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
Hornet offense looks to stay hot against Montana

Hornet offense looks to stay hot against Montana

Curtis Manlapig November 1, 2013

Sacramento State’s offense looks to continue it’s high powered attack Saturday as the Hornets take on Montana at Hornet Stadium.The offense, led by junior quarterback Garrett Safron, has averaged 34...

Sac State improves to 3-1 in Big Sky with win over North Dakota

Curtis Manlapig October 19, 2013

The offense and defense of the Sacramento State football team were dominant Saturday as the Hornets took down the University of North Dakota.Sac State won the game 31-7 behind great play from senior linebacker...

Sac State softball sweeps Santa Clara in Saturday double header

Clifton Jones March 3, 2013

Sacramento State softball’s offense and pitching finally came together Saturday, sweeping Santa Clara University in a double header Saturday, 6-2 and 3-2. The Hornets displayed offense in their first...

Necessary roughness

State Hornet November 7, 2012

Russell Preston

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While 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 [email protected].

Jillian Kweller

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Fall 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 [email protected].

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 [email protected]

Buzz of the Crowd: Football needs a big win

State Hornet Staff October 10, 2012

A full football season is like a game of Jenga; you pile up wins, but one wrong move and it all comes tumbling down.Take the University of Florida last season, for example. After the Gators won their first...

Football takes home another conference win from Southern Utah

Football takes home another conference win from Southern Utah

State Hornet Staff October 6, 2012

Sacramento State’s football team achieved something it has not managed in 21 years.The Hornets won their third consecutive road game after coming back in the fourth quarter to defeat Southern Utah University,...

Mens soccer is noticed as Big West Conference awards Oliver and Ikyurav

Men’s soccer is noticed as Big West Conference awards Oliver and Ikyurav

James Heck October 6, 2012

The Sacramento State men’s soccer team featured two recipients of the Big West Conference weekly awards as forward Isaac Ikyurav received the offensive player of the week and goal keeper Bryan Oliver...

Sacramento State senior offensive lineman Clay DePauw prepares to snap the ball to sophomore starting quarterback Garrett Safron during practice on Sept. 25. Linemen like DePauw play an integral role protecting the offensive backfield during games, but their labors often go unsung.

Offensive line protects team

Joe Davis October 3, 2012

They are big, strong and sometimes mean. These fierce competitors are accustomed to sacrificing it all for the good of the team while doing battle in the trenches to protect the men behind them. These...

Buzz of the Crowd: Hornets seek advantage with offensive coordinator

State Hornet Staff October 3, 2012

Every team seeks an edge against the competition, be it through scouting, recruiting or special training regiments. Sacramento State is no exception to this rule.This week, the Hornets will travel to Southern...

Sacramento State junior running back Ezekiel Graham runs for the endzone in its loss against North Dakota on Saturday. 

Buzz of the Crowd: Trio of running backs; help or harm?

State Hornet Staff September 26, 2012

In football, teams are lucky to have one premier running back to lean on, let alone three.But what if it actually harms the chemistry of the offense?In 2009, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson...

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