Friday, August 24
Sacramento, Calif.
10:00 a.m.
California State University at Northridge
0-1
0
vs
3
Arizona
1-0
1
2
3
F
CSUN
17
14
19
0
Arizona
25
25
25
3
Team Stats
CSUN
ARIZ
Kills
29
46
Errors
8
9
Attempts
74
80
Hitting %
.284
.463
Points
36.0
62.0
Assists
27
40
Aces
4
12
Blocks
3.0
4.0
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
5
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Kills
3
Aces
1
Blocks
1
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
Photo by: Paul Trafecanty
Matadors Fall to Arizona in Season Opener
8/24/2018 11:44:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The CSUN women's volleyball team opened the 2018 season with 3-0 loss (25-17, 25-14, 25-19) to the University of Arizona Friday morning in the opener of the Hornet Invitational at Colberg Court.
Senior Aeryn Owens led the Matadors (0-1) with 11 kills, hitting .476 on 21 swings. Freshman Lexi McLeod added seven kills and seven digs in her CSUN debut.
"Despite the loss, I think it was a very good first match for us," said CSUN Head Coach Jeff Stork. "We had a lot of good attacking but we do need to increase our volume of kills. The development of the first contact will improve as we move along in the season. When we had a good first contact the offense really rolled along."
CSUN hit .284 as a team with 29 kills on 84 attacks but had trouble slowing down the Wildcats who connected for 46 kills, hitting a robust .463 on 80 swings. Arizona also had 12 aces to the Matadors' four while neither team had a sizable advantage in blocks or digs.
After Cassidy Rosso knocked down CSUN's first kill of the season to tie the score at one early in the opening set, Arizona rallied to claim eight of the next 10 points forcing a Matador timeout at 9-3. After CSUN trimmed a seven-point deficit down to four (11-7) following a Melissa Eaglin kill, the Wildcats quickly pushed the lead back to eight at 18-10. Arizona led by as many as nine (23-14) before setting on an eight-point margin when Kamalu Makekau-Whittaker's service error ended the set.
The Wildcats used five kills and three aces to outscore the Matadors 8-1 to open the second set. After trailing by as many as seven, Morgan Salone's kill pulled CSUN within five at 15-10 but the Matadors would get no closer the remainder of the set. The Matadors were out-hit .519 to .208 in the set but were still hitting .267 as a team after two frames.Â
Owens came out firing in the third set which Stork described as CSUN's "best set of the match." Owens had three kills in the early stages and Eaglin's kill maintained the Matadors' two-point cushion at 6-4. After a Wildcat kill knotted the score at eight, Arizona forged a 5-0 run forcing a CSUN timeout at 12-8. Another Wildcat kill boosted the lead to five (15-10) before the Matadors answered with a 4-1 run, capped by a McLeod kill, to pull within 16-14. Another McLeod kill kept CSUN within two at 17-15 but Arizona pulled away down the stretch for the 25-19 win.
Kendra Dahlke had a match-high 15 kills to lead Arizona (1-0).
CSUN is back in action later tonight as the Matadors take on the tournament hosts Sacramento State. First serve from Colberg Court at the Nest is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Matador Match Notes: Makekau-Whittaker and Hannah Merjil combined for 25 assists from the setter spot. Merjil made her Matador debut after redshirting in 2017. Makekau-Whittaker registered her first career ace in set one ... Senior libero Kristey Markle had a team-high nine digs and served the 71st ace of her career ... Freshman Nicole Nevarez also made her CSUN debut, putting down five kills without an error to hit .500 ... CSUN now trails 6-2 in the all-time series with Arizona.
#GoMatadors
Senior Aeryn Owens led the Matadors (0-1) with 11 kills, hitting .476 on 21 swings. Freshman Lexi McLeod added seven kills and seven digs in her CSUN debut.
"Despite the loss, I think it was a very good first match for us," said CSUN Head Coach Jeff Stork. "We had a lot of good attacking but we do need to increase our volume of kills. The development of the first contact will improve as we move along in the season. When we had a good first contact the offense really rolled along."
CSUN hit .284 as a team with 29 kills on 84 attacks but had trouble slowing down the Wildcats who connected for 46 kills, hitting a robust .463 on 80 swings. Arizona also had 12 aces to the Matadors' four while neither team had a sizable advantage in blocks or digs.
After Cassidy Rosso knocked down CSUN's first kill of the season to tie the score at one early in the opening set, Arizona rallied to claim eight of the next 10 points forcing a Matador timeout at 9-3. After CSUN trimmed a seven-point deficit down to four (11-7) following a Melissa Eaglin kill, the Wildcats quickly pushed the lead back to eight at 18-10. Arizona led by as many as nine (23-14) before setting on an eight-point margin when Kamalu Makekau-Whittaker's service error ended the set.
The Wildcats used five kills and three aces to outscore the Matadors 8-1 to open the second set. After trailing by as many as seven, Morgan Salone's kill pulled CSUN within five at 15-10 but the Matadors would get no closer the remainder of the set. The Matadors were out-hit .519 to .208 in the set but were still hitting .267 as a team after two frames.Â
Owens came out firing in the third set which Stork described as CSUN's "best set of the match." Owens had three kills in the early stages and Eaglin's kill maintained the Matadors' two-point cushion at 6-4. After a Wildcat kill knotted the score at eight, Arizona forged a 5-0 run forcing a CSUN timeout at 12-8. Another Wildcat kill boosted the lead to five (15-10) before the Matadors answered with a 4-1 run, capped by a McLeod kill, to pull within 16-14. Another McLeod kill kept CSUN within two at 17-15 but Arizona pulled away down the stretch for the 25-19 win.
Kendra Dahlke had a match-high 15 kills to lead Arizona (1-0).
CSUN is back in action later tonight as the Matadors take on the tournament hosts Sacramento State. First serve from Colberg Court at the Nest is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Matador Match Notes: Makekau-Whittaker and Hannah Merjil combined for 25 assists from the setter spot. Merjil made her Matador debut after redshirting in 2017. Makekau-Whittaker registered her first career ace in set one ... Senior libero Kristey Markle had a team-high nine digs and served the 71st ace of her career ... Freshman Nicole Nevarez also made her CSUN debut, putting down five kills without an error to hit .500 ... CSUN now trails 6-2 in the all-time series with Arizona.
#GoMatadors
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