Wednesday, January 18
Northridge, CA
7:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
3-2,0-0Big West
3
vs
1
The Master's University
1-2
1
2
3
4
F
Master's
22
19
25
22
1
CSUN
25
25
18
25
3
Photo by: Connor Clark
Matadors Hold Off The Master's University in Four Sets
1/18/2023 9:31:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - After winning the first two sets, the CSUN men's volleyball team had to hold off a pesky Master's team over the final sets as the Matadors claimed a four-set decision in a non-conference match Wednesday night at Premier America Credit Union Arena.
With the 25-22, 25-19, 18-25, 25-22 win, the Matadors improve to 3-2 on the season. The match was an exhibition match for the Mustangs.
KEY STATISTICS
• Redshirt sophomore Nathan Merren led CSUN with 11 kills, hitting .200 on 25 attacks. Merren also contributed six digs, one off his season-high and one block.Â
• Kyle Hobus added 10 kills but hit just .067 on a team-high 30 swings. Hobus did add two digs, two blocks and a season-high two assists.
• Griffin Walters chipped in seven kills (.037) and seven digs while serving four of the Matadors' six aces and Jackson Payne had six kills on .417 hitting which led all hitters.
• Setter Donovan Constable handed out 33 assists along with six digs, two blocks and two kills while libero Taylan Cook also had six digs in the win.
• After hitting .463 in its past two matches, CSUN connected at a .153 clip (41-24-111) against the Mustangs. The Matadors had six aces to two for The Master's but the Mustangs out-dug (37-25) and out-blocked (14-7) CSUN.
• Nolan Flexon led all hitters in the match with 15 kills for The Master's which hit .156 as a team.
COACH THEO EDWARDS SAID
"Tonight was a struggle. We didn't play the most disciplined volleyball, but as I told the team after the match, when you're not playing your best you need to find a way to win and we did that tonight. I thought Nathan (Merren) played really well and carried our team at times. His stats weren't great but he killed some balls when we really needed it."
SET 1
CSUN led 2-1 in the early going before the visitors claimed four of the next five points to lead 5-3. The Master's would continue to lead, eventually opening up a 12-9 advantage when the Matadors were whistled for a back-row attack. Still down three at 16-13, Hobus' attack was stuffed by the Mustang block and the visitors held their largest lead at 17-13. CSUN whittled the deficit down to two at 20-18 before another Master's block pushed the lead back to three. A kill by Constable on the ensuing point would fuel a 3-0 CSUN run that tied for the score before a Matador service error kept the visitors in front 22-21. A Mustang hitting error on the next point would send CSUN on a set-clinching 4-0 run as the Matadors claimed the opening set 25-22 on a Jano Tello ace.
SET 2
CSUN carried the momentum into the second set, out-hitting the Mustangs .381 to .217. CSUN claimed three of the first four points and would never trail in the frame. Leading by three at 12-9, the visitors challenged an out call and a Mustang kill resulted in the overturned kill, pulling The Master's within 12-10. The visitors would rally to within one at 12-11 and again at both 13-12 and 14-13 before a 3-0 CSUN run opened up 17-13 advantage. A pair of Master's hitting errors pushed the Matador lead to five (22-17) before CSUN claimed three of the final four points in a 25-19 win.
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SET 3
The Matadors surrendered an early 3-0 run which snapped a 2-2 tie as the Mustangs would lead a majority of the set. CSUN took its first lead when a Walters ace gave the Matadors a 7-6 lead. A Mustang hitting error would give CSUN its final lead at 8-7 before The Master's would engineer a 7-1 run the opened up a 14-9 cushion. Leading by six at 22-16, the visitors scored twice to lead by as many as eight at 24-16. Kills by Merren and a co-block from Payne and Walters saved a pair of set points before a Mustang kill sent The Master's to a 25-18 win.Â
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SET 4
After hitting .000 in the third set, the Matadors hit .208 to the Mustangs' .182 to claim the final set, 25-22. With the score knotted at 10-10, the Matadors took advantage of three straight Master's miscues to lead 13-10. A 3-1 Mustang run cut the CSUN lead to one before a kill from Tello and a pair of Master's hitting errors pushed the lead back to four at 17-13. The visitors would only get within two points the rest of the way as Hobus' 10th and final kill of the night on match point sent CSUN to the 25-22 win.Â
UP NEXT
The Matadors continue their seven-match homestand this Friday (Jan. 20) as they host Menlo College at 7 p.m.
#UniteTheValley
With the 25-22, 25-19, 18-25, 25-22 win, the Matadors improve to 3-2 on the season. The match was an exhibition match for the Mustangs.
KEY STATISTICS
• Redshirt sophomore Nathan Merren led CSUN with 11 kills, hitting .200 on 25 attacks. Merren also contributed six digs, one off his season-high and one block.Â
• Kyle Hobus added 10 kills but hit just .067 on a team-high 30 swings. Hobus did add two digs, two blocks and a season-high two assists.
• Griffin Walters chipped in seven kills (.037) and seven digs while serving four of the Matadors' six aces and Jackson Payne had six kills on .417 hitting which led all hitters.
• Setter Donovan Constable handed out 33 assists along with six digs, two blocks and two kills while libero Taylan Cook also had six digs in the win.
• After hitting .463 in its past two matches, CSUN connected at a .153 clip (41-24-111) against the Mustangs. The Matadors had six aces to two for The Master's but the Mustangs out-dug (37-25) and out-blocked (14-7) CSUN.
• Nolan Flexon led all hitters in the match with 15 kills for The Master's which hit .156 as a team.
COACH THEO EDWARDS SAID
"Tonight was a struggle. We didn't play the most disciplined volleyball, but as I told the team after the match, when you're not playing your best you need to find a way to win and we did that tonight. I thought Nathan (Merren) played really well and carried our team at times. His stats weren't great but he killed some balls when we really needed it."
SET 1
CSUN led 2-1 in the early going before the visitors claimed four of the next five points to lead 5-3. The Master's would continue to lead, eventually opening up a 12-9 advantage when the Matadors were whistled for a back-row attack. Still down three at 16-13, Hobus' attack was stuffed by the Mustang block and the visitors held their largest lead at 17-13. CSUN whittled the deficit down to two at 20-18 before another Master's block pushed the lead back to three. A kill by Constable on the ensuing point would fuel a 3-0 CSUN run that tied for the score before a Matador service error kept the visitors in front 22-21. A Mustang hitting error on the next point would send CSUN on a set-clinching 4-0 run as the Matadors claimed the opening set 25-22 on a Jano Tello ace.
SET 2
CSUN carried the momentum into the second set, out-hitting the Mustangs .381 to .217. CSUN claimed three of the first four points and would never trail in the frame. Leading by three at 12-9, the visitors challenged an out call and a Mustang kill resulted in the overturned kill, pulling The Master's within 12-10. The visitors would rally to within one at 12-11 and again at both 13-12 and 14-13 before a 3-0 CSUN run opened up 17-13 advantage. A pair of Master's hitting errors pushed the Matador lead to five (22-17) before CSUN claimed three of the final four points in a 25-19 win.
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SET 3
The Matadors surrendered an early 3-0 run which snapped a 2-2 tie as the Mustangs would lead a majority of the set. CSUN took its first lead when a Walters ace gave the Matadors a 7-6 lead. A Mustang hitting error would give CSUN its final lead at 8-7 before The Master's would engineer a 7-1 run the opened up a 14-9 cushion. Leading by six at 22-16, the visitors scored twice to lead by as many as eight at 24-16. Kills by Merren and a co-block from Payne and Walters saved a pair of set points before a Mustang kill sent The Master's to a 25-18 win.Â
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SET 4
After hitting .000 in the third set, the Matadors hit .208 to the Mustangs' .182 to claim the final set, 25-22. With the score knotted at 10-10, the Matadors took advantage of three straight Master's miscues to lead 13-10. A 3-1 Mustang run cut the CSUN lead to one before a kill from Tello and a pair of Master's hitting errors pushed the lead back to four at 17-13. The visitors would only get within two points the rest of the way as Hobus' 10th and final kill of the night on match point sent CSUN to the 25-22 win.Â
UP NEXT
The Matadors continue their seven-match homestand this Friday (Jan. 20) as they host Menlo College at 7 p.m.
#UniteTheValley
Team Stats
Master
CSUN
Kills
43
41
Errors
26
24
Attempts
109
111
Hitting %
.156
.153
Points
59
54
Assists
41
38
Aces
2
6
Blocks
14
7
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
7
Aces
4
Blocks
2
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Players Mentioned
S
/ Men's Volleyball
L
/ Men's Volleyball
OH
/ Men's VolleyballOPP
/ Men's Volleyball
MB
/ Men's Volleyball
OH
/ Men's Volleyball
OH
/ Men's VolleyballCalHOPE Award Nathan Merren
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