THE WEEK AHEAD

• Sacramento State (19-9, 12-4) will enter this week's Big Sky Conference Tournament as the No. 2 seed after finishing second place in the league standings.
• The top eight teams in the 10-member conference qualify for the postseason event, which will take place Monday-Wednesday in Greeley, Colo. Northern Colorado earned the right to host the Big Sky Tournament after winning last year's regular season title.
• This year marks the 25th Big Sky Tourney appearance for the Hornets since joining the league in 1996.
• The tournament is single elimination. Monday features four quarterfinal games (9 am PT, Noon, 3 pm, 6 pm), followed by Tuesday semifinal matches (3 pm, 6 pm) and Friday's championship at 6 p.m.
• Sacramento State will open the tournament on Monday at 3 p.m. vs. #7 Portland State. That will be the third quarterfinal match of the day. This marks the second straight season the Hornets will play Portland State in the quarterfinals (3-1 win a year ago). 
• Other quarterfinal matches feature #4 Weber State vs. #5 Montana at 9 am, #1 Northern Arizona vs. #8 Idaho State at noon, and #3 Northern Colorado vs. #6 Montana State at 6 pm. Northern Arizona won the Big Sky regular season championship, and will host next year's Big Sky Tournament.
• The winner of the Hornets/Portland State match will face the winner of Northern Colorado/Montana State in Tuesday's semifinal at 6 p.m.
• Sacramento State defeated Portland State in both meetings this year by 3-1 scores, and has won six straight in the series. The last Viking win came via 3-1 score in Portland on Nov. 10, 2023.
• The winner of the Big Sky Tournament receives an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament, a place the Hornets went last season (3-0 loss at Stanford) after winning the Big Sky Tourney title.
• The NCAA Tournament's field of 64 has taken just one team from the Big Sky 25 consecutive years, making the Big Sky Tournament title the only path for a Big Sky squad to qualify for the Big Dance.
• The Hornets' 12 conference wins are second most in the last eight years (2023 squad went 13-3).
• The Hornets have posted 10+ conference wins in six straight, and 10 of the last 11 years. 
• Sacramento State will seek its third straight Big Sky title, as the team won the tournament championship last season, and the regular season crown in 2023.
• The Hornets enter the Big Sky Tournament having won 10 of their last 11 matches.
• Head coach Ruben Volta is just two wins shy of career number 300. He is currently 298-256.
• Sacramento State's offense, let by setter Kate Doorn, has been effective in Big Sky play, The Hornets rank first in points (17.62 pps), hitting percentage (.265) and aces (1.95 aps), and third in kills (13.57 kps).


MULTIMEDIA OPTIONS

• Every match of the Big Sky Tournament will air on ESPN+.
• Links for video and live stats can be found at the Big Sky Tournament home page via bigskyconf.com.

HORNETS AT THE BIG SKY TOURNAMENT

• Currently in their 30th and final season in the Big Sky, the Hornets are making their 25th appearance at the Big Sky Tournament, and have posted a 29-14 record at the postseason event.
• The Hornets have won the Big Sky Tournament title 10 times (1997-98, 2000, 2002-07, 2024).
• That included a run of 12 consecutive victories spanning six years from 2002-07.
• Of the team's 24 previous appearances at the tourney, Sacramento State has reached the championship match 13 times. The Hornets are 10-3 in those championship matches. 
• Of the team's 24 appearances at the Big Sky Tournament, Sacramento State has failed to reach at least the semifinal round just five times (2008, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021).

vs. TOURNAMENT FIELD (this year, all-time, Big Sky Tournament)

• Of the seven opponents Sacramento State could face in the Big Sky Tournament, the Hornets beat every team during the regular season except Northern Colorado (0-2).
• The Hornets are 20-10 in Big Sky Tourney play against the seven teams they could face. 
#1 Northern Arizona: 1-1 this year, 45-25 all-time, 2-3 in the Big Sky Tourney
#3 Northern Colorado: 0-2 this year, 18-23 all-time, 4-2 in Big Sky Tourney
#4 Weber State: 2-0 this year, 44-19 all-time, 0-1 in the Big Sky Tourney
#5 Montana: 1-1 this year, 41-17 all-time, 2-0 in the Big Sky Tourney
#6 Montana State: 1-0 this year, 52-12 all-time, 6-1 in the Big Sky Tourney
#7 Portland State: 2-0 this year, 56-28 all-time, 3-2 in the Big Sky Tourney
#8 Idaho State: 1-0 this year, 44-18 all-time, 3-1 in the Big Sky Tourney

HORNETS RACK UP BIG SKY ALL-LEAGUE HONORS

• Sacramento State players received three first team all-Big Sky selections (ties a program record), and four individual award accolades (most in program history).
• Outside hitter Victoria Marthaler was named the Big Sky MVP, Kate Doorn was the Setter of the Year, Reese Ampi the Libero of the Year, and Keonahi'ilani Solaita the Freshman of the Year. Ashlynn Archer joined Marthaler and Doorn on the first team.
• Marthaler, a sophomore, becomes the eighth Hornet to be named Big Sky MVP, and first since Bridgette Smith in 2023. A six-rotation outside hitter, she easily leads the Big Sky and ranks sixth in the nation with 4.96 kills per set. She also ranks eighth in the country with 5.46 points per set. Currently averaging a whopping 5.72 kills per set in league play. 
• Doorn, a senior, becomes the first Hornet to be named Big Sky Setter of the Year (the conference did not hand out the award until 2023). She has quarterbacked one of the Big Sky's most dynamic offenses while averaging 10.13 assists, 2.40 digs and 0.48 aces per set in conference play. The aces lead the league, and the assists ranks second.
• Archer is currently averaging 2.76 kills and 1.07 blocks per set to go along with a .436 hitting percentage. That hitting percentage easily leads the Big Sky, and ranks eighth in the nation. If the season ended today, it would set the new Sacramento State and Big Sky single-season records. She has hit at least .300 in all but four matches this season.
• Ampi becomes the fourth Hornet to be named Big Sky Libero of the year, and first since Lexie Skalbeck in 2016. She ranks third in the Big Sky with 4.30 digs per set, and has posted double-figure digs on 22 occasions, including 20-plus digs six times. A two-time Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week selection, Ampi posted 30-plus digs on two occasions.
• Solaita becomes the fourth Hornet to be named Big Sky Freshman of the Year, and first since Bridgette Smith in 2020. In fact, she is just the second Hornet to earn the honor in the last 25 years. A six-rotation outside hitter, she has started each of the last 21 matches while averaging 2.44 kills, 2.12 digs and 0.33 aces per set in Big Sky play.

RACKING UP THE ACES

• Sacramento State ranks 21st in the nation with 1.87 aces per set. The team easily lead the Big Sky in aces overall, and aces in conference play (1.95 per set).
• In league, Sacramento State players take up three of the top 10 among Big Sky leaders in aces - Kate Doorn (1st, 0.48 aps), Reese Ampi (5th, 0.35) and Keonahi'ilani Solaita (8th, 0.33). 
• Sacramento State has registered double digits in aces on eight occasions, and has tallied 38 more aces than the opposition (Hornets 191 aces, opponents 153 aces)