California State University at Northridge
5-17,3-8Big West
Cal State Bakersfield
6-17,2-9Big West
CSUN Gets Back in the Win Column with 3-1 Win Over Bakersfield
10/26/2023 9:20:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. – Sophomore Leah Miller connected for a season-high 21 kills while Perri Starkey added 17 as CSUN defeated Cal State Bakersfield in four sets in a Big West match Thursday night at Premier America Credit Union Arena.
The Matadors (5-17, 3-8 Big West) snapped a three-match skid while moving one game in front of the Roadrunners in the conference standings.
Miller had her best match of the season, putting down 21 kills while hitting .450 on 40 attacks. Miller committed just three hitting errors on the night while also adding one dig, one block and one assist. Starkey also hit well for CSUN, putting down 17 kills on 33 swings to hit .424. She completed her seventh double-double of the season by adding 18 digs. Setter Carisa Barron also doubled up with 29 assists and 11 digs while adding nine kills. The effort marked Barron's team-leading eighth double-double to go with four triple-doubles.
CSUN out-hit the visiting Roadrunners, .256 to .183 and also posted a 71-57 edge in team digs. Bakersfield posted an 11-7 edge in blocks while each team served four aces.
SET 1: CSUN 25, CSUB 21
Both teams hit well in the opening set as CSUN hit .483 to .375 for the visitors. A solo block by Taylor Hunter opened an early 7-5 lead for the Matadors who would then lead the remainder of the set. A Starkey kill extended the lead to five (12-7) and CSUN would also lead by five at the media timeout. Still down by five (19-14), the Roadrunners rallied to pull within one at 19-18 following a 4-0 run. The Matadors still led by one at 20-19 before outscoring the 'Runners 5-2 down the stretch.
S1 l Starkey powers her 7th kill of the set off the Bakersfield block and #CSUN takes the opening set 25-21#GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/KAQM6gQEf5
— CSUN Women's Volleyball (@CSUNWVB) October 27, 2023
SET 2: CSUN 25, CSUB 21
Both teams dropped slightly in hitting in set two but CSUN still hit .324 as a team. The Matadors used a 5-1 run early on to erase a 6-4 CSUB lead as CSUN led 9-7 after a Tatiana Turgeon kill. The Matadors would lead by as many as four (12-8) before CSUB rallied back to tie the score at 13-13. But a Roadrunner service error and a Barron kill gave CSUN a 15-13 and the Matadors would not trail again in the set, winning by the identical 25-21 margin.
S2 l Barron tools the Roadrunner block on set point and #CSUN wins the 2nd set 25-21 ... Matadors up 2 sets at home#GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/lo0IQnUunv
— CSUN Women's Volleyball (@CSUNWVB) October 27, 2023
SET 3: CSUB 25, CSUN 22
With the score tied 4-4, the visitors would put together a 7-1 run to open up an 11-5 cushion. Still down six at 17-11, CSUN rallied back behind a 6-2 run as Turgeon's ace pulled the Matadors within 19-17. But two points would be as close as the Matadors would get down the stretch as Bakersfield took the 25-22 win.
SET 4: CSUN 25, CSUB 23
Both teams struggled offensively in the final set but CSUN did enough to pull out the 25-23 win. After forcing an early CSUB timeout at 8-3, the Matadors extended the lead to as many as seven at 13-6 following a CSUB hitting error. An ensuing 11-2 run by the visitors would erase the Matador lead and put the visitors in front 17-15. CSUN regrouped out of a timeout, outscoring the 'Runners 5-2 to take a 20-19 lead. The Matadors then held off a late charge, cashing in a CSUB hitting error on set point to claim the 3-1 win.
Here's match point as Starkey's ace gives #CSUN a 25-23 win in set 4 and a 3-1 home win over Cal State Bakersfield#GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/HSjNPYUJQg
— CSUN Women's Volleyball (@CSUNWVB) October 27, 2023
ACCORDING TO COACH JOHN PRICE
Hear from head coach John Price following #CSUN's 3-1 win over Cal State Bakersfield#GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/hm6kPZrN57
— CSUN Women's Volleyball (@CSUNWVB) October 27, 2023
NOTES
- Kaia Kanan handed out a career-high 22 assists to go with four digs and a pair of kills.
- Kanan, Turgeon, Paige Sentes, Layla Cederlind all had one ace for CSUN in the win.
- Nieko Thomas had a team-high three blocks, including a pair of solo stuffs off the bench.
- With the win, CSUN improves to 34-11 all-time against Cal State Bakersfield while also snapping a two-match win streak for the Roadrunners.
UP NEXT
CSUN caps its brief two-match homestand on Friday, hosting Hawai'i at 6 p.m. The match will stream on ESPN+.
#GoMatadors
