May 29, 2008

SAN DIEGO -

2008 Volleyball Schedule in PDF Format

San Diego State has announced its 2008 women's volleyball fall schedule, a slate that includes 27 matches and no Mountain West Conference Tournament for the first time in league history. SDSU will host its own Aztec Invitational and also compete in four-team events at the Baylor Classic and the Gonzaga Invitational.

The Aztecs will prepare for their 2008 campaign with the annual Alumni Game slated for Saturday, August 23, at 4:00 p.m. in Peterson Gym. That contest will pit the current squad against a team of recent former players in what has become a highly competitive affair.

The regular season gets underway the following weekend, Aug. 29-30, when San Diego State hosts its annual Aztec Invitational in Peterson Gym. This year's tourney field includes the University of San Diego, UC Irvine and Albany.

Over the following two weeks, SDSU will play at the Baylor Classic (Sept. 5-6 vs. Weber State, Texas-San Antonio and Baylor) and the Gonzaga Invitational (Sept. 12-13 vs. Weber State, Texas-El Paso and Gonzaga).

A non-conference match at Cal State Fullerton on Sept. 16 leads into the Aztecs' 2008 conference schedule that features home and away matches against each of the other eight teams in the league. The regular season will conclude on Nov. 29 with a match at Cal State Bakersfield.

For the first time since the MWC formed in 1999, there will be no conference tournament to decide the league's automatic qualifier into the NCAA Tournament. The regular-season champion will earn that tourney bid with the other teams seeking at-large invitations.

The Aztecs return eight letterwinners including four starters from their 2007 squad led by setter Leah Lathrop (6.09 apg, 1.43 dpg) and middle blocker Lauren Salisbury (2.68 kpg, .296, 1.40 bpg). Other returning starters include outside hitters Stephanie Darnall (3.28 kpg, 2.75 dpg) and Hannah Evans (2.25 kpg, 2.37 dpg).

Among the eight new faces is a trio of highly-honored freshman athletes. Included in that group are right side hitter Lauren Van Orden, the Gatorade Player of the Year for Colorado; Paije Pearson, an all-state and region player of the year in Arizona; and Kyley Sexton, an two-time conference MVP and all-tourney selection at the state tournament in Oregon.

Van Orden was named an All-American by Prep Volleyball last season while Pearson and Sexton received Highest Honorable Mention accolades by that publication. In addition, freshman newcomer defensive specialist Courtney Miller was an all-district selection in Texas and was honored by Prep Volleyball as one of the top defensive players in the nation.