It’s half way through the season and the Sacramento State volleyball team is soaring.

After this past weekend’s pair of matches the Hornets are now on a five-game home winning streak and flawless in Big Sky Conference play.

Things were much different six games into the season as head coach Debby Colberg’s team tried to shrug off its first five game losing streak since the program’s first year of Division 1 competition in 1999.

After dropping to 1-5 on the season Colberg, in her 30th season as head coach, made the tough decision to bench freshman starting setter Rose Burke and swing to senior Natalie Melcher.

Since the switch at setter the Hornets are perfect at home and have won nine of the last 10 matches. The solo loss came at the hands of head coach Leonid Yelin’s Louisville Cardinals in three straight games. The Cardinals are ranked seventh in the nation this season.

Also, Melcher has taken the reigns at setter. She is averaging 2.9 kills, 41.7 assists, 8.6 digs and .5 blocks per match.

During the same stretch, a key starter was lost to injury right before the team was to leave for the Miami Hurricanes’ Orange and Green Challenge in Coral Gables, Fla. Junior Shannon Roland broke her left clavicle during a hitting drill. Roland is the most forceful hitter on the team. Jennifer Ferguson stood in for Roland as a starter.

Ferguson has gradually built up steam since taking the assignment and most recently scored 10 kills and 8 digs against the Montana Grizzlies on Saturday night.

“We were worried about her with those back problems from last season,” Colberg said. “She is undersized for an outside hitter. But she is very smart and crafty.”

During the 2004 season Jennifer Ferguson was red shirted after suffering a back injury.

The 1980-81 Sacramento State women’s volleyball alumnae were in the Hornets Nest to watch the dominating performance by Ferguson and starting outside hitter Atlee Hubbard, who tallied a double-double against the Grizzlies. The alumni were in attendance as part of a weekend of celebration for the 80-81 teams. They were inducted into the Hornet Hall of Fame for their two national championships.

“The alumni being here just might have motivated the team a little bit,” Colberg said lightheartedly.

“It was nice that the school recognized the team,” said alumni middle blocker Darlene Smartt-Azimi. “Watching these girls makes me think I can still get out there and play.”

Smartt-Azimi was a transfer from Sacramento City College, where she has also been inducted to the hall of fame for three sports, including volleyball.

The 1980 team won a national title as part of the last year Sac State competed in Division III. The 1981 team repeated the feat after entering NCAA Division II.

Right now the Hornets are in the first stages of the Big Sky portion of their schedule and haven’t faced much resistance. The team has rolled over both the Montana State Bobcats and the Montana in seven games for both teams.

This week the Hornets continue Big Sky conference play on the road against the Portland State Vikings on Friday and the Eagles of Eastern Washington on Saturday.

The last time the Eagles stalked the Hornets was in the final match of the Big Sky Tournament, where the Hornets defeated Eastern Washington in four games and won their eighth consecutive title. However, the last three times Sac State has traveled to Cheney, Wash., they have lost in convincing fashion.

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Brad Alexander can be reached at [email protected]