Fresno State

Ed Jackson's Annual Blog
"Reflections of the 2009 NCAA Volleyball Championship"
It's great to be back again. I can't believe it's been 365 days since my last blog. It was a memorable season for our Bulldog volleyball team. We climbed up 5 rungs on the conference ladder and the WAC enjoyed having one of its own in this year's NCAA Women's Volleyball National Championship final four.

This season's NCAA tournament was full of surprises. The unexpected began with the at large bids. The BCS conferences scored a major victory with the majority of the at large bids coming from those conferences. Eight teams from the PAC-10 were dancing. This was a new record. Five teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference coasted into the tournament. Also a new record. The Big 12 and Big 10 each had 5 schools each making these conferences the big winners.

Hawaii was our representative from the WAC this season and they proved that our ranking system is flawed. The NCAA tournament committee seeded them 12th out of the 64 teams invited to the tournament. The Wahine proved a better opponent as they defeated Mountain West foe New Mexico and Pac-10 at large invitee USC on their home court. The second round provided some interesting match-ups as Hawaii had to defeat Big 10 teams for the remainder of the tournament. First up Illinois. The Fighting Illini did not put up much of a fight as Hawaii disposed of Illinois and Michigan en-route to a visit to Tampa Bay and a spot in the National Semi-Final.

This is the second year in a row every regional final (elite 8) match was televised on ESPN U. It's great for our sport and some great entertainment for volleyball enthusiasts. This coverage is proving the growth and popularity of our sport to the thought of a professional volleyball league here in the states. The Women's National Volleyball Association is on the horizon.

The championship semi-finals were not very interesting as Hawaii was handled by #1 Penn. State, even though Hawaii surprised the Nittany Lions by winning the first game. On the other side of the bracket, Texas cruised against Minnesota. The final, on the other hand, was one of the best in history. I was very disappointed I did not go this year after seeing the last 7 final fours. I did get to watch the first two games on television and it was as dramatic as you could hope for a championship final. The Texas Longhorns got off to a great start and won game 1 25-22. We expected Penn State to rally, but they showed they were not so immortal losing game 2 25-20. I was absolutely stunned. Here is Penn. State, the 2-time defending national champion attempting to make history by being the first program to 3-peat as NCAA champions, down 2-0 to Texas. I've been coaching along time. It is rare for a team to come back from a 0-2 deficit and win 3 straight games. I will say this though, I do remember our Bulldog volleyball team pulling off the dramatic come from behind victory against Boise State this past season after being down 2-0. Can Penn State come from behind and pull off a miracle? I remember following the game while driving home from the Bay Area. I was receiving periodic updates from Alanna and Lauren. Penn State rallies and wins games 3 and 4 25-23 and 25-21 respectively leading to a Game 5 showdown. My updates kept coming in 2-2, 4-3, 6-7, 9-9. It was a battle to the end. Both teams going back and forth point for point. At 12-12 Texas makes a unexpected hitting error by 10' 6" jumping Destinee Hooker giving Penn State the edge they needed and pulling off the improbable come from behind victory to win their 3rd straight national championship.

With our move up the conference rankings this past season our volleyball team is starting to talk about joining the party and getting to the tournament. Come check us out in 2010 could it be our year? Why not?

Alyssa Chambers
Athletics Communications
Jan. 15, 2010
FRESNO, Calif
9:01 a.m.

WAC Announces All-Decade Team
Over the last month, the WAC conducted an online vote for the All-Decade Volleyball team. Nearly 1,000 fans participated and voted on players that had been on at least two all-WAC teams between 2000 and 2009.

Hawai'i players claimed all six spots on the All-Decade team and Kim Willoughby was the leading vote-getter after being named to 715 ballots, followed closely by Kanoe Kamana'o with 696 votes.

The complete WAC All-Decade Volleyball team is listed below, along with each student-athlete's major accomplishments.

Aneli Cubi-Otineru
Played for Hawai'i from 2007-09 ... earned American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) third team All-America honors in 2009 and was an honorable mention selection in `08 ... two-time first team AVCA All-West Region pick and three-time first team all-WAC honoree ... named to the NCAA Regional team in 2009.

Kanani Danielson
Has played two seasons for the Rainbow Wahine ... named to the AVCA All-America first team in 2009 and third team in 2008 as a freshman ... named WAC Player of the Year in 2009 and WAC Freshman of the Year in 2008 ... also named the AVCA West Region Freshman of the Year in 2008 ... named to the NCAA Regional team in both 2008 and 2009, earning Most Outstanding Player honors as a sophomore.

Jamie Houston
Played for UH from 2005-08 ... earned AVCA third team All-America honors in 2006 and second team honors in 2008 ... averaged 5.49 kills per set, ranking sixth in the NCAA statistics in 2006 ... two-time WAC Player of the Year (2007, `08) ... Three-time first team all-region and first team all-WAC honoree (2006-08) ... named to the all-WAC second team in 2005 ... ranks second in career kills (2,061) and fourth in kills per set (4.74) in the WAC record book ... member of three NCAA Regional team (2005, `06, `08).

Lily Kahumoku
Played for Hawai'i from 1999-2000 and 2002-03 ... three-time AVCA first team All-American (2000, `02, `03) ... 2000 WAC Player of the Year ... One of three four-time first team all-WAC honorees in conference history ... ranks fifth in career kills (1,822) and kills per set (4.43) in the WAC record book ... member of three NCAA semifinalist teams (2000, `02, `03).

Kanoe Kamana'o
Played for UH from 2003-06 ... one of UH's two four-time All-Americans ... earned AVCA Freshman of the Year and third team All-America honors in 2003 ... named AVCA first team All-America in 2004 ... garnered AVCA third team All-America honors in 2005 ... named AVCA first team All-American in 2006 ... three-time WAC Player of the Year (2004, `05, `06) ... One of three four-time first team all-WAC honorees in conference history ... WAC career assist (6,428) and assists per set (13.62) leader ... Ranks seventh in the NCAA in career assists and eighth in assists per set ... member of 2003 NCAA semifinalist team.

Kim Willoughby
Played for the Rainbow Wahine from 2000-03 ... three-time AVCA first team All-American (2001-03) ... named AVCA and Volleyball Magazine National Player of the Year in 2003 ... first woman to win back-to-back Joe Kearney Awards (2002-03, `03-04) as the WAC's top female athlete ... WAC career leader in kills (2,598) and kills per set (5.92) ... WAC Player of the Year three times (2001-03) ... ranks third in the NCAA record books in career kills per set and sixth in career kills ... owns NCAA single-season records for kills (850, 2001) and kills per set (7.20, 2001) ... member of three NCAA semifinalist teams (2000, `02, `03).

Alyssa Chambers
Athletics Communications
Dec. 9, 2009
FRESNO, Calif
3:57 p.m.

The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced today their all-region and Regional Coaches of the Year. The WAC got five student-athletes on the all-region team and Hawai'i head coach Dave Shoji was named West Region Coach of the Year! Check out the complete list at www.avca.org.

The NCAA volleyball tournament is also in the Sweet 16 and Hawai'i takes on Illinois this weekend! Check out the complete bracket and results at www.ncaa.com!

Alyssa Chambers
Athletics Communications
Dec. 1, 2009
FRESNO, Calif
1:39 p.m.

The 2009-10 Under Armour High School American teams were released last week. Click below to see the complete teams.

Complete Release in PDF Format

Alyssa Chambers
Athletics Communications
Nov. 30, 2009
FRESNO, Calif.
2:07 p.m.

2009 WAC Volleyball Tournament All-Tournament Team
Kelsey Brennan, New Mexico State
Aneli Cubi-Otineru, Hawai'i
Jennah DeVries, New Mexico State
Kayleigh Giddens, New Mexico State
Dani Mafua, Hawai'i
Breann Nesselhuf, Boise State
Whitney Woods, New Mexico State
MVP: Kanani Danielson, Hawai'i

Alyssa Chambers
Athletics Communications
Nov. 23, 2009
LAS VEGAS, Nev.
1:09 p.m.

Well we have been in Vegas for officially 24 hours now. Let me put you all up to speed on the team's activities. We left the North Gym Sunday morning at 7 a.m. and drove about six hours through the middle of nowhere to get to Vegas. I think Barstow is the only town we saw once we got through Bakersfield. The team slept in the morning on the bus and then was a little more awake later in the trip. We watched almost four movies starting with 27 Dresses and then Christmas Vacation followed by Take and Elf. It was a good trip!

Once we got here, the team went to practice at a local high school before the WAC banquet at the Orleans. The arena is attached to the hotel which is nice! The banquet was very nice. The WAC does an excellent job as always with the dinner, decorations, presentation, slideshow and making sure that all teams were included. We did miss Utah State, San Jose State and LA Tech though.

Each coach got up and said a few words about each of their seniors and then the WAC Player of the Week awards were handed out. Then the six-person all-freshman team. Marissa Brand of course got the honor for the `Dogs and it was great for Fresno State to get another freshman honored. Last year both Brianna Clarke and Baylee Platt were on the team.

Then the second team which included Kelly Leonardo and Clarke! There were 12 total members on the first- and second-team's. Hawai'i swept Player, Freshman and Coach of the Year! They were really impressive this year as they always are!

Today the team at breakfast at the hotel and then had practice at the Orleans. It really is a nice arena! It should be a fun tournament. They team is at study hall now before pre-game meal and the match tonight! Check it out on www.gobulldogs.com and www.wacsports.com. GO `DOGS!

Alyssa Chambers
Athletics Communications
Nov. 19, 2009
SAN JOSE, Calif.
5:20 p.m.

I can't believe that tonight is the last regular season match of the year. It really goes by so quickly. It's also the last regular season match for five seniors, Kelly Leonardo, Lexi Watson, Allanah Munson and Lisa and Lacey Gera. This San Jose trip is especially special for the Gera's because it's a coming home party for them. It's their last time playing in front of their home crowd.

The 'Dogs will use this match vs. the Spartans as a tune up for next week's WAC Tournament in Vegas. Fresno State can either earn the fifth or sixth seed, depending on what happens with Boise State at Idaho tonight. Stayed tuned to gobulldogs.com for all of the information leading up to the WAC Tournament! GO 'DOGS!

Alyssa Chambers
Athletics Communications
Nov. 8, 2009
FRESNO, Calif.
9:22 a.m.

The WAC announced today they will stream the first two rounds of the WAC Tournament. Read the complete release below.

Complete Release in PDF Format

Alyssa Chambers
Athletics Communications
Nov. 5, 2009
FRESNO, Calif.
9:53 a.m.

The 2009 Academic All-District Volleyball teams were announced today. Student-athletes were nominated by participating in 50% of the matches and posting a 3.3 GPA or higher. They were then voted on by CoSIDA registered members and the votes were tallied and the first, second and third teams were released today. All first-team honorees will now be moved to the national ballot. Check out the complete list below.

http://www.cosida.com/news/2009/11/5/1105093459_5360.aspx.

Alyssa Chambers
Athletics Communications
Oct. 30, 2009
FRESNO, Calif.
10:20 a.m.

Happy Halloween....Almost!
Spend Halloween with the Bulldogs as the football team hosts Utah State at 2 p.m. and then head over to the Save Mart Center as your Bulldog volleyball team hosts San Jose State at 7 p.m. There will be a costume contest during the volleyball match and the winner will receive a prize courtesy of Fresno State Athletics.

In the spirit of Halloween, the volleyball student-athletes took a few minutes after practice on Wednesday to share with all of you some of their favorite things about the holiday.

Allanah Munson
This year for Halloween I'm going to dress as: something great
My all-time favorite costume I've worn is: 80's disco
My favorite scary movie is: I hate scary movies
My favorite Halloween candy is: candy corn

Lacey Gera
This year for Halloween I'm going to dress as: Deal or No Deal Lady
My all-time favorite costume I've worn is: 50's girl when I was in third grade
My favorite scary movie is: Scare Movie Series
My favorite Halloween candy is: Twix

Lisa Gera
This year for Halloween I'm going to dress as: Rosie the Riveter
My all-time favorite costume I've worn is: Bumble Bee
My favorite scary movie is: The Ring
My favorite Halloween candy is: Kit Kat

Cecilia Agraz
This year for Halloween I'm going to dress as: Hogwarts Witch
My all-time favorite costume I've worn is: Egyptian Queen
My favorite scary movie is: I don't watch scary movies!
My favorite Halloween candy is: Peach Rings

Marissa Brand
This year for Halloween I'm going to dress as: Jungle Girl with my best friend Baylee Platt
My all-time favorite costume I've worn is: Pumpkin
My favorite scary movie is: The Ring
My favorite Halloween candy is: Reece's Peanut Butter Cups

Baylee Platt
This year for Halloween I'm going to dress as: Jungle Girl with Marissa Brand
My all-time favorite costume I've worn is: M&M
My favorite scary movie is: Saw
My favorite Halloween candy is: Sour Patch Kids

Kasey Van Grouw
This year for Halloween I'm going to dress as: it's a surprise...
My all-time favorite costume I've worn is: an M&M bag
My favorite scary movie is: not a big fan of scary movies
My favorite Halloween candy is: chocolate

Kelly Leonardo
This year for Halloween I'm going to dress as: an American Gladiator
My all-time favorite costume I've worn is: a hippie
My favorite scary movie is: Saw
My favorite Halloween candy is: Reece's

Lauren Berger
This year for Halloween I'm going to dress as: Sandy from Grease
My all-time favorite costume I've worn is: Cinderella
My favorite scary movie is: Saw I
My favorite Halloween candy is: Snickers

Lexi Watson
This year for Halloween I'm going to dress as: Betty Boop
My all-time favorite costume I've worn is: Thing and Thing 2
My favorite scary movie is: Amityville Horror
My favorite Halloween candy is: Candy Corn or Reece's

Meghan Moss
This year for Halloween I'm going to dress as: unknown
My all-time favorite costume I've worn is: Spiderman
My favorite scary movie is: Don't watch them
My favorite Halloween candy is: Reece's and Swedish Fish

Taylor Horton
This year for Halloween I'm going to dress as: Where's Waldo
My all-time favorite costume I've worn is: My brother (football player)
My favorite scary movie is: I hate scary movies!
My favorite Halloween candy is: Snickers

Brianna Clarke
This year for Halloween I'm going to dress as: Pilot
My all-time favorite costume I've worn is: Go Go Dancer (70's)
My favorite scary movie is: Haunting in Connecticut
My favorite Halloween candy is: 100 grand bars

Kelli Parker
This year for Halloween I'm going to dress as: Scary Spice from the Spice Girls!
My all-time favorite costume I've worn is: going to be this one!
My favorite scary movie is: Saw series
My favorite Halloween candy is: Candy Corn!

Kelly Mason
This year for Halloween I'm going to dress as: Lion
My all-time favorite costume I've worn is: M&M
My favorite scary movie is: Willy Wonka and the chocolate Factory
My favorite Halloween candy is: Candy Corn

Alyssa Chambers
Athletics Communications
Oct. 29, 2009
FRESNO, Calif.
9:33 a.m.

ESPNU is in town! The crew arrived yesterday and watched the Bulldogs practice at the Save Mart Center and then No. 3 Hawai'i which followed. There is a lot of excitement in town for the volleyball programs first-ever nationally televised event at 8:30 p.m. tonight! The Bulldogs want to pack the house and make this the largest crowd ever for volleyball at the SMC. The record is 3,002 against Fresno Pacific last year. The Bulldogs rank 23rd in the country currently in average attendance, averaging over 1,500 per match! Lots of fun will be had tonight with the entire marching band in attendance and several promotions will take place in which fans can win fabulous prizes! Everyone be there to watch the biggest volleyball match of the year tonight!

Alyssa Chambers
Athletics Communications
Oct. 22, 2009
FRESNO, Calif.
3:37 p.m.

Fresno State Athletics announced today a new Twitter promotion for the Oct. 29th match vs. Hawai'i. Get your friends and family to sign up between now and next Tuesday, Oct. 27 at noon for a chance to win two tickets to the match and a prize pack valued at $100 from the Bulldog shop. Find out more information here: http://www.gobulldogs.com/sports/w-volley/spec-rel/102209aaa.html.

Alyssa Chambers
Athletics Communications
Oct. 20, 2009
FRESNO, Calif.
11:10 p.m.

Check out the Fresno Bee's story on the volleyball team that was in Sunday's paper. http://www.fresnobee.com/sports/bulldogs/story/1677673.html.

Lexi Watson, Jr., RS
Oct. 14, 2009
FRESNO, Calif.
3:28 p.m.

HELLO EVERYONE!!! Another day in the life of a volleyball player! This season so far has been a very interesting one. We have seen a lot of different line ups so far out on the court which means you never know who you are going to see next week or even tomorrow! We have had a lot of ups and downs this year so far but the good news is that we have FINALLY had more ups than downs for the first time in a long time! Our goal this season is to get eight wins in the WAC which would mean we have to win half of our games in the WAC. So far we are well on that road and we are practicing to finish it out! Practices have been pretty intense lately and it was soooooooo nice to finally have a home match in the Save Mart Center! It is always a good week when we get to practice in there for a few days before a home match and get the feel of the gym again and then win two big home games in a row with our home crowd there to cheer us on! It makes wins so much more fun! It was an honor getting to stand out on the court with the women who have survived breast cancer on Breast Cancer Awareness Night! When we went into the locker room that Saturday night when we were down two games we all thought, those women fought for their lives! We just have to play volleyball and have fun....as you already know, that really changed things around in a hurry and we were able to come out and fight back! Those women are amazing!

Well I just wanted to stop by and give everyone a little update and hope to see you guys this Saturday before the home football game at 1 p.m. in the Save Mart Center!!!

Kelly Leonardo, Sr., MB
Oct. 8, 2009
FRESNO, Calif.
10:14 p.m.

The Fresno State Volleyball team has been on the road for the past month in Sacramento, at USC, in Reno, Boise and Moscow, Idaho. The month of September was pretty rough because we were unable to play at the Save Mart Center and we really missed all of our fans! We lost to Reno and University of Idaho but we beat Boise in five, it was a great win for us! We are now looking for revenge this week against Utah State tonight and University of Idaho on Saturday. It is also Breast Cancer Awareness night on Saturday so I encourage all of Fresno to come enjoy a game, I promise you won't regret it! We are currently 1-2 in WAC and looking to be 3-2 after this week. Our team can't explain how excited we are to finally be back at home and prove to the Fresno community how well we have improved. Thank you for following Fresno State Volleyball and Go `Dogs!

Kelly Leonardo aka LEO

Alyssa Chambers
Athletics Communications
Oct. 6, 2009
FRESNO, Calif.
2:02 p.m.

Volleyball Libero
Since I've been working with volleyball the past six year's, I have had dozen's of friends, family and people in various communities ask me about the volleyball player who is wearing a different colored jersey then the rest. I will be the first person to admit, since I never played volleyball in high school or college, that when I began in this profession I didn't know what it meant either.

I wanted to give those of you that still weren't sure just a little more information so when you come to the Bulldogs home match vs. Utah State on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Save Mart Center, you might have a little better understanding.

Below are the rules about the Libero from the official NCAA rules book.

The Libero Player
12.1 The Libero Player
12.1.1 Designation
One libero player may be designated for each set by indicating that player's number on the lineup sheet for that set. If a libero is not listed on the lineup sheet for a set, the team may not use a libero in that set. The libero may be designated as the playing captain.

12.1.2 Playing Actions
12.1.2.1 The libero is restricted to perform as a back-row player, and is not allowed to complete an attack hit from anywhere (including the playing court and free zone) if, at the moment of contact, the ball is entirely above the top of the net. (See Rule 14.5.1 and Signal 24.)
12.1.2.2 The libero may not block or attempt to block. (See Rule 14.6.1.)
12.1.2.3 In one rotation, the libero may replace the player in position No. 1 to serve. (See Rule 10.2.1.)
12.1.2.4 A teammate may not complete an attack-hit when, at the moment of the attack-hit, the ball is entirely above the top of the net and the ball is coming from an overhand finger pass by a libero in the front zone or the opponent's free zone. (See Signal 24, Official's Mechanics, then indicate the libero.) The ball may be freely attacked if the libero makes the same action from behind the front zone. If airborne, the libero's position is judged according to the point of last contact with her team's court.

12.1.3 Uniforms
12.1.3.1 The libero must wear a uniform shirt or jersey that is immediately recognized from all angles as being in clear contrast to and distinct from the other members of the team. The primary color of the libero's jersey/shirt must be different from any color that appears on more than 25 percent of the body of her teammates' jerseys. In determining the body of the uniforms, the sleeves and collar should be ignored. 64 RULE 12 / THE LIBERO PLAYER
12.1.3.2 The libero uniform must have a legal number. (See Rule 7.1.2.)
12.1.3.3 The style and trim of the libero's shirt or jersey may differ from her teammates', but her shorts must be identical to her teammates'.

12.2 Libero Replacements
12.2.1 Description
12.2.1.1 The libero is allowed to replace any player in a back-row position.
12.2.1.2 Replacements involving the libero are not counted as substitutions and are unlimited. There must be at least one rally between two libero replacements, unless the libero is replacing the player in position No. 1 and is the next correct server. The libero can only be replaced by the player whom she replaced. An incorrect libero replacement is sanctioned with a team delay if the officials identify and correct the situation before the next service contact. If identified after service contact, a position fault results.
12.2.2 Procedurebr> 12.2.2.1 Replacements can only take place after the end of a rally or at the start of each set after the second referee has verified the starting lineup. The replacement must occur while the ball is out of play and before the authorization for service. A replacement made after the authorization for service but before service contact is not rejected, but a verbal warning is issued. Subsequent late replacements in the match result in a team delay sanction.
12.2.2.2 Replacements cannot occur during a timeout.
12.2.2.3 The libero and the player replaced by the libero must enter or leave the court only by the sideline in front of their team bench between the attack line and the end line. A team delay is assessed for improper libero replacement procedures. (Exception: In one rotation, the libero can replace the player in position No. 1 and serve the next rally even if she is already on the court in replacement of another player. In this situation, the libero does not have to exit the court before replacing the player in position No. 1.) RULE 12 / THE LIBERO PLAYE R 65

12.3 Injuries
12.3.1 Libero Redesignation
12.3.1.1 If the libero is injured and cannot continue play, a new libero may be redesignated using the following criteria:
12.3.1.1.1 Redesignation does not need to occur immediately after the injury and replacement, but may occur at the discretion of the coach(es)/captain.
12.3.1.1.2 When redesignation does occur, any substitute may be redesignated as libero for the injured libero. The injured libero may not play in the remainder of that set.
12.3.1.1.3 The player redesignated as libero must wear a libero uniform as described in Rule 12.1.3 and must remain the libero for the remainder of that set. The redesignated libero's uniform must have a unique number (not worn by any teammate), but not necessarily the same number with which the player started the match.
12.3.1.2 If the libero is expelled or disqualified while playing, she must be replaced by the player whom she replaced. The team continues play with no libero player.
12.3.2 Libero and Exceptional Substitutions
12.3.2.1 The libero may be used as an exceptional substitution for another injured player if no other possible substitutes exist. When no longer playing as a libero, that player must wear the same uniform as her teammates, and the team continues play with no libero. (See Rule 11.2.6.1.2.3.)
12.3.2.2 The libero may not be used as a substitute for an expelled or disqualified teammate. If no legal substitute is available for an expelled or disqualified teammate, that team is declared incomplete and defaults the set or match, as appropriate. (See Rule 8.5.2.2.)

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Sept. 30, 2009
BOISE, Idaho
2:55 p.m.

Hey Ladies! Wishing you a safe trip to Boise and we are SUPER EXCITED to be able to attend the game and Cheer you gals on! I was born and raised in Fresno but have lived in the Boise area for 4 years now...but we are still, and always will be BULLDOG fans=) We have our bulldog shirts being fed-ex'd as I blog, ready to support you guys. (Hope we get them in time). Either way we will be the 3 girls wearing RED surrounded by the rest of my daughters' volleyball team and the coach sporting the bronco colors I'm sure. Good Luck and beat them Broncos!
L'Tanya and my girls...Saige and Sierra

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Sept. 23, 2009
FRESNO, Calif.
8:51 a.m.

WAC Tournament Information from the WAC
Lodging: Fans traveling to Las Vegas for the WAC Volleyball Tournament are encouraged to stay at the Orleans Hotel and Casino. Rates are $90.00 per night Friday and Saturday, November 20-21, and $35.00 per night Sunday through Wednesday, November 22-25, single or double occupancy, plus room tax and Resort Fee. For reservations, please call (800) 657-3267 and request WAC Volleyball Championship Fan Block or Group Code 9WACC11.

Allanah Munson, Sr., S
Sept. 22, 2009
FRESNO, Calif.
7:29 p.m.

Hey RED WAVE! Allanah Munson here! Well the season is off to a good start. We are excited to be playing in Fresno this week, not at home but across town at Fresno Pacific University. We have been working hard in practice and learning quite a bit in our pre-season tournaments! We are constantly striving to show fighting spirit through all adversities and what it really means to give a maximum effort. Tomorrow night at 7 p.m., it should be a fun and exciting match at FPU. I will leave you with one last thought...GO DOGS!!!!!

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Sept. 18, 2009
FRESNO, Calif.
11:40 a.m.

Happy Birthday Coach!
Today as the Bulldogs head south to Cal State Northridge and USC for the weekend, head coach Lauren Netherby-Sewell is celebrating her birthday. Happy Birthday coach!

The `Dogs take on CSUN at 7 p.m. tonight at the Matadome and live stats will be provided at www.gobulldogs.com.

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Sept. 17, 2009
FRESNO, Calif.
10:40 a.m.

WAC Tournament Ticket Prices
The 2009 WAC Volleyball Tournament will consist of five matches in three sessions. Ticket prices are as follows:
All-session - $45
Single Session Adult - $20
Single-Session Students/Youth - $10
Kids 2 and under - Free

All-session tickets are on sale now through each WAC member institution's ticket office and the Orleans Arena Web site. (Due to numerous service fees associated with ticket sales through the Orleans Arena Web site, fans are strongly encouraged to purchase tickets from their member institution.) Single-session tickets will not be available for purchase until Monday, Nov. 16.

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Sept. 16, 2009
FRESNO, Calif.
10:15 a.m.

Happy Birthday Kelly Mason!
The first of two birthdays this week belongs to junior libero Kelly Mason from Temecula, Calif. We want to wish Kelly a very happy 21st birthday!

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Sept. 15, 2009
FRESNO, Calif.
10:22 a.m.

NCAA Rankings
Team and individual rankings were released by the NCAA yesterday for the first time this season. Each Monday, the NCAA will release the rankings by team, category, conference and region. For the first set of records, Fresno State can be seen near the top in several categories.

As a team, the Bulldogs rank 19 in blocks per set at 2.74. Fresno State is also in the top 100 in win-loss percentage at 89 (0.667).

Individually, sophomore Brianna Clarke ranks no. 22 in blocks per set at 1.40. Kelly Leonardo also is ranked in the top 100 in that category at no. 88 (1.14), respectively.

Check back to www.gobulldogs.com weekly for the up-to-date Fresno State standings in the NCAA rankings.

Marissa Brand - Fr., MB
Sept. 11, 2009
FRESNO, Calif.
8:35 a.m.

"Oh Wyoming! You're at 7,720 feet, how's your oxygen level?" Walking into the gym after a 12-hour day of traveling, that was the first thing we saw as we headed up to the locker room. "Oh great," we all thought after reading the sign. What a climate change that was getting off the bus and it was freezing to us at 60 degrees compared to the 100 degrees it was in Fresno. The next thing you know we were taking home the championship trophy and celebrating an amazing victory at Applebees with Coach Lauren smashing a brownie sundae in Lauren Berger's face! The pranks have officially begun! Now we are headed to Sac State to dominate once again and continue to pick up victories. GO `DOGS!

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Sept. 3, 2009
FRESNO, Calif.
1:54 p.m.

Happy Birthday Baylee!
Sophomore outside hitter from Clovis, Calif., Baylee Platt is celebrating her birthday today on the road with the volleyball team. Platt's is the first off three Fresno State volleyball birthday's this month.

The Bulldogs hit the road today for the first of 13-straight matches away from the Save Mart Center as they take on North Dakota, Montana State and Wyoming at the Wyoming Cowgirl Invitational in Laramie, Wyo.

The Wyoming Cowgirls play in the UniWyo Federal Credit Union Sports Complex with a capacity of 1,200. They compete in the Mountain West Conference.

Fresno State takes on UND 11 a.m. PST on Friday, followed by Montana State at 4 p.m.

All matches of the tournament can be watched live on gametracker at www.wyomingathletics.com.

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
August 28, 2009
FRESNO, Calif.
1:39 p.m.

Opening Day
I can't believe it is just over five more hours until the Fresno State volleyball team opens the 2009 season vs. Cal State Bakersfield. The tournament officially starts at 5 p.m. as Pacific takes on Green Bay. It has been an exciting week for the team as the four newcomers got to practice at the Save Mart Center for the first time in their young careers.

Yesterday the KMPH Great Day morning show went live from the Save Mart Center and from 5-9 a.m. Clayton Clark hung out with the Bulldogs and learned different drills and techniques from several of the student-athletes and coaches.

Tickets for tonight at just $5 and any fan that brings their football tickets for the upcoming season can get into volleyball matches this season for free. All students who bring their ID's also get in for free. GO `DOGS!

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
August 11, 2009
FRESNO, Calif.
2:04 p.m.

The Preseason all-WAC volleyball team, as voted on by the nine head coaches, was announced today and Hawai`i sophomore Kanani Danielson was named WAC Preseason Player of the Year.

This is the fifth-straight season that a Rainbow Wahine player has earned the preseason honor with All-Americans Kanoe Kamana`o (2005, 2006) and Jamie Houston (2007, 2008) each earning the honor in back-to-back years.

Hawai`i placed the most student-athletes on the 12-player team with five. Along with Danielson, seniors Aneli Cubi-Otineru and Amber Kaufman, junior Dani Mafua and sophomore Stephanie Ferrell earned preseason honors. Cubi-Otineru and Kaufman were all first-team all-WAC selections in 2008, while Mafua was a second-team pick and Ferrell was on the All-Freshman Team.

Nevada placed two players on the preseason team in juniors Lindsay Baldwin and Kylie Harrington, as did New Mexico State with seniors Krista Altermatt and Kelli Goodan. Utah State also had two selections in juniors Chelsea Fowles and Christine Morrill. Senior Anna McKinney of Idaho rounded out the preseason squad.

Five teams placed at least one player on the preseason all-WAC team. Five players are returning first-team all-WAC honorees, while five student-athletes are returning second-team picks.

2009 Preseason All-WAC Team
Krista Altermatt, Sr., New Mexico State
Lindsay Baldwin, Jr., Nevada
Aneli Cubi-Otineru, Sr., Hawai`i
Kanani Danielson, So., Hawai`i
Stephanie Ferrell, So., Hawai`i
Chelsea Fowles, Jr., Utah State
Kelli Goodan, Sr., New Mexico State
Kylie Harrington, Jr., Nevada
Amber Kaufman, Sr., Hawai`i
Dani Mafua, Jr., Hawai`i
Anna McKinney, Sr., Idaho
Christine Morrill, Jr., Utah State

Preseason Player of the Year: Kanani Danielson, Hawai`i

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
July 22, 2009
FRESNO, Calif.
11:50 a.m.

Junior Olympics
The volleyball Junior Olympics were held in Miami, Fla., July 1-4 and two of your Bulldog volleyball student-athletes were a part of the event. Bulldog sophomore Brianna Clarke went to the tournament as a coach for the first time as incoming freshman Cecilia Agraz played for the final time with her club team.

Cecilia Agraz here with her JO team.

Brianna Clarke on coaching in the Junior Olympics
"I've been coaching a local team club, the No. 1 Gold team for that age group. I have been an assistant coach since December. The team competed for several months in hopes of qualifying for the Junior Olympics and they qualified in Reno and just got back from Miami. There was great competition there. It was a great group of girls to work with and they are all looking forward to coming to our matches this season. It was the first time I've been to JO's as coach. It was a different experience since I have always gone as a player. Being a coach and just watching the girls experience their first JO's and helping them get through it was really cool."

To view complete results from the Junior Olympics, log on to: http://volleyball.teamusa.org/event/event/571.  

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
June 3, 2009
FRESNO, Calif.
3:30 p.m.

All-session tickets for the 2009 WAC Volleyball Tournament, which will be held at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, are on sale now. All-session tickets are $45.

To purchase all-session tickets, fans can call (888) 234-2334.

Single session tickets are $20 and will go on sale at a date closer to the tournament.

The WAC Volleyball Tournament is a single-elimination event with the top two seeds receiving first-round byes and the champion earning the conference's automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. The full schedule can be found below.

2009 WAC VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Monday, Nov. 23
No. 3 Seed vs. No. 6 Seed 5 p.m.
No. 4 Seed vs. No. 5 Seed 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov 24
Winner Match 1 vs. No. 2 seed 5 p.m.
Winner Match 2 vs. No. 1 Seed 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 25
Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 4 TBD (based on television)

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
June 2, 2009
FRESNO, Calif.
9:54 a.m.

Fresno State volleyball is less than three months away from another exciting season! This past week, several big things have happened surrounding the team, including the announcement of the 2009 schedule and the 2009 recruiting class being ranked among the best by PrepVolleyball.com.

To view the recruiting class story click here: http://www.gobulldogs.com/sports/w-volley/spec-rel/060109aab.html.

To view the 2009 schedule click here: http://www.gobulldogs.com/sports/w-volley/sched/fres-w-volley-sched.html.  

Also, the 2009 summer camp dates have been set. Check back on www.gobulldogs.com later this week for more details, or log on here: http://www.gobulldogs.com/genrel/fres-camps.html.  

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Feb. 3, 2009
FRESNO, Calif.
4:01 p.m.

Allanah Munson and the Bulldog volleyball team were part of the NGWSD clinic.

This week, Fresno State is celebrating National Girls and Women in Sports Day which is officially tomorrow, Feb. 4, but events have been going on all week long. Sunday at the women's basketball game vs. Utah State, a clinic was performed at the conclusion of the game with softball, golf, volleyball and soccer skill areas with help from the equestrian and swimming and diving teams. I went to volleyball today to ask two of the student-athletes about the experience at the clinic. See their responses below.

Meghan Moss, So., Libero
The clinic on Sunday was celebrating women in sports and how far it has come. There were about 30 young girls there made into f our different groups. At our station we mad a mini clinic for passing because it is the most important skill in volleyball. We had a good time with our team and it was entertaining seeing these young girls so interested in sports.

Brianna Clarke, Fr., Outside Hitter
The clinic on Sunday was an awesome experience. I was super excited to teach young girls about my passion. Being a female athlete is such an honor.

Ed Jackson
Assistant Coach
Jan. 20, 2009
FRESNO, Calif.
10:16 a.m.

21 DEGREES BELOW ZERO AND THE 2008 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
I recently returned from the 2008 NCAA Women's Volleyball Championships played in Omaha, Nebraska. I enjoyed the opportunity to watch the nations best volleyball teams compete for college volleyball's most coveted prize. The NCAA Championships also coincides with the American Volleyball Coaches Association's annual convention which is held at the Quest Center in Omaha. The annual convention is my professional development opportunity and the WAC conference hosts a coaches meeting to discuss several topics such as scheduling and rules changes among other things. Watching volleyball's version of the "Final Four", in the evenings, makes a day's worth of meetings easy to handle.

I think the weather would be the biggest difference between visiting Omaha this past December and our "Wonderdog's" winning the College Baseball World Series last summer. When I talked with several staff that traveled with the baseball team I was told about the heat and humidity that comes with Omaha during June. For me I knew I was in for a different experience. When I was packing my bags, I checked the weather in Omaha to get an idea of what to pack and was a bit nervous when I saw single digit weather conditions with a wind chill in the negatives.

Upon arrival at the airport I knew I was not in California anymore. BURRRRRR! With the potential for me to freeze while outside, travel around town was minimized. I spent most of my time at the Qwest Center or the Hilton attached to the Qwest Center by a Sky Bridge and occasionally took the shuttle to some the area restaurants. I felt like a hamster in one of those cages with the tubes going all over the place.

Anyone reading this would probably be interested in knowing why the NCAA would host the semis and finals in Omaha in December. Well, I can give you 31,729 reasons why. With the Nebraska Cornhuskers as one of the remaining teams in contention, their semi-final match against No. 1 Penn State was a sellout with 17,430 fans watching. Even with Nebraska eliminated by Penn State, The final against Stanford was viewed by 14,299 of Nebraska's finest. They really love college sports in Nebraska.

With Lauren, Alanna and I having been apart of the NCAA tournament as coaches prior to our current stint here at Fresno State, I would love nothing more for our athletes and fans to be able to experience the championships. When I return home from the finals, I always get reinvigorated and anxious to get back to work to help the Bulldogs compete in their fifth NCAA championship tournament. With determination and hard work, who knows, maybe we can create a little "Wonderdog" history ourselves.

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Nov. 26, 2008
FRESNO, Calif.
11:03 a.m.

It's the end of November and tomorrow we get to celebrate a very important holiday, one which is called Thanksgiving! Last year, the volleyball team was playing a tournament in Stockton and some of the team was able to go home after while others were unable to. This year, since we wrapped up play this past weekend, almost everyone is able to go home! Some of the other teams though, such as the football team who play Boise State on Friday will spend the holiday in Idaho. The women's basketball team is leaving today for a tournament in Texas at SMU but since most of the coaches are from Oklahoma it will be sort of a going home event for them. They even get a home cooked Thanksgiving dinner! (I know Steve Schaack will give you more details tomorrow from the road with WBB!)

I asked some of the student-athletes what their favorite Thanksgiving food is and if they had any traditions on their family, and you can see their responses below:

Lisa Gera - turkey and cranberries
Brianna Clarke - pumpkin pie
Kelly Leonardo - stuffing and smetimes Thanksgiving falls on her birthday, the 28th
Lauren Berger - turkey, gravy and stuffing
Lacey Gera - stuffing
Lexi Watson - dessert and the day after Thanksgiving her family all goes over to her grandma's house and they eat the leftovers in their pajamas
Sarah Oglesby - stuffing and her family tradition is to go to their cabin in Yosemite with everyone including the five cats and four dog
Kelly Mason - Sweet potatoes and family tradition is cooking together in the kitchen and watching the parade in the morning

On this holiday everyone from Fresno State volleyball wants to say Thank You to all the friends, family and Bulldog fans that supported them throughout the season! We hope everyone has a wonderful and safe holiday and can take time tomorrow to sit back and reflect and be thankful for everything they have and everyone in their lives.

Go `Dogs!

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Nov. 25, 2008
FRESNO, Calif.
10:30 a.m.

Hello Bulldog fans! Well the team is back in Fresno after the trip to Hawai'i. It was a long trip but the team had fun and played hard, despite falling to No. 1 seed New Mexico State in the finals. We didn't get to stay for the championship match but we heard that Hawai'i defeated the Aggies in four sets. Hopefully both teams can represent the WAC well in the NCAA Championships!

One of the things the team was most excited about was being able to go to Pearl Harbor. Of course it rained on Saturday when we went but it was still a great experience. The team went in and right away saw two survivors who were signing autographs in front of the bookstore. Most of the team got their pictures taken with the two men and listened to them tell stories.

The team then proceeded into the museum where they read more information on the three ships that were never recovered, the Utah, Oklahoma and the Arizona. There were also wallets, jackets and letters that were encased from those who had died in the attack.

There were also torpedoes and models of the ships.

Next, we went into this mini theatre where they showed a video about the attack before we headed out on a ferry boat to the Arizona Memorial. (Below is a link to pictures of the Memorial) http://www.nps.gov/archive/usar/photos2/index.htm.

It's so hard to describe what it was like to go out there. Many of us had never been before and it was just a surreal experience. You can actually look down on the Arizona from the Memorial and then in the back there is a wall with the names of all of those who died on the ship.

Overall it was just a great experience for everyone. I recommend anyone that gets out to Oahu go take time to check it out. It's definitely worth it!

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Nov. 20, 2008
HONOLULU, Hawai'i
8:30 a.m.

Aloha! That's right Bulldog fans we made it to Hawai'i! Yesterday was a LONG day. The team had practice then had a couple of hours to relax at the hotel before getting ready for the WAC Banquet. It was actually at the hotel so that made it nicer. However, the program schedule got a little off track when the Utah State team actually got stuck in the elevator of the hotel! It was scary but they made it out ok and we started the banquet after they arrived.

The banquet went well. All the teams get together dressed up with staff from each school and the WAC. The A.D. from Hawai'i, Jim Donovan made some comments and welcomed everyone to the island after Debbie from the WAC made an opening statement.

Everyone ate, and it was a nice meal of pasta, salad, rolls, meat and dessert!

Then each coach honored their seniors on their team, of course Fresno doesn't have any! The best speech of the night was Grayson DuBose from Utah State. He is just a funny guy!

The All-Freshmen team was announced with Bri and Baylee! Then the first and second teams followed by the WAC Player, Freshman and Coach of the Year awards. The complete release can be found on www.gobulldogs.com.

Then the team got up this morning, EARLY for breakfast at about 6:30 a.m. at Ihop! Now the team is at the Stan Sheriff Center preparing for the 9:30 a.m. (HT) match against No. 9 seed Louisiana Tech. For live stats log on to www.wacsports.com. Complete results can be found here after the match.

The team is confident this morning and ready to get the win and head to the night match vs. NMSU! GO `DOGS!

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Nov. 19, 2008
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.
7:37 p.m.

Good morning! It's early for most of you but for the team we have been up since 3 for most of us as we met at the North Gym at 3:45 a.m. to catch our flight to San Fran. We have a layover and then head to Hawai'i! This trip we have some extra guests with us. Baby Edward is making his first airplane trip with us and I think he is more awake the most of the team! Danny White, the Associate AD for Development also made the trip so it's nice to have him as well. Alanna Jackson's mom also traveled to help babysit!

We got to San Fran on a short flight and are now waiting for the next plane to leave around 9 a.m. The Nevada team is on our flight as well, so there is a lot of blue and red in the airport!

Once we get to Hawai'i the team will use the allotted 60 minutes to practice and then head to the hotel to prepare for the WAC banquet tonight. That is where the team finds out the all-conference teams. I will post that as soon as we get back from the banquet on the main page of www.gobulldogs.com, so look out for that tonight.

You will probably hear from me once we get to practice, so until then fans!

Kelly Mason, So., L/DS
Nov. 18, 2008
FRESNO, Calif.
3:14 p.m.

So we just finished our last practice at home before we leave to go to the WAC Tournament. Our team had a great practice yesterday and followed up with another good one today. The WAC tourney is a new season and we are having a fresh start. We are getting better and it's going to be really exciting to start our tournament play. It's really exciting to be able to go back to Hawai'i, but our focus is volleyball. We are all totally set on volleyball and playing great. Anything can happen. So we are going in with a great mindset, great technique and we are going to leave everything out in Hawai'i. We are going to go to the WAC Tournament with a bang, enjoy the beautiful surroundings and take care of business. Now I am going to go shower, get my work done tonight, go to bed early and be back at the North gym ready to leave at 3:45 a.m.!! Go Dogs!!

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Nov. 13, 2008
BOISE, Idaho
6:29 p.m.

It's almost match time here in Boise! The team seems really fired up today as they know how important this match is to the seeding for the WAC Tournament next week.

A lot of people when they think of Boise State athletics think of the Smurf Turf (football) or Taco Bell Arena (basketball). The volleyball though plays in a smaller gym called Bronco Gym. When the team stepped into the gym today for practice they said it reminded them of the North Gym.

The team is warming up now for the match and I think Kelly Mason has it out for me! She tried to hit me three times in the last drill! Ok it wasn't on purpose!

Ok well don't forget to log on to www.broncosports.com for live stats and then on to www.gobulldogs.com at the conclusion of the match for the recap and final results. GO `DOGS!

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Nov. 12, 2008
BOISE, Idaho
8:17 p.m.

As I have said before one of my favorite parts of working in Media Relations at Fresno State is being able to travel. This is our second to last trip of the season for volleyball and we just arrived in Boise. For me, it's a lot like coming home as I get to see some college friends tonight and throughout the whole weekend!

Our traveling today wasn't so bad. We flew from Fresno to San Francisco to Boise. The team is so entertaining, especially trying to get on the propeller plane that was taking us to San Fran. You know that plane is small when even I had to duck!

Our next flight to Boise I sat next to Lauren Berger and Lacey Gera. Those two are hilarious. Lacey kept trying to start pillow fights with me which wasn't fair because I was without one! Allanah Munson and Meghan Moss were scouting and most of the rest of the girls were sleeping and/or listening to their Ipods. Once we checked into the hotel in Boise we headed to dinner at this really nice place called the Ram. The team remembered eating there last year after we beat Boise State in five sets! It was just as good tonight as we remembered it.

The funniest thing at dinner though was when we were watching tv and Kelly Leonardo asks everyone if they know what reality/game show she would be on if she could and she pointed to the tv and said American Gladiators! (It was playing in the restaurant at the time!)

Needless to say, Leo inspired me to write a blog and ask everyone else on the team if they could choose, what reality show or game show they would want to be on. You will find the responses quite entertaining as the rest of us did! (Of course you had to be there to get the full effect!)

Athletic Trainer Elise Kramer - Smarter Than a Fifth Grader
Assistant Coach Alanna Jackson - Dancing with the Stars
Assistant Coach Ed Jackson - Wipeout or Rob and Big
Head Coach Lauren Netherby Sewell - Pros vs. Joes
Team Manager Sarah Hess - Who Wants to be a Millionaire
Lauren Berger - The Price Is Right or America's Next Top Model
Baylee Platt - Real World or Real World/Road Rules Challenge
Lacey Gera - Family Feud
Allanah Munson - The Amazing Race
Kelly Mason - The Price Is Right
Lisa Gera - Real World New Orleans
Meghan Moss - The Bachelorette, So You Think You Can Dance or Made
Brianna Clarke - Real World Denver
Sarah Oglesby - Deal or No Deal
Jit Athwal - Real World Atlanta
Kasey Van Grouw - Project Runway

As for myself, I would want to be on Jeopardy, The Amazing Race or Big Brother. Maybe Allanah Munson will be my partner on the Amazing Race? Hmm...

Well now the team is off to workout in the hotel. Tomorrow a BIG match vs. Boise State at 6 p.m. PST (remember the one our time difference again!) Thanks for logging on. Have a good night!

Sarah Oglesby, Fr., L/DS
Nov. 12, 2008
FRESNO, Calif.
12:33 p.m.

Hello Everyone!
This is Sarah Oglesby from Fresno State volleyball. So we are in the airport getting ready to leave for Boise and our flight just got delayed! f¼ Just our luck. But I'm lucky enough to be entertained by Lacey Gera right now! We are standing in the walkway because that's where they only plug in is so she can charge her Ipod. She looked so awkward standing along so I figured I'd keep her company! Everyone walking by keeps looking at us because Lacey is standing with a wire sticking out of her pocket like a tail. Haha. It's the little things that amuse us most!

We have a long two weeks ahead of us. Boise and Idaho matches this weekend then the WAC tournament all next week. But the plus side is we get to make another trip to Hawai'i!!

Wish us luck this weekend! And thanks for all of the support this year at all of our home matches! It was an exciting year playing in the new format of the Save Mart Center!

Go `DOGS!!

*DO WORK*

Love Blogging with you all!
Sarah Oglesby #10

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Nov. 11, 2008
FRESNO, Calif.
2:08 p.m.

Veterans Day
Veteran's Day is an annual American holiday that honors military veterans who have survived and those who have passed on. The day is also to honor those who are currently serving our country.

Almost every American can name at least one person they know that has or is serving in the military so I went to volleyball practice today to ask the team their thoughts about the holiday and to take the time to honor those close to them that have served or are serving.

Junior setter Allanah Munson mentioned that her grandpa served in the Air Force. She also reminded me that former Bulldog setter Tiffany Hess' husband is in the Air Force as well. Tiffany and her husband were stationed in Arizona but recently moved overseas.

Fellow junior Lexi Watson knew that her great grandpa was in the military.

Freshman Brianna Clarke said she knew her uncle had friends that served. She also has a couple of friends herself that are serving, one in the Marines and one who is currently going through training in the Navy.

"I think about how grateful I am that they were wiling to put their lives on the line for me and my generation and the generations to come," Clarke said. `Every time I see a military person in Fresno I say `Thank You' and they either say your welcome or give me a huge."

Baylee Platt, a freshman from Clovis, Calif., said that one of her brother's friends throughout high school passed away a couple of years ago. Anthony Butterfield was a 2005 graduate of Buchanan high school.

"He was a really good guy," Platt said. "He wanted to serve after graduation and unfortunately there was a tragic accident."

From Fresno State volleyball and Fresno State Athletics, we want to thank everyone who has or is currently serving in the military and Happy Veterans Day!

Alyssa Chambers and Jason Cantu
Media Relations
Nov. 8, 2008
FRESNO, Calif.
6:05 p.m.

It's 80's night here at the Save Mart Center as the Bulldogs take on New Mexico State at 7 p.m. We are anxious to see if the crowd gets into it. We heard the women's basketball team was coming dressed up and we know they always go over the top with events like this. A bunch of us were talking about the match about what kind of music marketing should play that came from the 80's. When we think of music in the 1980's we think of Michael Jackson and the Pepsi commercial where his hair caught on fire. (Ok that's what Jason remembers!) Madonna, Duran Duran, Beastie Boys, Ice Cube, Dr.Dre, Poison, Guns and Roses, Prince Cindy Lauper, the list goes on. Assistant coach Alanna Jackson said U2 was her favorite 80's band and coach Netherby-Sewell liked Pat Benatar.

The 1980's also brought some great movies Caddyshack, Ghost Busters, The Blues Brothers, Purple Rain, Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Back to the Future. (Thanks for the help Bri Clarke, who was born in 1990)

A little birdie told me (Jason) that the Clarke family is dressing up in the spirit of the 80's, this should be very funny!

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Nov. 4, 2008
FRESNO, Calif.
3:47 p.m.

Election Day
It's Election Day! While it's my second Presidential Election, I know that for most of our student-athletes it is their first. So for today's blog I thought I would go to volleyball practice and ask the team if they were going to vote. I did not ask them who they were voting for and while some of them shared with me, I am not going to post them here for their privacy.

Brianna Clarke
Bri said she was going to vote after practice tonight in Clovis, that's where she is registered. She also mentioned that it was brought up yesterday in the weight room and that the team had a nice little discussion.

"It's my first election and it's so important. My decision could affect the world. I am kind of nervous so I think I am going with my mom. My dad already voted this morning."

Lexi Watson
"I'm pumped for the election but I didn't register in time. I can't wait to go home tonight though and watch. I've never been so excited. This election has a bigger effect on our generation because we are soon headed out into the real world and things such as taxes will start to affect us."

Jit Athwal
"I wish I registered but I didn't. I was more into this election than any other. I didn't have time to watch all of the primaries and know all the topics and stands that each candidate stood for, but I didn't pay more attention than I have in the past."

Kelly Leonardo
"I'm going to vote after practice. I'm really excited. I voted in the primary but it's my first time getting to vote for the President. This is a completely different election then before, especially for our generation. I've talked to so many young people that are passionate for one candidate or the other. The best part is that I get to wear the sticker that says, `I voted.'"

Kasey Van Grouw
"I'm going to vote after practice. I am really excited because I want to get my voice out there. I am going to watch the news anxiously waiting tonight. It's fun to know I will be heard."

Baylee Platt
"I mailed my ballot in on Sunday. I liked that I was able to get my vote out there since I JUST turned 18. Growing up my parents made me very aware of politics and the elections so it was cool to have my opinion finally count."

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Oct. 31, 2008
FRESNO, Calif.
3:35 p.m.

Happy Halloween!

A day after the Bulldogs played at San Jose State they began practicing in the Save Mart Center for tomorrow's 7 p.m. match vs. Louisiana Tech.

While the `Dogs are practicing hard the thought of Halloween tonight is still on everyone's minds. I thought it would be fun to talk to the team after practice to see what they were doing tonight, if they were dressing up or not and to talk to them about some traditions in their family for this holiday and maybe find out what their favorite scary movie and Halloween candy is.

Here is how the girls responded...

Lexi Watson
Costume: Dog the Bounty Hunter's Wife and her boyfriend Clayton will be Dog the Bounty Hunter
Favorite Candy: Reece's
Favorite Movie: The Ring
Favorite Childhood Memory: "I dressed up as Belle from the Beauty and the Beast when I was five and my neighbor's gave me cookies instead of candy and I was stoked."
Traditions: Carving Pumpkins - "I always have to get them from the patch and not from the store." Said this year she made two pumpkins, one that looked like Frankenstein but was smiling and she named it Gus Gus and another one she named Dean that was more serious.

Jit Athwal
Favorite Movie: Scary Movie
Favorite Candy: M&M's

Allanah Munson
Favorite Candy: Reece's Peanut Butter Cups

Meghan Moss
Costume: Pumpkin - might go trick or treating
Favorite Candy: Reece's

Lauren Berger
Favorite Movie: Hocus Pocus
Favorite Candy: Hershey's Chocolate Bar

Kelly Mason
Costume: Cape Woman
Favorite Movie: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Favorite Candy: Snickers

Kelly Leonardo
Costume: Hot Dog
Favorite Movie: Hocus Pocus
Favorite Candy: Dots

Lisa Gera
Costume: Ghost
Favorite Candy: Nutrageous

Lacey Gera
Costume: Chipotle Burrito
Favorite Candy: Twix
Favorite Movie: The Haunting

Sarah Oglesby
Favorite Movie: The Saw Movies

Kasey Van Grouw
Costume: Punk Rock Star
Favorite Movie: Seven

Brianna Clarke
Favorite Movie: The Hills Have Eyes

To everyone out trick or treating tonight or however you are spending your holiday, have a safe and fun night!

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Oct. 30, 2008
SAN JOSE, Calif.
6:18 p.m.

Hello Bulldog fans! The volleyball team made it to San Jose for the quickest WAC trip of the season, just a short three hour bus ride the afternoon of and then the three hours back the same night after the 7 p.m. match vs. the Spartans.

One of the great things about playing in the hometown of a student-athlete is being able to see where they grew up and their families inviting the team to their homes and even cooking for us! Last year before the match at San Jose State Lacey and Lisa Gera's parents, Steve and Linda, invited the team over for a wonderful meal, so when I heard we were doing the same thing again this year I was more than excited. I knew it wouldn't just be great food, but the tam would feel at home, be surrounding by great people and even get to watch some home movies of Lacey, Lisa and their little sister Lainey who is a freshman starter at UCLA.

It was exactly how I pictured, without the rain of course! The Gera's had a mini bbq for us and cooked chicken and pasta along with salad and fruit. It was great! Then we watched plenty of home movies of the three Gera sisters which allowed the team to relax and laugh for over an hour!

Now we are at Spartan Gym and with 34 minutes on the clock before introductions the team looks ready and has a great energy about them. Lets get the win `Dogs!

Meghan Moss, So., L/DS
Oct. 29, 2008
FRESNO, Calif.
3:40 p.m.

Hello Bulldog fans!
After our long travel to and from Hawai'i, out team has had two good practices. We are working hard, learning new things and becoming a technically sound team. I'm so excited to go to San Jose tomorrow. Time for some Gera pre-game meal and home videos! Our team really feels like our time to turn the corner and to start getting some W's is so close. San Jose could be it! We all have a good feeling about this match tomorrow. GO `DOGS!

P.S. Home match on Saturday vs. La Tech at 7 p.m. If anybody feels like showing some support! I'm going to be doing a mini performance of my Irish jig when I throw my ball to the crowd. So don't miss it!

"x(little kiss)o(big hug)o(little hug)(hug)(hug)x(big kiss)x(little kiss)"

-Meghan

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Oct. 26, 2008
HONOLULU, Hawai'i
10:17 a.m.

Aloha! Well after a long day of traveling yesterday that including leaving the North Gym for the Fresno Airport at 4 a.m. PST, the Bulldog volleyball team arrived in Honolulu around noon HT on Saturday afternoon (remember the three hour time difference).

The team then checked in to the hotel, just a block from Waikiki Beach and ate some lunch before heading to practice at the Stan Sheriff Center. It started to mist and while waiting for the arena to get unlocked the team took a warm-up jog in the rain. If you have never been to Hawai'i it's much like the south, very humid and sticky. Even though its rainy it`s still about 87 degrees so it's very sticky.

After a long day of travel, practice and eating the team finally got a couple of hours to relax in Hawai'i then get some rest.

Sunday morning the team at breakfast at IHop and were reminded of the hospitality in Hawai'i. The locals are so great and welcoming. Everyone keeps up with the Rainbow Wahine teams and knew we were playing them tonight and wished good luck to everyone.

It's now off to practice before the 5 p.m. match tonight. Everyone is looking forward to the match and the atmosphere at the arena. I believe the Munson and Van Grouw's are in town and we found some fellow Californians in the hotel that are also going to the match and said they brought their red!

Kasey Van Grouw, So., S
Oct. 23, 2008
FRESNO, Calif.
3:39 p.m.

We just got done with practice at the Save Mart Center on Thursday afternoon. We¡¦ve been working really hard this week and also trying to rest up and be ready for our match this Sunday against Hawai¡¦i! I¡¦m pretty excited to play in Hawai¡¦i because volleyball is a big deal there and it almost feels magical playing in front of their crowd. I¡¦m really looking forward to seeing how the end of the season turns out! We have so much potential and with the right amount of hard work I feel like we could peak at the right time and get some wins! GO ¡¥DOGS!! Oh yeah¡Kand we love our athletic trainers fº

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Oct. 20, 2008
FRESNO, Calif.
4:26 p.m.

Happy Birthday To...
Another Bulldog volleyball birthday today! Happy 19th birthday to Jit Athwal! The redshirt freshman from Milpitas, Calif., was asked what she was doing today and she said...

"I started the day off going to class then treatment then to workout and then came home to do absolutely nothing except wait for night class."

She then joked that she is the youngest in her class and that she migssht go to dinner with her team.

Lisa Gera, Jr., L/DS
Oct. 17, 2008
FRESNO, Calif.
3:43 p.m.

As we prepare for our match against Utah State, all spirits are high and excitement is in the air! We really feel like we are making a turn in the season. It might not be as fast as we would have liked or anticipated but we are moving in the right direction. Coach said today, "It's not all about the win, it's about each players development within a new system." I feel that this really does sum up our season. With noticeable changes in practice, it is only a matter of time before we make the turn everyone has been waiting for. The `NEW ERA' of Fresno State volleyball is here! Keep staying with us because we will not let you know fans! I hope to see all of you at the Utah State match tomorrow night. Go `Dogs!

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Oct. 16, 2008
RENO, Nev.
11:26 a.m.
After arriving in Reno late last night the team got a lot of sleep from what I heard. We then got up and went to this local place for breakfast. I love taking a break from the normal chain restaurants and finding the hole-in-the-wall joints in each city. With Alanna and Lauren having spent a lot of time in Reno they are picking some of their favorite places from college for us to enjoy which makes the experience more special I think for everyone.

Now we are at practice at the Virginia Street Gym. As we walked in, Coach Lauren told a story of when she brought her Hofstra team to Nevada last year and Alanna spread pictures all over the gym, in seats and on the net, of Lauren in her collegiate days. I guess her team got a kick out of it. Knowing Lauren and Alanna I am not surprised. Those two are hilarious!

This is one of the trips that a lot of families and friends make. Of course Lauren and Alanna will have lots of friends here and I know that the Platt's are coming as well as some other families I am sure.

Hopefully we can pack this gym tonight, and not with all Wolf Pack fans either!

Some of the girls on the team said that this gym reminds them of the North Gym. It's smaller and has the same type of setting. I'd have to look but I think the North Gym might be a little older. This gym holds 1,800 and in the rafters hang the Big West Conference Eastern Division Champion sign from 1998, a team that Lauren and Alanna were on. Also in the gym are NCAA Tournament appearance banners from 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005.

Ok practice is almost over. It's off to studies tables for the team and the casino for the rest of us! (Ok well me at least!). Don't forget to log on at 7 p.m. for live stats and more blogs!

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Oct. 15, 2008
On the bus somewhere in California or Nevada
7:25 p.m.

So it's almost 7:30 p.m. and it's the longest road trip of the year (as far as driving in a bus is concerned). We left Fresno just after 2 p.m. today after the team had a short practice. Matching in our red warm-ups everyone piled on the bus, (including baby Edward, his second trip of the season with the team) as Lexi Watson sent us off saying that we better not come back without a victory!

Long bus trips mean lots of movies. That always passes the time by for me while the team sleeps much of the way. Movie No. 1 tonight was Monsters Inc. It's short, but a good Pixar movie about monsters that scare kids to supply energy to the `monster world.' It's better than I can describe, promise.

Then movie No. 2 started. This one is a personal favorite that a lot of the team had never seen before and the coach's thought would bring great inspiration as they could see similarities in this team. It was set in Indiana in the 1950's and was based on a small town high school basketball team that hired a new coach and won the state championship. Do you know what it is yet? That's right! Hoosiers! One of the best sports movies of all time. If you haven't seen it I highly recommend it and I think the team will too now after watching it.

We then stopped for dinner at this nice little Mexican restaurant outside of Sacramento. It was nice to be able to sit outside and enjoy the weather which wasn't too hot or too cold! Head coach Lauren Netherby-Sewell actually ran into an old friend there as well. It was pretty crazy!

Movie No. 3, which should get us to Reno, was the team's choice, `Finding Nemo.' It just started. I've only seen it once and it looks like the team is wide awake after dinner and watching the movie even though it's dark out.

Well I am going to sign off for the night. Don't forget the big match tomorrow at 7 p.m. and watch live stats on www.nevadawolfpack.com. GO `DOGS!

Baylee Platt, Fr., OH
Oct. 14, 2008
FRESNO, Calif.
4:33 p.m.

Hey everyone! We are about to head off to Nevada to play a big match! I'm really excited about it because it's my first trip to Nevada with the team. We've been going through some really hard practices so I have a lot of faith in us! Wish us luck!

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Oct. 14, 2008
FRESNO, Calif.
11:11 a.m.

Tomorrow the volleyball team heads north to Reno, Nev., for a WAC conference match. It's the quickest trip of the conference season so far (just a six hour drive) as we just stay one night in Reno and head back to Fresno after the match on Thursday. This is one of two bus rides in the WAC, the other to San Jose State which we take on Oct. 30th is just about three hours and that is a day trip.

Fresno State has played four-straight matches at home and is looking for a win on the road. Last week we hyped up the first conference meeting for Bulldog head coach Lauren Netherby-Sewell and assistant Alanna Jackson against their former head coach Devin Scruggs who is still the head coach of the WolfPack. This week, Netherby-Sewell and Jackson will return to the gym they played collegiate ball in. (For more on that please see previous blogs below.)

October play wraps up with this match at Nevada then returning home Saturday to host Utah State before traveling to Hawai'i and San Jose State. Like most of the team, I am dreaming of the trip to Hawai'i. Of course we get two this year in less than a month since the WAC tournament is there on Nov. 20. The main reason I am ready for that trip is the weather! While it is nice in Fresno today at 66 degrees and supposed to heat up later this afternoon, it has been cold the past week. I looked up the forecast and tomorrow when we arrive in Reno it's supposed to be 70 degrees and the prediction for the temperature in Honolulu on Oct. 26 is 86 degrees, but that is always the favorite trip no matter what time of the year or what sport.

Ok off to volleyball practice to see how the team is preparing for the big re-match Thursday. I am sure you will hear from some of the girls after practice.

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Oct. 9, 2008
FRESNO, Calif.
10:39 a.m.

This will be the second time that Lauren Netherby-Sewell has coached against her former coach Devin Scruggs. Last year when Netherby-Sewell was at Hofstra University in New York, her team traveled to Reno and Nevada won the match. This year, the match will be a conference match and be on Netherby-Sewell's home court. Below you can find quotes from Netherby-Sewell, Alanna Jackson and Devin Scruggs as they all prepare for this reunion.

Lauren Netherby-Sewell Quotes
"It was a great experience playing for Devin at Nevada. We actually went through a similar process to what we are going through now here at Fresno State, sort of a rebuilding process. She came in my freshman spring and we struggled that year but the year after we were getting votes in the top 25, so it was a similar process and hopefully we will have a similar outcome."

"I coached against her last year when I took my Hofstra team to Nevada for a tournament. It was weird because I was in the gym I competed in, coaching against my former coach and we lost. So I have already experienced coaching against her but this is a whole different ballgame because Nevada and Fresno State are really duking it out in conference standings right now and it's just different in the WAC so I am going to be pretty intense in this match and I am looking for a win."

Alanna Jackson Quotes
"Devin is a great technician. She was very precise and she wanted us to execute the skills and it is something we are using here to help build this program, so playing for her was a good experience from our stand point."

"It was fun to coach with her because I actually got to see the inner workings of what kind of things the coaches were talking about. She and I joked because she said I was a little hard headed and she was always pretty tough on me. The irony of all of it is that I came back to coach with her and she is like, `You know you are kind of fun.' So we got to know each other better. As a player you assume what your coaches think about you, you don't really get to have those personal conversations and it turned out she liked me so it was fun!"

"We've already began the competitive chatter with the Nevada coaches because they are all close personal friends. I think it's going to be an exciting match and hopefully our team plays hard because they know we really want this one."

Devin Scruggs Quotes
"I am very excited to compete against Lauren and Alanna. I have had the opportunity to compete against Lauren already. She was with Hofstra last year when we played them. It's always fun to compete against people that you know. I respect both of those two coaches a ton and I am really looking forward to it."

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Oct. 8, 2008
FRESNO, Calif.
4:23 p.m.

Did You Know...
That Nevada is coming to the Save Mart Center this week to take on the Bulldogs at 2 p.m. at the Save Mart Center? Devin Scruggs is in her 12th season as head coach for the Wolfpack and Fresno State head coach Lauren Netherby-Sewell and assistant Alanna Jackson played under Scruggs at Nevada. Jackson also was an assistant coach under Scruggs last season.

Netherby-Sewell played from 1998-2001 at Nevada and was a starter on the 1998 team that received votes in the top 25 poll and won the Eastern Division of the Big West Conference and earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament. She was a captain in 1999 and holds the Nevada single-match record for kills with 32 that she set at New Mexico State on Oct. 8, 1998.

Jackson played two years at Nevada with Netherby-Sewell from 1997-98. As a senior at Nevada, Jackson led the Big West Conference in assists per game and was an all-conference second-team selection and was the captain of the great 1998 team.

Both Netherby-Sewell and Jackson are excited to bring their former coach to the SMC in a WAC contest that means a lot, as the two are tied in the WAC standings.

For more blogs leading up to the big match against Nevada, stayed tuned to the Bulldog volleyball blog!

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Oct. 4, 2008
FRESNO, Calif.
11:23 a.m.
It's nice to have a whole week at home. As the volleyball team is preparing for its first afternoon conference match right now in the Save Mart Center (1 p.m. vs. Idaho today), it's raining outside. Of course that doesn't affect volleyball at all but the football team is playing Hawai'i in its conference opener at 7 p.m. at Bulldog Stadium. Bring your football ticket to get in free to today's match then head over to the football game! We are hoping to get wins all around the board today as the men's tennis team is also hosting the Bulldog Classic!

The Bulldog Pep Band is back today. It's always a great atmosphere when they are here. They help bring a different excitement to the team and the crowd. They also will be heading over to Bulldog Boulevard before the football game.

The team looks ready for Idaho but we are going to finish getting set up. Be sure to watch gametracker on www.gobulldogs.com and keep up with the `Dogs in their quest for a W today!

Sarah Oglesby, Fr., L/DS
Oct. 1, 2008
FRESNO, Calif.
3:30 p.m.

Hey Everyone! This is Sarah Oglesby from Fresno State Volleyball! This season we've all been through a lot of change. The positive is that all this change is in the right direction. We've gotten a new coaching staff and with that has come more hard work and heart. The passion behind our coaches' eyes in our practices and in matches has come back into the eyes of each player. We've had rough loses in the past but we are all working toward the same goals! Becoming a family this year has changed everything. We have each others back on and off the court which is a great feeling. I know I was a redshirt last year but coming back for this season feels great to finally play again. The bond I have with these girls has helped me push myself to give over 110% percent with each and for the team daily.

Now for a funny story... It was Kelly Mason's birthday during practice a couple of weeks back and we were celebrating it before we started practice. Well we stood in a line while Kelly had to crawl through our legs. Well Lisa, Meghan and I were in the back of the line and wanted Kelly to crawl for a while so we kept backing up around the court. Little did I know that there was a box behind me and I fell over it into a volleyball roll! Everyone laughed and I was so embarrassed but happy I didn't hurt myself. Jokes about me falling happened throughout the rest of the practice. I'm just happy that it ended after that day. Really though you had to be there to really see how funny it was.

So fans, come out to the matches this week. We play Boise State at 7 p.m. on Thursday night. I want to see all of you there! This year is a year for change and we are working so hard to get wins this season. So come out and support us. If you can't make it Thursday night, we have another match Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. at the Save Mart Center vs. Idaho! Come and support your Bulldogs as we beat the Broncos and the Vandals!

GO DOGS!!

Lauren Berger, So., MB
Sept. 26, 2008
PHOENIX, Ariz.
8:01 a.m.

Well... its 8 in the morning and we have been up since 4 am.. once again. And we're in the Phoenix airport waiting to get on the plane to go back to Fresno. As much as the traveling long and tiring its worth it because we beat Utah State last night in 5 sets! It was such an exciting match and it was so close but we definitely deserved the win. Now we're 2-1 in the WAC and were going to keep working hard and get more wins! It a really good thing for us to be turning the corner and winning some matches.

I shared a room with Bailey Platt this weekend and she is one crazy girl. Love her to death but she is wild. We had some good talks and she was an awesome roommate...

Once we get home today we have practice right away to get ready for San Jose State at home! We're going to bring it so they better be ready!

Go `Dogs!

Lacey Gera, Jr., OH
Sept. 24, 2008
PHOENIX, Ariz.
2:50 p.m.
Hellllllloooo everyone reading my very very interesting blog. ;) We are heading to Utah State today. I can't wait to play again in Utah's interestingly colored gym assorted with fall-colored chairs. Of course on the flight from Fresno to Phoenix I got to sit once again with the beautiful Brianna Clarke. We read our books and slept for most of the time. Who knows who I will be sitting with on the plane to Salt Lake? I wonder... From Wednesday till Friday morning I will be sharing a room with the intelligent Tairyn Ninea. Another road trip, another plane right and hopefully another victory for us tomorrow night against Utah State. This match is going to be a great opportunity for us to gain a win and to move up in the WAC standings. I can't wait for tomorrow night to reach for that number nine navy blue jersey knowing that whatever I have has to be left on the court.

Shout out to Lexi Watson. Keep working hard.

Go Doggies!!!!!! Woof woof

Allanah Munson, Jr., S
Sept. 21, 2008
DALLAS, Texas
9:10 a.m.

Hello Central Valley from Dallas, Texas! We are on our way back to Fresno from a long but fun week of travel and volleyball. This trip has definitely been a memorable one on and off the court. We had a rough match against New Mexico State last Thursday but I really think it helped us take a step forward in the right direction and we have learned from our mistakes. We recovered and played a great match against LA Tech, who put up a good fight. We are really coming together as a team and I am excited for the rest of this season. We are committed to working hard and getting better every day. Thank you so much for all your support...GO DOGS!!!!!!!!!!

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Sept. 20, 2008
RUSTON, La.
12:21 p.m.

Karl Malone Court
About an hour and a half until first serve here at La. Tech between the Bulldogs and the Lady Techsters. This year the `Dogs are playing at the Thomas Assembly Center and on Karl Malone Court. Many courts around the country are named after former great players and/or coaches from those schools. Karl Malone is the most famous alum of La. Tech. In 2007, he helped renovate the Thomas Assembly Center as he paid for the new maple floor He is still very much involved here as the Director of Basketball Promotions for the men's basketball team. The La. Tech weight room was also named after Malone in 1996 after he donated state-of-the art equipment

I remember last year when were here for volleyball and we were eating at the Waffle House (my personal favorite) and a local entered the restaurant to tell us Karl Malone was next door pumping gas. Just seeing him was pretty exciting.

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Sept. 19, 2008
RUSTON, La.
9:00 p.m.

A day in the life of Bulldog on the road
The team got up bright and early this morning in Las Cruces, N.M. for another long day of travel. The trip started with a 6:15 departure after eating breakfast at the hotel. In two mini vans we took the 45 minute drive back to El Paso, Texas to catch our flight. Those of us who took the trip last year to Las Cruces remember the scenery along the Texas-Mexico border. Almost the whole drive you can see into Juarez, Mexico. On the way into Las Cruces Wednesday night it was dark so we couldn't see the neighbors below but this morning we could see the Mexican flag flying high and proud on the other side of the freeway. It's amazing how the freeway runs right along the border.

Once at the El Paso airport the team gathered for muffins and milk for breakfast while some slept and others did homework. (That is when Jit posted the first blog of the day below).

The flight to Dallas was just over an hour and it wasn't bad. Then we actually got to the airport. If you have never been to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport I'm telling you it is a miniature city in itself! They have the Skyline which is a train or trolley that runs from one concourse to the next. Of course I missed the sign in the C concourse where I plan landed so I took the trek on the walking escalators all the way down to the B concourse.

The team then got lunch there and then we realized they switched our gate so we had to gather our things and move to the end of the B concourse, which meant another Skyline ride.

The two hours went by quickly and we were on the plane. The flight itself was also very quick, about 45 minutes or so. It was a small plane that even I at 5'5 had to duck to get on, so imagine what the rest of the team did!

Once we landed we forgot briefly we were in the south which of course means humidity. The Shreveport airport definitely isn't the size of DRW but it is bigger than Fresno and is a nice little airport.

When then piled into our three mini rental vans and headed just over an hour to Ruston, the home of La. Tech. It was then a quick change and dinner.

Another great part about all of the travel is the food! And I mean the local eateries. We ate at a local Italian joint in downtown Ruston. The people and the history here is so small town but it's so great! I love the accents.

Next up was practice. Last season the `Dogs played at the recreation center in a small gym vs. the Lady Techsters while the Thomas Assembly Center was under construction so this was the first time any of us had seen the gym. (More about the gym tomorrow).

Practice was great though. The team really looks ready to pick up its first conference win of the season tomorrow!

Now here we are back to the hotel for a nice long nights sleep. Don't forget the match time was changed to 12 p.m. PST. Until then `Dog fans!

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Sept. 19, 2008
RUSTON, La.
7:02 p.m.
Are you on the...???
When you travel as a team in airports and through different towns in matching red warm-up pants and jackets you definitely get a lot of looks and questions. Today was no exception. Junior Kelly Leonardo got asked first if we were a football team then a basketball team. Another man asked if we were softball players. Last year traveling in airports we also heard people asking if we were the band or cheerleaders. The team is so used to it they just laugh it off and say no we are volleyball and then if we are far enough away from California have to also explain where Fresno is. It is just always entertaining to hear what people come up with and it makes the team feel like celebrates of some sort.

Jit Atwal, Fr., OH
Sept. 19, 2008
Las Cruces, N.M.
8:21 a.m.
HAVING IT BE THE FIRST YEAR I TRAVEL, I CAN SAY THAT IT'S QUITE AN EXPERIENCE AND CHALLENGE. WE TRAVEL A LOT BUT THE MEMORIES WE MAKE ARE UNFORGETTABLE. COMING OUT TO NEW MEXICO FOR OUR FIRST CONFERENCE MATCH OF THE 2008 SEASON AND SEEING THE FANS THAT SUPPORT THEIR SCHOOL MADE ME EXCITED TO TRAVEL TO THE OTHER SCHOOLS IN WAC TO SEE HOW THE ATMOSPHERE IS THERE. NEW MEXICO CROWDS YOU COULD SAY ARE PRETTY SPIRITED AND REALLY INTO THE GAMES AND REFEREE CALLS. WHILE ON THE SIDELINE, SOME OF THE STUDENTS THERE TRY AND DISTRACT YOU AND TAKE YOU OUT OF THE GAME BY MAKING COMMENTS THAT SOMETIMES MAKE YOU WANT TO LAUGH AND SOMETIMES YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO FEEL. I THINK OUR TEAM DID WELL ON IGNORING THE CROWD AND JUST ZONING INTO THE GAME AND FOCUSING ON WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE. THOUGH WE LOST TO NEW MEXICO IN THREE, WE ARE PUSHING EACH OTHER TO GET BETTER AND SLOWLY BUT SURELY BRINGING OUT THE COMPETIVNESS IN ONE ANOTHER. WE KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO COME OUT STRAIGHT WITH WINS ACROSS THE BOARD BECAUSE WE HAVE A NEW COACH AND IT'S A NEW SEASON. WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE ALL THE HARD WORK WE CAN PROVIDE AND RIGHT NOW THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO. IT'S A ROUGH TIME RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE'RE PRACTICING ON BREAKING OLD HABITS AND LEARNING NEW ONES, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE A STAND AND PROVE TO EVERYONE HOW MUCH WORK WE REALLY HAVE PUT INTO GETTING BETTER AND REALLY REPRESENT FRESNO STATE THE WAY IT SHOULD BE. THIS YEAR IS GOING TO BE AN EXCITING ONE AND IM GLAD I CAN BE APART OF IT.

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Sept. 18, 2008
LAS CRUCES, N.M.
8:25 p.m.
Bulldogs took an early lead in set three and NMSU re-took the lead until 19-19. NMSU forced to call a timeout. Out of the timeout NMSU looked strong and went on to win. Nice effort `Dogs!

Off to finish the recap. More later fans!

7:51 p.m.
In between sets two and three. New Mexico State looked strong early in set two but the `Dogs fought back at the end of the set so don't expect them to go down without a fight in this match. Set three updates will come.

Entertainment in between sets is the Las Cruces Dance Crew all wearing black slacks and black shoes with different colors bright tops and bandanas.

7:36 p.m.
Someone in the stands directly behind me won pizza. It smells delicious. Also, their mascot, a cowboy with a fake gun snuck up behind me and it definitely made me jump. He is always entertaining on the court though with the cheerleaders during timeouts.

But back to volleyball, down 10-7 in set two.

7:26 p.m.
Set one was good early for the `Dogs but NMSU won 25-16. Let's go `Dogs! On to set two!

7:11 p.m.
Conference play always brings about a different feeling. The last time the `Dogs were here was the 2007 WAC tournament and Fresno State was actually in Las Cruces for a week since the final match of the regular season was here as well.

The `Dogs looked good early, tying the match at 6-6. Lets keep it up `Dogs. It's not going to be easy in front of the NMS crowd which is known for being rambunctious.

7:03 p.m.
It's just about time for first serve here at the Pan Am Center on the campus of New Mexico State. For the pre-game meal the team surprised Coach Netherby-Sewell and had the restaurant staff sing happy birthday to her! She was definitely caught off guard.

All day we have been celebrating her birthday and then before we salute the flag at tonight's match the P.A. announcer said we were going to celebrate at birthday and all of the Bulldogs thought that it was Coach's birthday but in fact it is also New Mexico State head coach Mike Jordan's birthday as well. Go figure!

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Sept. 18, 2008
LAS CRUCES, N.M.
11:58 p.m.

Time Change
Don't forget the time change fans! All match times on www.gobulldogs.com are posted in pacific standard time but New Mexico is in the mountain time zone (one hour ahead of Fresno) and Ruston, La., where we will be on Saturday is central time so it is two hours ahead of Fresno. So don't get confused by the times on the blogs or maybe the time we mention because we will be ahead of you! But tonight's match is at 6 p.m. PST and live stats can be found on www.nmstatesports.com. Tonight I will start the first in-match blog so you can log on here for updates during the actual match and get the inside scoop.

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Sept. 18, 2008
LAS CRUCES, N.M.
9:20 a.m.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday Coach Lauren. Happy Birthday to you! That's right, head coach Lauren Netherby-Sewell is celebrating her birthday with the team in beautiful Las Cruces, N.M. where the team opens up conference play tonight against New Mexico State at 6 p.m. PST (7 p.m. MT).

I guess it is birthday month for Fresno State volleyball because two days ago (Sept. 16) it was sophomore, libero, Kelly Mason's birthday and the beginning of the month we celebrated Baylee Platt's birthday in the final match of the Fresno State Invitational. Happy belated birthday to you two girls!

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Sept. 14, 2008
FRESNO, Calif.
1:27 p.m.
Well we are back in Fresno for just a couple of days before starting WAC play on the road at New Mexico State this week. Bakersfield day two went pretty well for the `Dogs. The complete recap can be found on the volleyball page.

After the match the team hurried so we could get back in time for some of the football game. We were getting updates from the online radio on the bus trip so we knew how the `Dogs were doing all the way back. I walked into Bulldog Stadium with 40 seconds to go until halftime and the team was right behind me. They were excited to make it back in time to watch their fellow student-athletes and friends put up a good fight against No. 10 Wisconsin.

It's back to the court though as the volleyball team will prepare to open conference. We will keep you updated from the road! Thank you to all of the Bulldog fans that came to support the team in Bakersfield. There was a great turnout!

Lexi Watson, Jr., OH
Sept. 12, 2008
BAKERSFIELD, Calif.
5:50 p.m.
Howdy!! Today the team got together and we headed to beautiful Bakersfield California, my hometown, which I am proud of but don't quite know why. On the bus ride over we watched Miracle and listened to Lacey screaming out movie quotes from the back of the bus. It is always weird being back in my hometown while driving around on a bus with a bunch of people who have rarely been here and the weirdest thing I think is having to stay in a hotel when my home and bed are so close! It is weird, but fun all at the same time. A lot of the girls aren't used to seeing 1000 oil rigs on the side of the road or a few farm animals and those are the things that make me feel right at home! We are all pumped for the game tonight against Cal State Bakersfield and I am excited to see some family members and friends in the stands! Wish us luck! GO DOGS!!

Alyssa Chambers Media Relations
Sept. 11, 2008
FRESNO, Calif.
5:59 p.m.
The team hit practice today in the Save Mart Center in preparation for this weekend's tournament at Cal State Bakersfield. It should be a challenging tournament and a good last non-conference slate before heading on the road next week to open WAC play at New Mexico State.

This is probably going to be the easiest trip for the team as far as travel goes. It is just at two-hour bus ride the day of the first match, which means few naps and a lot of singing on the bus and probably a movie of the teams choice.

With it being such a short ride that means the newest addition to the Bulldog volleyball team, baby Edward will be joining us. Assistant coaches Ed and Alanna Jackson had baby Edward in early summer and this will be his first trip with the team!

Lexi Watson will also get to return to her hometown. A trip she is always looking forward to. Many families and friends will probably be in attendance as well with it being a short trip.

The team will keep you all updated on the trip to Bakersfield this weekend. I am sure you will hear from several of them along the way. They loved being able to blog last weekend on the road. It's a way for them to share some things with the fans that they don't normally get to do. Talking to some of them earlier in the week, they are excited to head to CSUB and take care of business before getting back Saturday night in time to see some of the big football game vs. Wisconsin!

Kelly Leonardo, Jr., MB
Sept. 6, 2008
GREEN BAY, Wis.
9:48 p.m.
Coming to Green Bay, Wis., was a once in a lifetime opportunity. It's my first time coming to the mid/northern United States. Right now we are at Lambeau Field Atrium and it's very cool.

It's been a long trip. Our team had a great learning opportunity here and that's what the pre-season is all about. This next week we are going to practice strong and prepare for WAC play.

Lauren Berger, So., MB
Sept. 6, 2008
GREEN BAY, Wis.
9:40 p.m.
What's up everybody? It's Lauren Berger. We are in Wisconsin right now and after our match tonight we got the opportunity to come to Lambeau Field where the Green Bay Packers play. We are actually here right now and we just ate here and the field was delicious! It is a really good experience because I have never been to a professional football field. I'm really happy that we got the chance to do this.

As far as our matches went today, it could've gone a little better but we aren't going to dwell on them. We are going to move on and focus on the next matches and the week ahead of us.

Alyssa Chambers
Media Relations
Sept. 5, 2008
GREEN BAY, Wis.
9:08 a.m.
After a long day of travel the team finally got some sleep last night and is practicing at the Kress Events Center where the first match of the tournament vs. UW-Green Bay is tonight. There are so many great things about working in college athletics but one of my favorites is the travel. The student-athletes and staff get to see different institutions, facilities, towns, airports, sights etc. Last year was my first year at Fresno State and I went to so many places I had never been before and places I probably would've never had the chance to go if it weren't for being a Bulldog.

I spoke with several members of the team yesterday and none of them had ever been to Green Bay before now. It was raining when we got here but it's such a pretty town. There are about 100,000 people in the town itself but it's so spread out that it really has that small town feel. Everything is green and it's about 70 degrees out. On the bus ride over to practice this morning the team was ooo-ing and aw-ing about the scenery.

The people here have been overly gracious from our bus driver to the facilities person at the University to the hotel workers. That definitely helps make a trip more enjoyable for everyone.

The Kress Events Center is really nice. It was built in 2007 and seats about 4,000. The seats are all green to match the color of their mascot, the Phoenix. Hopefully we can get a good crowd for the first match this evening vs. Northern Arizona.

Brianna Clarke, Fr., MH
Sept. 4, 2008
PHOENIX, Ariz.
8:25 a.m.
Hey there! So we are totally sitting in the airport here in Phoenix waiting to board our next flight and it is pretty humid outside. I was in shock when we got off the plane. I was totally ready to feel a wave of scorching heat. Then again I am always glad to take the cooler weather. Most of us are sprawled out doing our homework or just doing some simple reading. I personally put all my homework in my non-carry-on bag so I am doing the easy reading. We are all pretty tired but we are totally stoked to arrive in Green Bay, Wis. We are ready to take on the teams that are in this tournament and hopefully we can bring home some more W's for the fans back home. The fans at our FPU match last night were awesome and I just wanted to personally thank them for showing such great support. We will definitely keep you posted on what is going on in Green Bay. GO DOGS!!!

Kelly Mason, So., Libero
Sept. 4, 2008
FRESNO, Calif.
4:56 a.m.
Good morning! After the three hour nap that I had last night, my lovely roommate Brenna woke up this morning at 3:30am to drive me to the North gym, where our team met up. It was pitch black outside and we were all up singing and laughing around. I think it's just the initial rush of morning energy, but I am almost positive that once we hit the plane we will all be passed out. The drive over to the airport was very entertaining while we discussed our likes and dislikes of movies. It was a great debate to have so early in the morning. Haha. The team arrived at the airport and checked in this morning at 4:20 am. It's an early morning, yet we are enjoying it all. We all got our bagels and cream cheese and then moved into playing the very entertaining game "would you rather". It is so funny playing so early because we all come up with the craziest ideas and answers. I can get a little delusional in the morning, but I love it. Kasey is always there with me to support in my randomness. We find the littlest things to make us laugh in the morning and pretty much all the things we find funny would be normal weird stuff if it were any later in the day. My favorite part of these early travel days are pictures! I always bring my camera and the best pictures always seem to be the first ones in the morning. We are all so awake and look very pretty, it is the perfect time for pictures, haha not really, but it is very amusing! We are very excited to go to this tournament and are hoping to be very successful. I personally am excited to travel to Wisconsin because I have never been there before and I love traveling so it should be a cool experience. My friend from high school goes to college back there and will be driving about three hours to come see me. I am very excited to see her. This weekend will be awesome because we are going to play well, see new places, grow together as a team and win!

Alyssa Chambers Fresno State Media Relations
achambers@csufresno.edu

Sept. 2, 2008
FRESNO, Calif.
7:12 p.m.

The first week of college volleyball has come and gone and the Bulldogs had quite the exciting opening week. Fresno State hosted the Fresno State Invitational for the first time in four years and brought three tough California teams to the new set up in the Save Mart Center.

With a new head coach and a new court the Bulldogs were impressive winning the opening match against Cal State Bakersfield.

The set up itself and being able to host the tournament was exciting in itself. I saw the new set up for the first time a week ago and I thought it looked good on paper but wow, the new court and the intimate setting gives Coach Netherby-Sewell's term "A New Era," an even bigger meeting.

This week, the Bulldogs have another full slate hosting Fresno Pacific in less than 24 hours. It's an exhibition, but always a big match between the two and hopefully we can fill the Save Mart Center tomorrow night.

Allanah Munson transferred from Fresno Pacific two years ago and had to sit out last year as a redshirt so everyone is looking forward to her being able to play against her former teammates, one of which she still lives with.

I spoke with Allanah after practice and she is pumped for the match tomorrow especially having her little sister and mom in town. They actually went to dinner with two of the FPU's players.

She said she can't wait to see all of her old teammates and have them come to the Save Mart Center for first time and hopes both teams will bring a lot of fans and believes the new set up will generate a lot of excitement.

Allanah has said all along that her and her former teammates joke all the time about the matchup and it's just a friendly competition. The end result doesn't count for stats or team records so all parties are hoping to go out and have fun and bring a good match to the Fresno community.