CSUN Edged 3-2 by Both CSU Bakersfield and Boise State

Saturday, March 4

Northridge, CA

10:00 a.m.

California State University at Northridge

CSU Bakersfield

Photo by: Steve Fitzgerald

CSUN Edged 3-2 by Both CSU Bakersfield and Boise State

3/4/2023 6:12:00 PM | Beach Volleyball

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - Emily Sparks and Mikaela Maughan won twice on Saturday but the CSUN beach volleyball team (3-3) was edged 3-2 by both CSU Bakersfield and Boise State in a tri-dual Saturday at the CSUN Beach Volleyball Complex. With two wins on the day, Maughan surpassed former Matador Kailey Klein (2019-22) for most individual wins in program history with 53.

CSU BAKERSFIELD 3, CSUN 2
The Matadors and Roadrunners opened the tri-match, meeting for the 24th time since 2014. Sparks and Maughan opened the scoring in dominating fashion, defeating Sophia Hladyniuk and Emma Ertelova 21-9, 21-9. The visitors drew even in the No. 4 pair as Emma Bubelis and Alanna Shields claimed a three-set win over Seyvion Waggoner and Mac McCarthy, 19-21, 21-18, 15-8. The opening flight concluded with the Matadors winning the exhibition No. 6 pair as CSUN's Abigail Alvarez and Kinley Lindhardt swept Paige Calvin and Alyson Cooper by the score of 21-12, 21-15

CSUB would take a 2-1 lead as the 'Runners opened the second flight with a three-set win in the No. 1 pair. Hana Makovova and Sophia Brandstetter came back after dropping the opening set (21-13) to hold off Lauren Eknoian and Tasha Mae 21-16 in the second set and 15-11 in the third set. Abbey Sweeting and Gabriela Griego then topped Pearl Moore and Megan Gilbert in three sets (18-21, 26-24, 15-11) in the No. 5 pairs to set up a deciding match at No. 3. After CSUB's Hayley McCluskey and Isabella Almeida took the opening set (21-17) over True McCullough and Victoria Rogers, the CSUN pair came back to win set two, 21-16 before the 'Runners would pull away late to win the deciding set 15-9 and clinch the win.

BOISE STATE 3, CSUN 2
After Boise State defeated CSU Bakersfield 4-1 in the middle dual, the Broncos and Matadors met for just the fourth time in their history. Boise claimed the first point of the dual when Joey Benson and Emilia Guerra-Acuna swept Waggoner and McCarthy, 21-14, 21-12. Sparks and Maughan pulled the Matadors even when CSUN picked up a 21-16, 22-20 win over Kaylee Mejia abd Lily Patock at No. 2 giving Maughan her 53rd career win. Maughan, who teamed with Darbi Honeycutt from 2019-22, also holds the program record with 43 career wins as a pair.

After Aris Vetter and Sharli O'Neil defeated Alvarez and Lindhardt ( 21-14, 21-18) in the exhibition match to close the first flight, the Broncos opened the second flight by going up 2-1 with a win in the No. 5 pair as Anika Christensen and Abbie Wolf swept Sweeting and Griego, 21-13, 21-14. Rori Chartier and Ava Anderson then clinched the win for Boise State with a 21-14, 21-18 victory over Rogers and McCullough in the No. 3 pair. Eknoian and Mae then closed the day by going the distance (17-21, 21-19, 15-12) to defeat Sierra Land and Madison Nichols in the No. 1 pair on center court to make the final score 3-2.

COACH ARI HOMAYUN SAID
"Two tough and hard-fought losses today. The girls continue to improve every match, but I still don't think we have played our best volleyball. There were some bright moments, Emily (Sparks) and Mikaela (Maughan) helped bring a spark in both of their matches with some dominant wins. Gaby (Griego) and Abbey (Sweeting) taking the third set against CSUB was an awesome win as well. Luckily we are still super early in the season and we have another opportunity to play both Boise and Bakersfield. We're looking forward to the rematch against Boise tomorrow and also playing HCU, another tough team that we will have to play well against."

UP NEXT
The Matadors conclude a six-match weekend on Sunday, hosting HCU and Boise State in a tri-dual beginning at 9 a.m.

CSU BAKERSFIELD 3, CSUN 2
#1 - Makonova/Brandstetter (CSUB) def. Eknoian/Sparks (CSUN) – 13-21, 21-16, 15-11
#2 - Sparks/Maughan (CSUN) def. Hladyniuk/Ertelova (CSUB) – 21-9, 21-9
#3 - McCluskey/Almeida (CSUB) def. McCullough/Rogers (CSUN) – 21-17, 16-21, 15-9
#4 - Bubelis/Shields (CSUB) def. Waggoner/McCarthy (CSUN) – 19-21, 21-18, 15-8
#5 - Sweeting/Griego (CSUN) def. Moore/Gilbert (CSUB) – 18-21, 26-24, 15-11
Exh. - Alvarez/Lindhardt (CSUN) def. Calvin/Cooper (CSUB) - 21-12, 21-15

BOISE STATE 3, CSUN 2
#1 - Eknoian/Mae (CSUN) def. Land/Nichols (BOISE) – 17-21, 21-19, 15-12
#2 - Sparks/Maughan (CSUN) def. Mejia/Patock (BOISE) – 21-16, 22-20
#3 - Chartier/Anderson (BOISE) def. McCullough/Rogers (CSUN) – 21-14, 21-18
#4 - Benson/Guerra-Acuna (BOISE) def. Waggoner/McCarthy (CSUN) – 21-14, 21-12
#5 - Christensen/Wolf (BOISE) def. Sweeting/Griego (CSUN) – 21-13, 21-14
Exh. - Vetter/O'Neil (BOISE) def. Alvarez/Lindhardt (CSUN) - 21-14, 21-18

#GoMatadors