Cal State Northridge plays its final stretch of road matches in 2008 beginning Thursday with a non-conference game at Cal State Bakersfield. Since 2007, the Matadors are 1-1 against them ‘- following a 13-year hiatus in the series. Earlier this season, the Roadrunners won these teams’ last meeting in five sets at Northridge, where they were previously winless at 0-14.
After the loss, Matador Head Coach Jeff Stork said: ‘Everyone is disappointed.’ This time around, they will the ones looking to disappoint. The week’s road trip continues Saturday as the Matadors return to Big West action at Cal State Fullerton. The Titans are one game behind the Pacific Tigers for the fourth spot in the conference, which puts CSUN in a position to play the role of spoiler.?
Matador to watch:
Angela Hupp, outside hitter, junior?
Hupp pounded a career-high 27 kills in 55 swings for a solid .364 hitting average against UC Riverside Friday. She also added a season-high 17 digs which is just three off her career-high. The double-double was Hupp’s team-leading sixth of the season and she backed it up with her seventh the next night against UC Irvine. She tallied 13 kills and 14 digs against the Anteaters Saturday and accounted for 45.5 of Northridge’s 128.5 points in the two matches.
@ Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners
Series Record: Matadors lead 27-6
Last Meeting: CSUB 3 @ Northridge 2, Sept. 30
Roadrunner to watch:
Mystie McNaughton, libero, senior
McNaughton needs just four digs to tie’mdash;and five to break’mdash;Camille Mitchell’s 16′-year’-old school record of 1,793 digs. The libero ranks No. 9 nationally among all NCAA Division I players by averaging 5.41 digs per set this season, and should break the record by the end of Thursday’s first set. She will become the first Roadrunner to set a CSUB career record while playing the majority of her matches against NCAA Division I competition.
@ Cal State Fullerton Titans
Series Record: Matadors lead 21-7
Last Meeting: CSUF 3 @ CSUN 0, Oct. 11
Titan to watch:
Brittany Moore, outside hitter, senior
Moore averages a team-high 3.67 kills per set, which ranks second in the Big West. She notched her 13th double-double of the year with a match-high 23-kill, 10-dig effort in a loss to first-place Long Beach State Tuesday night. Moore also added seven blocks on the night, and with five block assists, tied Alyssa Opeka for the most block assists by a Titan in their caree. It was her 287th.
