Kevin McKniff (10), seen here against the Trojans Wednesday night, recorded 8 kills in a 3-1 loss against Pepperdine Friday night. Photo Credit: Ryan Hecksel / Staff PhotographerUpset losses on Fridays at home are starting to become a theme for the No. 1 Matadors after losing to No. 10 Pepperdine 3-1 (30-24, 24-30, 30-22, 30-24) Friday night at the Matadome.

Upset losses on Fridays at home are starting to become a theme for the No. 1 Matadors after losing to No. 10 Pepperdine 3-1 (30-24, 24-30, 30-22, 30-24) Friday night at the Matadome.

It was the second time in as many Friday’s that the Matadors lost at home to the No. 10 team in the country (lost 3-0 to then No. 10 UCLA on Jan. 22).

“The game like we had on Wednesday (against USC) everyone is putting there all on the court,” senior outside hitter Theo Edwards said. “We are sore we are tired and is tough but real good teams can do it as they win that big game on Wednesday and comeback battle again on Friday…  we just had a little bit of a letdown tonight, is a little disappointing.”

Edwards had a career high 23 kills in the loss, while junior opposite hitter Tanner Nua added 15 and seniors Mike Gaudino and Kevin McKniff finished with eight a piece.

The Matadors (9-2, 6-2 MPSF) inability to serve and pass throughout the match was evident right from the start as the team combined to hit 0.54 in the first set. Even with all their hitting struggles in the first set the Matadors had a two point lead late in the frame at 21-19 on a kill by McKniff before a 7-1 run by the Waves (4-4, 4-3 MPSF) put the set away for Pepperdine.

“The game comes down to serving and passing, we served very poorly and the other team didn’t make many errors but we just never really handled their serve,” Coach Jeff Campbell said.

The Matadors rebounded from their dismal hitting first set in the second set thanks to a 8-1 run midway through the frame that helped them get out to an 18-14 lead. The Matadors took control of the set after their run, as the Waves were only able to get within three the rest of the frame.

The third set had a similar look to the first with a worst outcome as the Matadors hit .023 as a team and fell behind 8-3 early in the frame. The Matadors responded to the early deficit with a 4-0 that narrowed the margin to 10-9. Three points later the Matadors tied the set at 11 on a kill by Nua, the teams split the next two points. Tied at 14 the Waves took command of the set outscoring the Matadors 16 to 8 to close the set giving the Waves a 2-1 set advantage.

“Our passing broke down,” sophomore setter Matt Stork said of the Matador offensive struggles against Pepperdine. “I tried to get good sets to get a good swing on the ball and I guess I didn’t set well enough for us.”

A back and forth game early in the fourth set turned in to a big deficit midway through. Tied at six the set got away from the Matadors as the Waves went on a 12-3 run to go up 18-9. Pepperdine never looked back surfing there way to a 30-24 set win.

“This is the toughest league in the nation and anybody can beat anybody and they just proved that tonight.” senior middle blocker Jacek Ratajczak said.
The Matadors will look to rebound from the loss this week with back-to-back matches against two teams they defeat this season Long Beach State and UC San Diego on Thursday and Friday.

Mark Hill (3) drives past Casper Ware (22) at Walter Pyramid in a 65-52 loss to Cal State Long Beach Saturday. Hill had 10 points and five rebounds. Photo Credit: Sarah Smith / Staff Photographer

LONG BEACH, Calif. — In one of the ugliest offensive performances of the season, the Matadors committed 18 turnovers and managed only five assists en route to a two-game-winning-streak-snapping, 65-51 loss to Long Beach State on Saturday at the Walter Pyramid.

“We were so bad offensively, we must have broken the record for air balls (Saturday night),” CSUN head coach Bobby Braswell said following his team‘s sixth Big West Conference loss of the season. “We probably shot seven or eight air balls. It was ugly.”

It was that kind of night for Northridge (9-14, 4-6 Big West). It shot 19-for-47 from the field (40.4%) and went a dismal 2-for-14 from three-point range (14.3%).

From the get-go, the Matadors were out of sync offensively. That was due in great part to their point guards’ inability to set up plays. It got so bad that, at one point in the second half, Braswell called a play out to Vinnie McGhee, but the backup point guard seemed confused as to what Braswell was suggesting, and yelled out a different play.

A disgusted Braswell then turned back to his assistants and said, “What is he talking about?”

“It was confusing out there,” said McGhee, who had two points and two assists. “(Braswell) said one thing, I thought another thing. It was a mental lapse.”

CSUN’s other point guards, Mark Hill and Dathan Lyles, were shut out in the assist column. As a team, Northridge didn’t record a single assist in the second period.

“We (the point guards) didn’t control our team,” said Hill, who scored 10 points and had four turnovers. “In the beginning, we came out flat (and) made a lot of bad decisions. I put the loss on all the point guards.”

Point-guard defective and all, the Matadors stayed within striking distance in the first half. A buzzer-beating layup by forward Lenny Daniel, who played in his first game since being indefinitely suspended on Jan. 29 and scored nine points, allowed them to go into halftime trailing only 33-26.

But Long Beach State scored the first eight points of the second half and CSUN didn’t score its first points until the 14:54 mark, making a manageable deficit a hopeless one on a night of offensive ineptitude.

Braswell chewed out his team during almost every timeout of the second period, asking for toughness and better execution.

The only thing that kept Braswell from blowing up in the locker room afterwards was reuniting with retired NBA player Bryon Russell, who had his jersey retired by the 49ers at halftime. Braswell recruited Russell when the coach was an assistant at Long Beach State.

“That’s what probably cheered me up, seeing (Russell),” Braswell said. “I’m so proud of him. He is a guy who comes from a tough background and who has made it and been successful. He deserves this honor. He is a good man.”

Something else Braswell could feel good about on the night was his team‘s defense. The 49ers were held to 41.2 percent from the field overall and made only one 3-pointer in the second half.

49er forward T.J. Robinson had team-highs with 15 points and eight rebounds. Senior Stephan Gilling went 4-for-10 from behind the arc and finished with 14 points.

Daniels had a game-high 18 points (twelve in the first half) for CSUN.

The Matadors will take a break from Big West play and continue their road trip at Bakersfield to play the Roadrunners on Wednesday night. It’s the second meeting between the teams this season.

CSUN’s Raymond Cody led all scorers with 18 points and teammate Willie Galick chipped in with nine as the Matadors extended their winning streak over UC Riverside to 12 games with a 63-47 victory Thursday night at UCR’s Student Recreation Center.

“You got to give credit to coach (Bobby) Braswell because he prepares us well to come play,” Galick said.

Cody, who went a perfect 4-of-4 from three-point distance, set the tone early for the Matadors (9-13, 4-5 Big West), scoring 15 of his points in the first half.

“I’ve been feeling good all year,” he said. “I just haven’t been shooting the ball like I wanted to. Tonight, the coaches had confidence in me.”

As a team, the Matadors shot well, making 10 of 19 three-point attempts. For the Highlanders (8-14, 2-8), it was a different story. They went 6-of-22 in 3-pointers (27.3 percent).

The Highlanders didn’t limit their terrible shooting to beyond the three-point line, they also shot it poorly from inside it. UCR was 9-of-28 in non-3-pointers, resulting in 15-for-50 overall shooting (30 percent).

“It’s two games in a row that our defense has been good,” Braswell said. “We did a good job matching up.”

Besides scoring, Cody did his part on the defensive side by getting two of CSUN’s 12 steals.

“When I’m playing good defense, my offense is going to come,” Cody said. “Defensely, I try to give a good effort, and good things come out of it.”

The Matadors’ aggressive defense forced the Highlanders into 17 turnovers.

The Highlanders only received offensive production from forward Kyle Austin, who had a team-high 17 points, and guard Larry Gurganious, who had a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

And all of a sudden the Matadors, who’ve won their last two games, have some momentum as they head into the Pyramid to face Long Beach State on Saturday night. The 49ers beat CSUN by a point at the Matadome last Thursday.

Galick is looking forward for another opportunity to beat Long Beach State.  

“I can’t wait,” he said. “Saturday can’t come soon enough.”

Theo Edwards, left, recorded 16 kills in the Matadors five set victory over the Trojans, Wednesday night at the Matadome. Photo Credit: Ryan Hecksel / Staff Photographer

The Matadome was rocking on Wednesday night as the No. 1 Matadors pulled out a fifth-set win over No. 2 USC and won 3-2 after being up two sets to none.

Junior opposite hitter Tanner Nua led four Matadors in double-digit kills with 17, and senior outside hitter Theo Edwards added 16, while senior middle blockers Kevin McKniff and Jacek Ratajczak finished with 11 apiece.

“Absolutely the biggest win I have ever been a part of,” Edwards said.

The biggest crowd of the season and chants of “let’s go CSUN” set the tone for the match as the Matadors got out to a two set to none lead.

“It was incredible. I didn’t expect that at all,” Ratajczak said of the Matadome turnout. “ I loved it, I hope it happens every time.”

The Trojans (6-3, 4-2 MPSF) held a slim advantage in the early part of the first frame until a 4-0 run by the Matadors allowed them to take a 14-13 lead on a kill by Nua. The Matadors (9-1, 6-1 MPSF) were unable to hold on to the lead as they went back and forth the rest of the set. Tied at 25, the Matadors were finally able to pull away with a 4-0 run, highlighted by two huge kills by senior outside hitter Mike Gaudino.

The Matadors continued the momentum from the end of the first set to get out to an early 10-5 lead in the second set on a kill by Gaudino. The Trojans responded by cutting the lead to one at 13-12 on back-to-back kills by junior opposite hitter Murphy Troy. USC continued to chip away at the Matador lead and eventually tied the frame at 18. The Matadors answered with a 6-2 run to stretch the lead back to four at 24-20, and the Trojans did not go away, getting within 29-28 before a kill by McKniff ended the set and gave the Matadors a 2-0 set advantage.

Unfazed by being down two sets to none, the Trojans raced out to a 6-0 lead and never looked back as they went up by as many as 21 and won the set 30-9. At one point in the frame coach Jeff Campbell pulled many of his starters after the team hit -.182 in the set.

“I just felt it was a good a opportunity for them to rest and get ready for the next game,” Campbell said. “At that point the odds of us coming back to win were pretty slim.”

The Trojans did not let up in the fourth set, opening the frame with an 11-6 advantage. Nua did his best to keep the Matadors in the set with six kills in the frame. The Matadors were able to get within three at 24-21 but USC was tough down the stretch and won the set 30-26 forcing a decisive fifth set.

“Our passing broke down, and we couldn’t do anything in those two sets,” Ratajczak said. “They played really well. You got to give them some credit and they carried the momentum from the third set.”

In the fifth set the Matadors got out to a 3-0 lead before the Trojans came back to tie at three. Nua put an end to the Trojan run with a kill, then USC answered back and tied the score at four. A kill by Ratajczak and a service ace by Edwards gave the Matadors a 7-4 advantage. The Trojans kept fighting and were able to get within 10-8 before the Matadors put the set away and won the match on back-to-back points by Nua.

“We came out with fire. The crowd was really into it and it pumped us up in that fifth, and we were fired up and we were not going to lose,” Nua said.

Katrina Thompson dribbles against Cal Poly. Photo Credit: Sarah Smith Staff Photgrapher

The Cal State Northridge women’s basketball team opens a three-game homestand starting tonight, where they will have a chance to avenge two previous Big West road losses.

The Matadors (3-15, 2-8 Big West) have lost three straight games, but they are hoping that the revenge factor will give them what they need to beat UC Riverside tonight and Long Beach State Saturday.

The Highlanders have won five out of their last six games due to their stellar defense. Riverside is averaging 6.8 steals and 4.1 blocks per game.

Also, they have one of the elite players in the Big West Conference. Junior forward Rhaya Neabors, who is from Pomona, Calif., is averaging 12.9 points per game.

On Jan. 14 the Highlanders defeated the Matadors 74-61 at the Student Rec Center. Neabors had a game-high 21 points and added four steals.

However, point guard Anna Simmons is feeling confident about beating Riverside at home.

“I think we will end our losing streak against them,” Simmons said. “We are starting the second round (of Big West play) and it is a new page.”

Paige McIntyre feels that their last meeting against the Highlanders was a winnable game.

“I am actually really excited because we played a full game last time,” McIntyre said. “We should have come out with the win last time.”

The Matadors will need that same confidence if they want to come out victorious when they host Long Beach State.

While the Highlanders are more of a defensive team, the 49ers are solid on the offensive end. The 49ers are shooting 40 percent from the field and shooting 72.5 percent from the free-throw line. Also, they are averaging 6.8 three-pointers per game.

Not only are they an all-around team on offense, but they have great individual players as well. Guard Karina Figueroa, from Corona Calif., is averaging 17 points per game. Also, Lauren Sims is averaging 12.6 points per game.

The last time the 49ers and the Matadors met Figueroa was held to 10 points, and Sims was able to drop 15 points.

Last week Cal State Northridge was filled with drama on the court and off the court. It started with a crushing one-point defeat to Long Beach State Thursday night, and then the next day their leading rebounder, Lenny Daniel, was suspended indefinitely for conduct detrimental to the team.

The Matadors (8-13, 3-5 Big West) did end the week on a good note by pulling out a victory over UC Santa Barbara on Saturday night to snap a three-game losing streak.
CSUN will try to keep the momentum alive when they go on the road to face UC Riverside tonight.

The Highlanders (8-13, 2-7 Big West) will probably approach the game as a must-win situation since they are last in the Big West standings. The Matadors aren’t doing so well in the standings either, sitting in seventh place.

“We (both are) in the same position being desperate for a win, so it’s going to be a hard-fought game,” senior forward Willie Galick said.

With Daniel out, Galick made up some of the slack against the Gauchos by scoring 19 points and grabbing 9 rebounds.

The Matadors’ leading scorer Kenny Daniels, who averages 14 points per game, didn’t contribute much against UCSB. Daniels scored three points and went 0-of-3 from the field.

“We won against the Gauchos. It doesn’t matter if I score no points,” Daniels said. “Our system is meant for any guy to step up any night.”

Maybe Daniels can get out of his scoring funk versus the Highlanders, since the Matadors have an 11-game winning streak against them.

“Every time we play Riverside, we all play together,” Daniels said. “Last time (we played them) we kicked it at the right moment and stepped it up (for the win).”

Daniels had 17 points in the Matadors’ 64-50 victory over the Highlanders on Jan. 14 at the Matadome. That win was huge for CSUN because it gave them their first Big West victory.

UCR’s Kyle Austin had a game-high 18 points but failed to lift his team to a win when the game was knotted at 50. The Matadors ended the game on a 14-0 run.

Riverside is dead last in the Big West in scoring with 62 points per game, but CSUN gives up the most points in the conference with 76.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning throws downfield agains the New York Jets. Photo courtesy of MCT

The New Orleans Saints have become a symbol of hope for the city of New Orleans, which was devastated by Hurricane Katrina just four and a half years ago. Because of this most football fans across the country are rooting for the Saints to win their first Super Bowl in franchise history, however, four-time MVP Peyton Manning and the Colts will not be denied, as they will be the ones hoisting the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the game.

In the AFC Championship game against the New York Jets, the Colts faced the number one ranked total defense, and the first ranked pass defense. Manning was able to pick the Jets defense apart.
The Jets were able to shut down Indy’s Pro Bowl receiver Reggie Wayne. So what did Manning do? He went to second year receiver Pierre Garcon, who had 11 catches for 153 yards. Manning also connected with rookie receiver Austin Collie, who had 11 catches for 123 yards. That right there is the greatness of Peyton Manning; he will find a way to beat the other team.

Now the Colts are playing the Saints 26th ranked passing defense. Manning will be able to get to all his receivers, including Pro Bowl tight end Dallas Clark. Also, don’t expect Manning to throw a Favre-like pass across the middle of the field to be picked off at any point of the game.

With Manning and the Colts passing game getting all the press, people probably overlook the Colts defense. While the Colts will never be known as a great defensive team, the defense has played well in these playoffs, holding the Baltimore Ravens to just three points in the divisional playoffs, and shutting out the Jets in the second half of the conference championship game.

Expect the Saints defense to try to rough up Manning the same way they roughed up Brett Favre, and Kurt Warner. However, it won’t be enough to stop the Colts from coming away with a 38-27 victory.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, left, looks for an opening against the Minnesota Vikins during the first quarter of the NFC Championship at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, Sunday, January 24, 2010. Photo courtesy of MCT

Super Bowl XLIV hosts two of the more prolific offenses in the game today. The New Orleans Saints led the league in scoring, averaging just under 32 points per game. Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Colts, led by four-time MVP Peyton Manning, continue to score at will against its opponents.

Everyone expects to see a shootout, but for New Orleans to walk away with its first Super Bowl victory in team history, a few things will have to happen.

First and foremost, the Saints need to get back to what they did so well all season long, run the ball effectively. Two-thirds of the way into the season, New Orleans was in the top five rushing the ball, yet fell off a bit as the season progressed.

Most people think of that great passing attack, led by Pro Bowl quarterback, Drew Brees. However, it was their ground game that caused opposing linebackers and secondary to creep up to the line, creating open spaces in the zone for Brees to hit. This game will be no different. If Pierre Thomas, Mike Bell and Reggie Bush have success on the ground, the Colts will find it really difficult to stop the Saints offense.

On defense, the Saints have thrived all year on creating big plays and getting turnovers. New Orleans finished the season second in takeaways with 39, behind only Green Bay with 40.

Peyton Manning should be able to move the ball efficiently against the Saints defense, so it’s critical for them to cause some havoc and force Indianapolis into mistakes and turnovers.

On paper, this is one of the most intriguing match ups we have seen in Super Bowl history. Both teams began the season 13-0 and had looked as though they were destined to meet each other here. The only questions that remain are whether it’s time for Manning to cement his name among the all-time greatest players in NFL history? Or is it destiny for the Saints and the city of New Orleans?

Prediction: Saints win 35-31

Kevin McKniff (10) goes up for the kill in last season's match between CSUN and USC. Photo Credit: Debbie Von Winckelmann / Sundial File Photo

After a successful road trip in Northern California the Matadors (8-1, 5-1 MPSF) moved up two spots to No. 1 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association division (AVCA) I-II poll for the fourth time in the school history.

“It’s a great feeling when those numbers come out and you get to see that your team and all the hard effort that you have put in has paid off,” senior outside hitter Theo Edwards said.
The Matadors will not waste much time in defending their No.1 ranking, as they put their top spot on the line tonight against No. 2 USC at the Matadome.

The Trojans (6-2, 4-1 MPSF) were the preseason No. 1 by AVCA and held the spot until they lost to Pepperdine last Friday.

“They are a well rounded team, which is what makes them so good,” junior opposite hitter Tanner Nua said. “They have a high power offense… so they have a few outsides who hit a variety of shots. They mix it up a lot, which gives good blocking teams trouble. So we have to be ready to on defense to dig any ball and be ready for any type of shot.”

The Trojans are led by All-American opposite hitter Murphy Troy, one of six returning starters from last season’s team that made it to the national championships. Troy has pounded out 129 kills an average of 4.16 per game. Sophomore outside hitter Tony Ciarelli is second in kills with 107 (3.45 kpg). In the lost against the Waves, Troy was one of five players with double figure kills with 21. Ciarelli and junior outside hitter Tri Bourne were second with 18 kills.

“We are not too worry about them,” senior libero Ali’i Keohohou said. “We just want to play our game and if we play our game we know we can beat them.”

The Matadors will need big games from three of their major players in order come out victorious Nua, Edwards and senior middle blocker Jacek Ratacjzak. The three combined for 58 kills in their win at then-No. 2 Stanford. A key stat for the Matadors is the fact that Edwards has led the team in kills in all eight victories this season.

USC is the third team in the last three weeks that the Matadors have face in the top five defeating then-No. 4 UC Irvine and then-No. 2 Stanford.

The winner of tonight’s match will have sole possession of first place in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation conference and will have the upper hand in hosting the MPSF tournament in April.

The Matadors swept the series against the Trojans last season as USC was only able to win one game in the two matches.