The student news site of Sacramento State University

The State Hornet

Student news without fear or favor
The student news site of Sacramento State University

The State Hornet

The student news site of Sacramento State University

The State Hornet

Student news without fear or favor

Men’s tennis squares up for Sunday’s match against UC Davis

State Hornet Staff February 14, 2014

The Sacramento State men’s tennis team will take the court this Sunday against UC Davis, a match the Hornets are confident and prepared for.The Hornets are coming off a trouncing they laid at the hands...

The WAC is whack

State Hornet Staff February 12, 2014

“Shuffle up and deal” are words normally heard throughout casinos, but unfortunately for the Sacramento State baseball team playing in the Western Athletic Conference, the Hornets have been dealt seemingly a new conference schedule the past three seasons.

The WAC, has undergone a remodeling of sorts in recent seasons, leaving affiliate member Sac State wondering about the stability of the conference. Division. I conferences should not be changing, it’s an epidemic that is happening across the NCAA landscape.

There are six new schools that have been added to the conference in 2014 including Grand Canyon University, Utah Valley, Northern Colorado, Chicago State, University of Texas-Pan American and the University of North Dakota. The remaining four are Sac State, New Mexico State, Seattle University and CSU Bakersfield.

Utah Valley, Chicago State, North Dakota and UTPA came over from the now defunct Great West Conference.

It is difficult to adjust to playing teams you are not used to because of the high turnover, studying new tape and having to recruit differently because the conference has expanded in distance, is now a challenge for the Hornets. The WAC is no longer just a conference that lies in the western part of the country.

This season, Sac State has been selected in the WAC coaches poll to finish third. The two teams picked ahead of the Hornets are New Mexico State and CSU Bakersfield, both remaining from 2013. This shows teams coming into the conference are at a disadvantage and could be a mystery to some coaches. The selection for fourth place was Utah Valley, which had an 18 point drop off from Sac State’s 68.

10 head coaches in the WAC picked the order they thought each team would finish. If the team was picked to get first place, then that team would get nine points and the point total decreased by one as the teams are lower in the standings. The coaches could not vote for their own teams.

The WAC has become a turnstile for teams in the west looking to move on to bigger conferences. Schools from last season that have departed the WAC are now in stabler conferences.

San Jose State moved to the Mountain West Conference for baseball as well as other sports. Texas State, UT Arlington and UT San Antonio went to the Sun Belt Conference. Dallas Baptist is now a member of the Missouri Valley Conference and Louisiana Tech is a part of the Conference-USA.

For Sac State’s affiliate sports, it should try and find conferences where there is stability. The competition will likely be better because of the familiarity between teams.

The WAC needs to go all in and try and keep its members, even the affiliate like Sac State. If they do not, the WAC may fold.

Curtis Manlapig can be reached on Twitter @CTMstatehornet

Women’s golf looks to exceed second-place prediction

State Hornet Staff February 12, 2014

If early results are any indication, the Sacramento State women’s golf team is serious competition for a 2014 Big Sky Conference Championship.Despite many of the unforeseen obstacles they faced, Sac...

Women’s basketball assistant coach moves from Harvard to the hardwood

State Hornet Staff February 12, 2014

It is safe to say that Sacramento State women’s basketball assistant coach Derrick Florence more than understands what it means to persevere.Florence was born and raised by a single mother in Compton,...

UC Davis tops women’s gymnastics in Causeway matchup

State Hornet Staff January 31, 2014

Rivalries are never easy to lose, but a win is not deserved unless the victory is earned.The Sacramento State women’s gymnastics team defeated themselves, 195.500-193.575, with countless errors in a...

Tennis programs look to continue Big Sky dominance

State Hornet Staff January 29, 2014

As universities are preparing for the second half of the school year, spring sports are gearing up for hopefully a successful season. However, Sacramento State tennis for both men and women have tasted...

Sac State forward, No. 16, Kassidy Kellogg runs the ball past a UC Davis defender, but her effort was not enough for the Hornets on Friday. 

Hornet’s preseason ends with a WPSL win

Clifton Jones August 17, 2013

Led by goals from senior defender Jordyn Rolling and sophomore Kassidy Kellogg, the Hornets shut out their Women's Premiere Soccer League opponent.The 2013 Sacramento State women's soccer team is back...

File photo

Hornet football showcases talent at preseason scrimmage

Alex Grotewohl August 17, 2013

The opening day roster for Sacramento State football continued to take shape Saturday as the Hornets donned their helmets and pads for the preseason’s first scrimmage.The day was split into six individual...

Hornet senior outside hitter Janelle Currey serves the ball in The Nest. 

Hornet volleyball team ends season just a hair from playoffs

Maikalina Madali December 5, 2012

Despite three consecutive wins in the final matches of the Hornet’s volleyball season, Montana State’s victory over Montana officially knocked Sacramento State out of the Big Sky Tournament. “Being...

File photo

Parrish’s 39-point game leads women’s basketball to a Pac-12 victory

State Hornet Staff December 2, 2012

When Se’nyce Parrish took the floor at the Gill Coliseum at Oregon State, she could not miss.The junior guard from Clovis scored a game-high 39 points, which included nine 3-pointers in her team’s...

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