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
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...

Sacramento state incoming freshman quarterback, No. 6, Jihad Vercher makes a pass during practice on Sunday at Hornet Stadium.

Football resumes, players look to secure open spots

Alex Grotewohl August 5, 2013

Football season officially got underway at Sacramento State Sunday as the Hornets took the field for their first team practice. With it began a battle for playing time on a team with a strong freshman...

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]

Edgar Casteneda (#58) won the starting kicker position this season.

Heroic Sac State football kicker offered scholarship

Joe Davis September 12, 2012

When Edgar Castaneda hit a 30-yard game-winning field goal to help his team beat the Pac-12’s University of Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday, he earned more than a victory and the respect of his teammates...

Men’s soccer defeats San Diego in overtime

State Hornet Staff September 5, 2012

With a diving goal by Matt Linenberger less than two minutes into overtime, Sacramento State Men’s soccer team defeated the University of San Diego 2-1 on Friday at Hornet Field during the team’s home...

Sacramento State senior midfielder Alex Lopez tries to get away from San Diegos Matthew Chavez Friday at the Hornets home opener. The game went into overtime and Sac State won 2-1. 

Matt Linenberger makes game-winning goal at home opener in overtime

Rudy Saenz September 1, 2012

Due to a diving goal by senior Matt Linenberger in overtime, the Sacramento State men’s soccer team defeated the University of San Diego 2-1 Friday at Hornet Field during the team’s home opener. The...

Action of the Hornets Fall 2012 preseason scrimmage. 

Football prepares for opener in New Mexico

State Hornet Staff August 29, 2012

Fans were able to get their first glimpse of the 2012 Sacramento State football team on Aug. 18 as the Hornets held their annual Green and Gold Scrimmage. The scrimmage was a part of “Bee a Hornet,”...

Edward Ruhnke
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Bayville, NJ
Previous college: Moorpark Junior College
Last season statistics: 12-15 field goals, 63 total points

Kickers set goal for new kicking unit

Joe Davis August 29, 2012

Sometimes the butt of jokes and often overlooked, the kicker position is a hot topic surrounding the Sacramento State Hornet football team heading into the 2012 season. After last year’s woeful performance...

Football graphic

Preseason scrimmage showcases talent for Hornet football

State Hornet Staff August 19, 2012

Fans were able to get their first glimpse of the 2012 Sacramento State football team as the Hornets held their annual Green and Gold Scrimmage on Aug. 18.The scrimmage was part of the “Bee a Hornet”...

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