Garrity buries a clutch 3-pointer to get the 70-69 comeback win against Montana
Mike McGough
January 31, 2015
Fans swarmed the court at the Hornets Nest Saturday night after Sacramento State’s men’s basketball team pulled off a come-from-behind 70-69 victory over the University of Montana.The win, which kept the Hornets in first place at 9-1 in Big Sky Conference play, came at the hands of senior Dylan ...
The neverending story of Michael Sam
State Hornet
September 16, 2014
The media coverage about Michael Sam and his sexual orientation seems to be never-ending. Since February, Sam has been speaking to the media about being a proud, openly gay man in the NFL.We can agree it is a huge deal for a professional football player to come out of the closet since the NFL seems to have a “...
Point guard Dylan Garrity hits a 75-foot shot with no time remaining to stun Weber State
State Hornet Staff
February 1, 2014
While most players dream about making a buzzer beater in a Division I college basketball game, Sacramento State point guard Dylan Garrity’s dream became a reality.Garrity made a 75-foot shot at the buzzer to defeat Weber State, 78-75 in overtime Saturday in front of a nearly sold-out crowd.After the ...
Pride Center holds forum on the role of LGBT athletes in sports.
March 19, 2013
Sacramento State’s Pride Center hosted an open discussion called “Out in the Locker Room” on Thursday to address issues homosexual and transgender athletes face at the collegiate level. While stigmas about homosexuality have certainly diminished in modern society, nearly 40 guests in attendance...
Bracketbuster gives basketball team a chance to shine
February 20, 2013
On Feb. 4, the Sacramento State men’s basketball team was selected to play at this year’s Ramada Worldwide Bracketbuster event against Big West Conference opponent UC Santa Barbara on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the Thunderdome. In its 11th and final year, the Bracketbuster showcase is a two-day event st...
Buzz of the Crowd: FCS should have bowls
State Hornet Staff
November 6, 2012
The opportunity to play in a bowl game at the end of the season is a time-honored tradition in college football.There are no playoff tournaments like most other college or professional sports; there are just two teams, equally matched, playing one final game on a neutral field during the holiday season....
College basketball creates opportunities for smaller schools to make big upsets with fair tournament style
November 6, 2012
Looking back at what are considered the greatest moments in college athletics, you might find none of them belong to Sacramento State. From Christian Laettner hitting an improbable last-second shot against University of Kentucky to win the NCAA Tournament for Duke University to University of Californ...
Necessary roughness
State Hornet
November 6, 2012
Russell PrestonWhile most fans would assume Sacramento State’s fall sport with the largest fan base, in the largest venue, gathering the most attention would be poised for the most success in 2012 (I’m looking at you, football), the sport with the real threat for a conference title should be women’s volleyball.After finishing the 2011 season with an overall record of 17-15 and a 10-6 Big Sky conference record, finishing third for the Hornets was a step in the right direction after failing to finish above fifth place since 2007.Women’s volleyball has been one of the strengths of Sac State’s athletic program in the last 15 years. Since joining the Big Sky Conference in 1996, Sac State has made the Div. 1 NCAA tournament 10 times (six more than any other member of their conference).Last year, under the leadership of Head Coach Ruben Volta, the team was one of the best in the conference when it came to home-court advantage (8-5 record). In fact, since 1996 the team has posted a 175-48 record on its home court.What made them so good last year was their team defense. In 2011, the team was ninth in the nation in digs per set (18.39) and 13th in blocks per set (2.76). They were the only team in the nation to rank in the top 35 in both categories.As for the offense, they finished in the bottom half of the Big Sky conference in kills per set (11.93) and hitting percentage (.171). With Coach Volta implementing a new 6-2 offense, it will allow the setter to stay in the back while three attackers up front can get aggressive.Although the team lost four of its top players to graduation last spring, there are still doses of optimism with the nine returning players and six newcomers (including two transfer students coming from Div. 1 teams).It’ll be interesting how the team chemistry develops, but rest assured, this team will be competing for another Big Sky conference title in 2012.Russell Preston can be reached at asports@statehornet.com.Jillian KwellerFall sports are under way and the Sacramento State women’s soccer team has the most potential and promise to take home a conference championship.After missing the Big Sky conference championships by two places last season, women’s soccer is back with a 30-player roster and the intensity to win.The women of Hornet soccer have already shown improvements by winning the first game of the season to University of Nevada Reno, which they lost to last year by a score of 2-1.The players have the agility, strength and endurance to beat every team in the conference as long as they stay consistent, which should not be too hard considering the lengthy roster.The depth in the roster will allow the players more efficient playing time. If someone is winded and needs a break, the bench is full of fresh bodies to put on the field.To make the long list of players even more impressive, nine of them are incoming freshman, meaning they are younger, fresher and less injured.One of the freshmen is Hannah Gendron, a goalkeeper out of Davis. She is replacing 2011 senior Savannah Abercrombie, who gave up 22 goals during the last season.Gendron gave up only six goals during her varsity season last year in high school and not one goal her 2010 26-game junior varsity season.Senior forward and team captain Jordan Carlberg will also be a huge contribution to the team this year by looking at last season’s records. She led the team in shots and shots on goal, was second in assists, third in points and fourth in goals.Overall, Sac State women’s soccer is secure with a variety of diverse players and will be a dominant force in the Big Sky conference this 2012 season.Jillian Kweller can be reached at asports@statehornet.com.James Heck The 2011 Sacramento State football team finished with a 4-7 record, but there are reasons to believe a winning season is around the corner. Regardless of the team’s record the previous year, it can adopt a winning mentality if they focus on becoming better today than they were yesterday.At the start of training camp, there were more than 40 new players vying for a spot on the 2012 Sac State football team.With the addition of new players comes the question of how they will mesh with the returning members of the team. Football is a team sport, one composed of three facets: offense, defense and special teams.After losing team leaders such as quarterback Jeff Fleming to graduation, some may view the abundance of new players as a question in regards to building team chemistry and cohesion.Perhaps it is this new element that will spark a surge in production.After all, the team is led by Marshall Sperbeck, the sixth-year head coach who led the Hornets to a stunning 29-28 win over the Oregon State Beavers last season. This win marked the first against a Football Bowl Subdivision team in 11 attempts, arguably making it the Hornets’ biggest victory in school history.The overtime victory against Oregon State gained nationwide attention, and the sense of pride and hope that resulted should be remembered and carried over into this season.Last season, the Hornets lost three games by seven or fewer points. If the team can work out the kinks of last season, there is reason to believe they can be a winning team this season.A fuel to light their fire could come from the recent preseason polls released predicting their success, or lack thereof. The Hornets were picked to finish ninth in the Big Sky Conference by the coaches and 10th by the media.For the players on the football team, a sense of “us against the world” would certainly be an acceptable feeling. And it is this feeling that has often lifted teams out of seeming obscurity and into the spotlight.James Heck can be reached at asports@statehornet.com.
Buzz of the Crowd: What big wins mean for small college teams
State Hornet Staff
September 11, 2012
College football starts off the same way every season: Most big NCAA football programs play smaller schools and cruise to a commanding victory. Oregon State and the University of Colorado are no exceptions to this rule. During the past decade, the two teams have hosted schools with smaller football programs lik...
