CSUN Splits on Final Day of Big West Challenge

Saturday, March 31

Folsom, Calif.

9:00 a.m.

California State University at Northridge

Long Beach State

Photo by: Braden Villanueva

CSUN Splits on Final Day of Big West Challenge

3/31/2018 8:01:00 PM | Beach Volleyball

FOLSOM, Calif. - CSUN Beach Volleyball concluded play at the 2018 Big West Challenge Saturday as the Matadors split a pair of dual matches to finish the tournament at 2-3.

CSUN fell 5-0 to fifth-ranked Long Beach State to open the day before topping Sacramento State 4-1 to earn a split on day two.

As was the case in two defeats to ranked teams on Friday, the Matadors played Long Beach State tough but could not win a set in the five duals. Katie Sato and Aeryn Owens fell 21-15, 21-17 in the No. 1 match to Nele Barber and Rachel Nieto.

Kristey Markle and Nickeisha Williams fell in the No. 2 match 21-13, 21-18 while Lauren McMurray and Autumn Russell lost 21-8, 21-12 at No. 3. The No. 4 and No. 5 matches also went to the Beach as Erin Indermill and Daniella Molinari fell 21-12, 21-14 and Nicolette Pinkney and Lauren Conati fell by the score of 21-14, 21-16.

In the afternoon dual, the Matadors (11-5) handed Sacramento State its 11th loss in 12 duals this season, winning by the score of 4-1.

Sato and Owens got back in the win column with a three-set (17-21, 21-15, 15-10) win over Sarah Davis and Mikaela Nocetti. Markle and Williams also bounced back with a 21-19, 21-17 win at No. 2 while McMurray and Russell won a pair of deuce sets 22-20, 23-21 to clinch the win for the Matadors.

Pinkney and Conati improved to 11-5 with a hard-fought 21-18, 15-20, 15-8 win over Brigitte Murdock and Paige Swinney to give CSUN its fourth win of the day.

CSUN heads back to Northridge to open a five-match homestand next Thursday, Apr. 5 as the Matadors host Vanguard (10 a.m.) and Concordia (2 p.m.) in a tri-dual.

#GoMatadors