California State University at Northridge
Loyola Marymount
CSUN Splits Home Finale vs. LMU, UCLA
4/20/2016 3:42:00 PM | Beach Volleyball
In all, three matches were played Wednesday at the CSUN Beach Volleyball Facility as the Bruins defeated LMU in the middle contest 4-1.Â
CSUN won its program-record fourth straight and improved its season record to 6-11 by opening the day with a 3-2 win over LMU. Julie Haake and Maddie Leiphardt claimed the first point for the Matadors by defeating Nicky Kevorken and Kekai Whitfield at No. 2, 21-12, 21-8. CSUN made it two straight as Rachel Gam and Kristey Markle swept the No. 4 match from the Lions, 21-13, 21-18.
LMU's No. 1 pair of Avery Bush and Rachel Suaava pulled the Lions within 2-1 as they defeated Lauren Conati and Katie Sato, 21-17, 21-18. CSUN's Nicoletta Stork and Nicolette Pinkney then clinched the win for the Matadors by winning a three-setter at No. 5, 18-21, 21-15, 15-10. The Lions closed the match with a win at No. 3 as Jamie Lea and Tatiana Schlange took the final two sets in a three-set win over Aeryn Owens and Erin Indermill, 16-21, 21-16, 15-10.
The Matadors (6-12) then faced the No. 4 Bruins which had swept CSUN on Mar. 10. The result was the same Wednesday but the Matadors stayed close throughout.
With an ill Sato out of the afternoon match, head coach Jeff Stork adjusted the CSUN lineup with Haake and Leiphardt moving into the No. 1 pair. After dropping the first set to Jordan Anderson and Megan McNamara 21-10, the Matador duo went down to the wire in the second set before falling 22-20.Â
Owens and Indermill played their first match this season at No. 2 and fell to Kamila Tan and Ivey Schmitt 21-10, 21-10. Gam and Markle then lost to UCLA in the No. 3 pair 21-13, 21-12 before Nada Dragovic and Kamden Maas battled Zana Muno and Jessyka Ngauamo falling by the score of 21-18, 21-17.
The Bruins dominated the final two matches as Stork and Pinkney lost to Julie Consani and Laurel Weaver at No. 5, 21-13, 21-14 and Rachel Inouye and Karly Drolson swept Conati and Rachel Diaz in the extra match, 21-7, 21-14.
"I thought it was great the way the girls competed today," said Stork. "Obviously it wasn't perfect in every way but we're getting close, I'd give us a B+ today. LMU is a program similar to us and I thought we played well in that match. UCLA has a few more seasoned beach players than we do but I feel we're getting close. As I told the girls, when we play programs similar to ours we do very well. I think we're just missing a little bit when we play beach exclusive teams like UCLA, Arizona, etc."
CSUN next plays at the inaugural Big West Championship which takes place Apr. 29-May 1 in Huntington Beach.
Records: CSUN (6-11), Loyola Marymount (5-15)
No. 1 - Avery Bush/Rachel Suaava (LMU) d. Lauren Conati/Katie Sato (CSUN); 21-17, 21-18
No. 2 - Julie Haake/Maddie Leiphardt (CSUN) d. Nicky Kevorken/Kekai Whitfield (LMU); 21-12, 21-8
No. 3 - Jamie Lea/Tatiana Schlange (LMU d. Aeryn Owens/Erin Indermill (CSUN); 16-21, 21-16, 15-10
No. 4 - Rachel Gam/Kristey Markle (CSUN) d. Lindsay Carr/Veronica Nederend (LMU); 21-13, 21-18
No. 5 - Nicoletta Stork/Nicolette Pinkney (CSUN) d. Kristen Castellanos/Sara Kovac (LMU); 18-21, 21-15, 15-10
Records: CSUN (6-12), UCLA (17-4)
No. 1 - Jordan Anderson/Megan McNamara (UCLA) d. Julie Haake/Maddie Leiphardt (CSUN); 21-10, 22-20
No. 2 - Kamila Tan/Ivey Schmitt (UCLA) d. Aeryn Owens/Erin Indermill (CSUN); 21-10, 21-10
No. 3 - Elise Zappia/Izzy Carey (UCLA) d. Rachel Gam/Kristey Markle (CU); 21-13, 21-12
No. 4 - Zana Muno/Jessyka Ngauamo (UCLA) d. Nada Dragovic/Kamden Maas (CU); 21-18, 21-17
No. 5 - Julie Consani/Laurel Weaver (UCLA) d. Nicoletta Stork/Nicolette Pinkney (CSUN); 21-13, 21-14
EXT - Rachel Inouye/Karly Drolson (UCLA) d. Lauren Conati/Rachel Diaz (CSUN); 21-7, 21-14
#GoMatadorsÂ
