Matadors Fall in Four Sets at UC Santa Barbara

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NORTHRIDGE, CA - Julie Haake and Aeryn Owens combined for 38 of CSUN's 57 kills but it wasn't enough as the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos held off the Matadors 25-20, 25-23, 23-25, 25-17 Saturday night at the Thunderdome.

The loss, CSUN's sixth straight, drops the Matadors to 6-14 overall and 2-6 in the Big West.

Haake connected for 22 kills on .298 hitting, her highest kill total since putting down a career-high against Hofstra on Sept. 2. She narrowly missed her first career double-double by adding nine digs along with four blocks and one ace. Owens recorded her team-high fifth double-double by adding 16 kills (.324) and 15 digs while libero Katie Sato scooped up a match-high 19 digs.

Junior setter Lauren Conati also came within reach of a double-double as she posted 48 assists, eight digs and two blocks.

CSUN out-hit the host Gauchos .268-.261 and had 57 kills to 53 for UCSB. Led by Sato and Owens, the Matadors posted a 63-53 advantage in digs and had a 9.0-8.0 edge in team blocks led by Melissa Eaglin's seven block assists.

The Gauchos however capitalized on 12 service aces, while holding CSUN to one, as Lindsey Ruddins connected for a match-high four.

CSUN jumped out to leads of 5-1 and 6-2 in the opening set before the hosts came back to take an 8-7 lead. The margin was no more than three until a Conati setting error put the Gauchos in front 16-12. The lead swelled to 22-13 when the Matadors mounted a late rally to save four set points before falling 25-20.

Set two was tight throughout as the two teams battled to a 19-19 tie when Haake's kill put CSUN on top. But a four-point Gaucho run put the hosts in front 23-20 when an Owens kill ended the run. The Matadors still trailed 24-21 when consecutive kills from Haake saved a pair of set points before Sato's service error put UCSB up two sets following the 25-23 win.

Needing to win out, the Matadors snapped an 11-11 tie in the third set by putting together a 3-0 run capped by an Eaglin kill. The CSUN lead was still three at 15-12 when UCSB rallied for three straight to knot the score at 15. Kills from Rachel Diaz and Nada Dragovic put the Matadors back in front 18-16 but again the Gauchos answered.

UCSB then went in front at 21-20 and 22-21 when kills from Eaglin and Owens and a block from Eaglin and Conati set CSUN up with set point at 24-22. Ruddins saved one set point with a kill before Owens ended the set in the Matadors' favor 25-23.

Looking to build on the momentum of set three, CSUN quickly fell behind 6-1 in the final set. Still trailing 8-4, the Matadors outscored the Gauchos 4-2 over the next six points to get within 10-8. But UCSB quickly built a comfortable lead back to 15-9 when CSUN mounted a last rally. Two kills and an ace by Haake along with a CSUN co-block trimmed to the lead to 15-13 but the Matadors would get no closer falling by the final margin of 25-17.

Ruddins wound up with a team-high 19 kills (.292) for the Gauchos who improved to 13-9 overall and 4-5 in conference play.

CSUN returns to The Matadome to host UC Davis next Friday (Oct. 28) as the Matadors will play five of their final eight regular season matches at home.

#GoMatadors

Matadors Fall in Four Sets at UC Santa Barbara

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Team Stats

Julie Haake

Aeryn Owens

Nada Dragovic

Melissa Eaglin

Players Mentioned

Lauren Conati

Rachel Diaz

Nada Dragovic

Melissa Eaglin

Julie Haake

Aeryn Owens

Katie Sato