Saturday, January 7
Goleta, CA
3:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
1-2,0-0Big West
3
vs
0
Lincoln Memorial
1-3,0-0DI Independent
1
2
3
F
Lincoln Memorial
20
21
21
0
CSUN
25
25
25
3
Photo by: Steve Fitzgerald
CSUN Earns First Win in Straight Sets Over Lincoln Memorial
1/7/2023 7:32:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Junior Kyle Hobus put down a season-high 15 kills as CSUN men's volleyball team picked up its first win of the season Saturday, sweeping Lincoln Memorial 25-20, 25-21, 25-21 to conclude the UCSB Asics Invitational at Robertson Gym.
With the win, the Matadors improve to 1-2 while Theo Edwards earns his first career win as head coach. The loss drops the Railsplitters to 1-3 on the season.
KEY STATISTICS
• Hobus had his best match of the young season, leading all hitters with 15 kills while hitting .583 on 24 swings. He also added three blocks, one ace and one dig.
• Griffin Walters and Nathan Merren each added six kills while Merren hitting .417 in his first career start. Walters added a season-high four aces along with two digs. Jano Tello chipped in five kills on .333 hitting to go with three blocks.
• Donovan Constable recorded a season-high 30 assists while matching his career high with three aces while Taylan Cook led all players with five digs.
• The Matadors enjoyed their best hitting effort of the season, connecting at a .453 clip  with 36 kills and just seven errors on 64 attacks. CSUN limited the Railsplitters to .113 hitting (26-19-62) while also posting advantages in aces (8-6) and blocks (7.5-3.0).Â
• Matthew Gentry had six kills to lead Lincoln Memorial while hitting .500 on eight swings.
COACH THEO EDWARDS SAID
"We won the serve and pass and played a much cleaner match tonight, which was a complete 180 from the past two nights. Our play in transition was much more efficient and our pin hitters were exceptional. Donovan also had a really good tonight and we executed very well as a team. We got better every game of this tournament so that's very encouraged moving forward."Â
SET 1
The Matadors trailed 4-3 lead following a Merren kill, when LMU put together a 6-1 run to open up a 10-4 advantage. Following a CSUN timeout, three straight kills by Hobus and a Walters ace pulled the Matadors within two at 10-8. CSUN then outscored the Railsplitters 5-2 over the next seven points to take its first lead at 13-12 on a Hobus kill. The Matadors would build a four-point lead at 16-12 on a Constable ace and would go on to a 25-20 victory, their first set win of the seasonÂ
SET 2
LMU jumped out to a 3-1 win in the second set before leading by as many as four at 7-3. Still down two at 10-8, the Matadors went on a 6-3 run to take their first lead at 14-13 when an LMU attack went out. CSUN, which out-hit LMU .500 to .000 in the set, expanded a 17-16 to 20-16 before holding off a late charge by the Railsplitters to take a 25-21 win.
 Â
SET 3
In the final set, the Matadors snapped a 4-4 tie by scoring three straight, two on Hobus kills, to open up a 7-4 lead. LMU would rally back to pull within one at 9-8 forcing a CSUN timeout. The Railsplitters eventually pulled even at 13-13 before a Walters kill kept the Matadors in front. Still leading by one (16-15), CSUN rolled off five straight, highlighted by a Constable ace and a triple block by Merren, Payne and Hobus, to lead 21-15. The Matador lead would not dip below three points the remainder of the set as CSUN used a Merren kill on match point to take a 25-21 win.
UP NEXT
The Matadors open the home season this Thursday (Jan. 12) as they take on Edward Waters to open up a program record eight-match homestand.
#UniteTheValley
With the win, the Matadors improve to 1-2 while Theo Edwards earns his first career win as head coach. The loss drops the Railsplitters to 1-3 on the season.
KEY STATISTICS
• Hobus had his best match of the young season, leading all hitters with 15 kills while hitting .583 on 24 swings. He also added three blocks, one ace and one dig.
• Griffin Walters and Nathan Merren each added six kills while Merren hitting .417 in his first career start. Walters added a season-high four aces along with two digs. Jano Tello chipped in five kills on .333 hitting to go with three blocks.
• Donovan Constable recorded a season-high 30 assists while matching his career high with three aces while Taylan Cook led all players with five digs.
• The Matadors enjoyed their best hitting effort of the season, connecting at a .453 clip  with 36 kills and just seven errors on 64 attacks. CSUN limited the Railsplitters to .113 hitting (26-19-62) while also posting advantages in aces (8-6) and blocks (7.5-3.0).Â
• Matthew Gentry had six kills to lead Lincoln Memorial while hitting .500 on eight swings.
COACH THEO EDWARDS SAID
"We won the serve and pass and played a much cleaner match tonight, which was a complete 180 from the past two nights. Our play in transition was much more efficient and our pin hitters were exceptional. Donovan also had a really good tonight and we executed very well as a team. We got better every game of this tournament so that's very encouraged moving forward."Â
SET 1
The Matadors trailed 4-3 lead following a Merren kill, when LMU put together a 6-1 run to open up a 10-4 advantage. Following a CSUN timeout, three straight kills by Hobus and a Walters ace pulled the Matadors within two at 10-8. CSUN then outscored the Railsplitters 5-2 over the next seven points to take its first lead at 13-12 on a Hobus kill. The Matadors would build a four-point lead at 16-12 on a Constable ace and would go on to a 25-20 victory, their first set win of the seasonÂ
SET 2
LMU jumped out to a 3-1 win in the second set before leading by as many as four at 7-3. Still down two at 10-8, the Matadors went on a 6-3 run to take their first lead at 14-13 when an LMU attack went out. CSUN, which out-hit LMU .500 to .000 in the set, expanded a 17-16 to 20-16 before holding off a late charge by the Railsplitters to take a 25-21 win.
 Â
SET 3
In the final set, the Matadors snapped a 4-4 tie by scoring three straight, two on Hobus kills, to open up a 7-4 lead. LMU would rally back to pull within one at 9-8 forcing a CSUN timeout. The Railsplitters eventually pulled even at 13-13 before a Walters kill kept the Matadors in front. Still leading by one (16-15), CSUN rolled off five straight, highlighted by a Constable ace and a triple block by Merren, Payne and Hobus, to lead 21-15. The Matador lead would not dip below three points the remainder of the set as CSUN used a Merren kill on match point to take a 25-21 win.
UP NEXT
The Matadors open the home season this Thursday (Jan. 12) as they take on Edward Waters to open up a program record eight-match homestand.
#UniteTheValley
Team Stats
LM
CSUN
Kills
26
36
Errors
19
7
Attempts
62
64
Hitting %
.113
.453
Points
35
51.5
Assists
24
34
Aces
6
8
Blocks
3
7.5
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
15
Aces
1
Blocks
3
Kills
6
Aces
4
Blocks
1
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
5
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Players Mentioned
S
/ Men's Volleyball
L
/ Men's Volleyball
OH
/ Men's VolleyballOPP
/ Men's Volleyball
OH
/ Men's Volleyball
OH
/ Men's VolleyballCalHOPE Award Nathan Merren
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