Head football coach Steve Mooshagian will enter his third year still searching for his first winning season at Sacramento state.

The Hornets went 3-8 last season.

This year’s team will also have to do without wide receiver Fred Amey, who finished his Hornet career with the fourth most receiving yards in Division I-AA history with 4, 049.

Also without last year’s starting quarterback, Ryan Leadingham, a four-year starter, the Hornets may have to rely heavily on second year running back Ryan Mole who had 858 yards and five touchdowns in his freshman year. He averaged 5.9 yards per carry.

The Hornets also return receiver Ryan Coogler, who hopes to fill some of the void left by Amey.

Sac State opens its season at Cal on Sept. 3. –

Volleyball

Losing Big Sky Tournament MVP Sandra Bandimere might seem like a tough loss for Sacramento State, but so did losing Big Sky Conference MVP Lisa Beauchene last season.

But that didn’t stop the Hornets from winning their third-straight Big Sky Conference title against Eastern Washington on EWU’s home court. The Hornets lost then in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Head coach Debby Colberg will enter her 30th season with the Hornets after winning her fifth straight Big Sky Coach of the Year award last season.She helped guide the team to a 25-7 record, the tenth consecutive time the team has eclipsed the 20-win mark.

In addition to Bandimere, the Hornets also lost middle hitter Emily Wilson and senior setter Stephanie Gamst at the end of last season.Lindsay Haupt, who won Big Sky Outstanding Freshman honors last season, will return for her second year.

Sac State starts its season against Long Island on Aug. 26 at the Long Beach State Invitational.-

Men’s soccer

Matt McDougall led the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation in saves with 109 in his junior season, but that wasn’t enough to save the Hornets from a 6-12-1 record.

The Hornets did finish third in the MPSF at 5-7, led by sophomore Ryan Rhoads’ eight goals. Rhoads returns for his junior season as the biggest scoring threat for the Hornets.

Ricky Rodriguez, who had six assists last season, will need to hook up with Rhoads frequently to win games.

Seniors Patrick Nelle and Marcos Mercado are both gone for Sac State after finishing up last season with all-MPSF honors.

The Hornets first game is at St. Mary’s on Sept. 1.-

Women’s soccer

The 2004 women’s soccer season was forgettable as the Hornets went 3-15 including a stretch of 10 games without scoring a goal.

During Katie Poynter’s interim year as coach, Sacramento State was shutout 11 times overall and scored multiple goals in a game only once.

Katie McCoy was named to the all-Big Sky second team following a freshman season in which she scored a game winning goal in the last minute twice.

Natalia Romo and Linda Sanchez, who both earned honorable mention last year, will also be returning to the Hornets.

The team was 3-1-2 during spring play. The team will open at rival UC Davis on August 26.