California State University Northridge Athletics
Memorable Matador Moments - CSUN Earns Share of Big West Title, Upsets Colorado State in NCAA's
5/4/2020 8:33:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
In this ongoing feature, GoMatadors.com takes a look back at some of the most memorable moments in CSUN Athletics history. Today, we revisit the end of the 2013 season for CSUN women's volleyball as the Matadors captured a share of their first Big West title and upset 12th-ranked Colorado State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.Â
After overcoming a two sets to one deficit to top UC Davis in its Big West finale on Nov. 30, 2013, the CSUN women's volleyball team earned a share of the Big West Conference regular-season title for the first time in school history.
The Matadors finished the regular season with an overall record of 23-6 and were one of three teams to finish atop the conference standings at 13-3. UC Santa Barbara and Hawai'i also earned a share of the conference crown with the Gauchos earning the conference's automatic berth based on tiebreakers.
CSUN would have to wait to see if they would receive a berth into the NCAA Tournament, which would be the fifth in program history. CSUN was selected as an at-large team and would face 12th-ranked Colorado State in a first-round match at USC's Galen Center on Dec. 6.
"It was very exciting to be tri-champions of the Big West," recalled CSUN head coach Jeff Stork. "We hoped the NCAA selection committee would recognize the body of work that we put together over the course of the season and they did."
The tri-champions of the Big West Conference then made history on Dec. 5, becoming the first Matador team to win an NCAA Tournament match as CSUN held off the comeback efforts of the No. 12 Rams in a 25-13, 25-21, 13-25, 18-25, 15-12 victory at Galen Center.
had a team-high 17 kills
vs. Colorado State
The Matadors dominated the first two sets before Colorado State (28-2) mounted a furious comeback to win sets three and four. The decisive fifth set went back and forth before CSUN claimed five of the final seven points to pull out a 15-12 decision.
The Matadors, who last won a postseason tournament match in 1994 when they defeated San Jose State in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship in Kansas City, Mo., got a combined 44 kills from Casey Hinger, Cieana Stinson and Natalie Allen against the Rams.
Hinger put down a team-high 17 kills to go with a team-high 16 digs as the first-team All-Big West performer hit .467 on 30 attacks. Stinson was dominant over the first two sets and wound up with 15 kills, hitting .312 on 32 swings. The sophomore hit .857 in the first set alone with six kills in seven swings. Allen added 12 kills (.171) while also serving two aces with nine digs.
Senior setter Sydney Gedryn spread her 51 assists around as six different Matador hitters had at least six kills. Sam Kaul added nine kills while hitting .438 and matched Hinger and Gedryn with a pair of blocks. The Matadors, who were out-blocked just eight times this season, wound up being out-blocked by Colorado State 16.0-5.0 but their 68-59 advantage in kills was enough in the end.
CSUN came out on a mission hitting .391 over the first two sets, including .438 in set one. The Matadors played nearly error-free volleyball while the 12th-ranked Rams did not. The tide, however, changed in a big way in the third set as Colorado State hit a blistering .791 to CSUN's .159. The Rams did not let up in set four hitting .417 to .159 for the Matadors.
"I think they definitely picked it up a bit after that second set," said Hinger after the match. "We let them in a little, but we decided we are here for a reason. We're not going to let an almost undefeated team think they can skate by us and we brought it to them."
Gedryn had 51 assists
vs. Colorado State
With all the momentum favoring the Rams heading into the fifth set, things looked difficult for the Matadors trailing 7-4. Stinson's kill ended a 3-0 CSU run and propelled the Matadors on a 3-0 run of their own which tied the score at 7-7.
Following a Rams timeout, a solo block from Mahina Haina and a Haina kill gave the Matadors a brief 9-7 lead. Colorado State quickly tied the score again but could not take the lead when Adrianna Culbert's serve found the net. Gedryn's ensuing setter attack was stuffed at the net and the score was tied for the final time at 10-10.
An Allen kill and a Ram hitting error gave CSUN another two-point cushion and this time the Matadors would build on it following a CSU timeout. A Hinger-Gedryn stuff out of the timeout and another hitting miscue by the Rams set the Matadors up with match point at 14-10. Two straight CSU points prompted a Stork timeout before Michelle Lawrence's attack went wide on Colorado State's next swing and CSUN had the historic win.
"It wasn't the prettiest win in terms of losing the third and fourth the way that we did but volleyball is winning three out of five which we've done several times this year," added Stork following the match. "This was a huge character win."
CSUN's magical season concluded the following night as the Matadors fell in straight sets to sixth-seeded USC, 25-19, 25-18, 25-18 in a second-round NCAA Tournament match at Galen Center.
CSUN concluded one of the top seasons in school history with a 24-7 overall record and a Big West Tri-Championship.
"I am so proud of that team, we had an unbelievable season," recalled Stork. "It was unfortunate that it came to an end against a very good USC team but when we look back on that season, it was an unbelievable journey for us. Again, I am so proud of the girls and proud of the team that represented CSUN so well."
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