Nov. 15, 2005

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - After clinching at least a share of its fourth-straight Big West Conference championship last week, the UC Santa Barbara women's volleyball team plays its final home match on Friday, Nov. 18, hosting UC Davis in a 7:00 p.m. non-conference tilt in Robertson Gymnasium.

Please note that this is a change from the originally-scheduled match date and site of Saturday, Nov. 19 in the Thunderdome. The Gauchos will enter Friday's showdown with UCD boasting a 17-8 overall record - having won 13 of their last 14 contests - while they remain in the "Others Receiving Votes" section of the CSTV/AVCA Top-25 Coaches' Poll with 17 total points.

Meanwhile the Aggies - who will officially join the Big West in 2007-08 - are 4-23, with one of their losses being a 3-1 decision at the hands of visiting UCSB on Sept. 14. Santa Barbara leads the all-time series with Davis 5-0. Another win over UCD would extend the Gauchos' school-record home winning streak to 15 straight matches dating back to last season.

Prior to first serve, UCSB will honor lone senior Megan Blackshire, a four-year starter at middle blocker and two-time American Volleyball Coaches' Association All-West Region honorable mention performer. The Capistrano Beach, Calif., native has amassed 1,076 career kills and a .344 hitting percentage as a Gaucho that ranks fourth in school history. In addition, Blackshire's 367 total blocks are sixth-most in UCSB annals.

The Gauchos also feature the reigning Big West Player of the Week in junior outside hitter Janine Sandell, who picked up her third such honor this season after leading the squad to road victories over Pacific and Cal State Northridge last Week. Her 26 put-aways at UOP marked the ninth time in 2005 she has reached the 20-kill plateau. Last week the London, England native also recorded her 13th and 14th double-doubles this year and moved within six put-aways of 10th-place on Santa Barbara's career leaderboard. Sandell has slammed home 1,153 balls as a Gaucho, owning a 5.21 kills per game that tops the Big West and currently ranks eighth nationally.

While facing Davis, the Gauchos will keep one eye focused on Southern California, where second-place Long Beach State (10-2) plays its final pair of Big West matches this week. If the two squads finish tied atop the standings at 12-2, LBSU would earn the league's automatic NCAA Tournament berth by virtue of a better cumulative game record in conference matches. UCSB finished with a 37-15 mark in total Big West games played, while Long Beach can finish no worse than 38-13 if it defeats both Pacific and Cal State Northridge at home.

Santa Barbara closes the 2005 regular season with a trio of non-conference road matches, beginning with a Tuesday, Nov. 22 contest at Loyola Marymount scheduled for 7:00 p.m.