach Jennifer Petrie and fourth-year assistant Brent Hilliard was ranked among the tops in the nation by Prep Volleyball. Freshman Erin Wiskar and sophomore transfer Kristen Carlson are two of seven outstanding first-year Toreros. Receiving extended playing time Friday at Gonzaga, freshman setter Jessica Nyrop distributed 36 assists (18.0 p/g) in two games.

The underclassmen complement proven veterans in senior attacker's Kristen Hurst, classmate Katie Kahlweiss, junior libero Jackie Bernardin and one of most accomplished setters in USD and WCC history junior Lindsey Sherburne. Bernardin is making a strong case to be named the league's Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season and Hurst has quietly became one of USD's best all around players in program history.