Matadors Top Cal State LA, Westcliff in Friday Dual Matches

Friday, March 3

Northridge, CA

9:00 a.m.

California State University at Northridge

Cal State LA

Photo by: Steve Fitzgerald

Matadors Top Cal State LA, Westcliff in Friday Dual Matches

3/3/2023 6:43:00 PM | Beach Volleyball

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - The CSUN beach volleyball team (3-1) picked up two more home wins on Friday as the Matadors defeated Cal State LA, 4-1 before holding off Westcliff, 3-2 in beach action at the CSUN Beach Volleyball Complex.

CSUN 4, CAL STATE LA 1
The Matadors opened the day against the Golden Eagles and came away with a 4-1 win while dropping just one set. Emily Sparks and Mikaela Maughan got CSUN on the board first as the Matador duo swept Eliza Cannon and Jameson Sanders in the No. 2 pair, 21-10, 21-8. CSUN made it 2-0 in the No. 4 pair as Seyvion Waggoner and Mac McCarthy defeated Shelby Grubbs and Haley Roundtree, 21-12, 21-16. The first flight closed with a CSUN win in the exhibition match as Abbey Sweeting and Gabriela Griego topped Tehya Chadwick and Beatriz Jimenez by the score of 21-4, 21-13.

The Matadors opened the second flight by clinching the dual win when True McCullough and Victoria Rogers swept Emily Elliott and Zuhal Cetin, 21-9, 21-12. CSUN made it 4-0 when the No. 5 match went final as Abigail Alvarez and Kinley Lindhardt defeated Ayjah Groves and Jaden Grova, 21-11, 21-14. Cal State LA would get on the board to close the dual as Ashley Dittmann and Iane Henke held off CSUN's Lauren Eknoian and Tasha Mae in three tight sets the No. 1 pair, 18-21, 21-13, 27-25.

CSUN 3, WESTCLIFF 2
After CSU Bakersfield defeated Cal State LA, the Matadors took the courts looking to avenge a pair of losses to the Warriors in 2022. McCarthy and Waggoner got CSUN off to a good start, sweeping Leanna Zamora and Luise Palenczat in the No. 4 pair, 21-16, 21-9. Westcliff's Gianna Guinasso and Mia Scheepens would even the match when the Warrior pair held off Sparks and Maughan in three sets (18-21, 22-20, 15-11) in the No. 2 pair on center court. Alvarez and Layla Cederlind closed the first flight by coming back to win the final two sets in a 13-21, 21-16, 15-10 victory over Leonor Chambel and Paula Ramos in the exhibition match.

The teams headed to the second flight knotted a one win apiece when Sweeting and Griego put CSUN up 2-1 with a straight set win over Chloe Johnson and Faith Webb, 21-8, 21-13 in the No. 5 pair. The final two matches would both go the distance as the drama built on courts one and three. Rogers and McCullough would drop the opening set (21-17) to Sabrina Galassi and Maddie Shepston before claiming the second set, 21-16. The Warrior pair would lead a good portion of the final set before the Matador pair battled back to pull out a 16-14 win, clinching CSUN's third win of the day. Eknoian and Mae also went to three sets against Marine Kinna and Fiona Moesching in the No. 1 pair before the Warriors would eek out a 16-21, 21-17, 17-15 win.

COACH ARI HOMAYUN SAID
"It's always a good day when you finish with two wins. It wasn't our best volleyball today but I'm proud of the girls for figuring out a way to win. They showed some grit and fought hard. We have good momentum going into tomorrow playing two tough opponents."

UP NEXT
The Matadors continue a busy weekend on Saturday, hosting CSU Bakersfield and Boise State in a tri-dual beginning at 10 a.m.

CSUN 4, CAL STATE LA 1
#1 - Ditttmann/Henke (LA) def. Eknoian/Sparks (CSUN) – 18-21, 21-13, 27-25
#2 - Sparks/Maughan (CSUN) def. Cannon/Sanders (LA) – 21-10, 21-8
#3 - McCullough/Rogers (CSUN) def. Elliott/Cetin (LA) – 21-9, 21-12
#4 - Waggoner/McCarthy (CSUN) def. Grubbs/Roundtree (LA) – 21-12, 21-16
#5 - Alvarez/Lindhardt (CSUN) def. Landers/Grova – 21-11, 21-14
Exh. - Sweeting/Griego (CSUN) def. Chadwick/Jimenez - 21-4, 21-13

CSUN 3, WESTCLIFF 2
#1 - Kinna/Moesching (WU) def. Eknoian/Mae (CSUN) – 16-21, 21-17, 17-15
#2 - Guinasso/Scheepens (WU) def. Sparks/Maughan (CSUN) – 18-21, 22-20, 15-11
#3 - McCullough/Rogers (CSUN) def. Galassi/Shepston (WU) – 17-21, 21-16, 16-14
#4 - Waggoner/McCarthy (CSUN) def. Zamora/Palenczat (WU) – 21-16, 21-9
#5 - Sweeting/Griego (CSUN) def. Johnson/Webb (WU) – 21-8, 21-13
Exh. - Alvarez/Cederlind (CSUN) def. Chambel/Ramos (CUI) - 13-21, 21-16, 15-10

#GoMatadors