California State University at Northridge
2-7,0-0Big West
UTRGV
6-5,0-0WAC
CSUN Sweeps UTRGV to Open USF Challenge
9/15/2023 12:36:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – The CSUN women's volleyball team hit a season-high .333 as the Matadors opened the USF Challenge with a 3-0 sweep (25-16, 26-24, 25-15) over Texas-Rio Grande Valley Friday morning at War Memorial at The Sobrato Center.
CSUN (2-7) was led by junior Carisa Barron who pounded a match-high 12 kills (.333) while adding 14 assists for her fourth double-double of the season. Sophomore Leah Miller added eight kills (.312) and three digs while the CSUN middles (Taylor Hunter, Iye Okolo) combined to hit .591 with 14 kills and one error on 22 swings. Hunter added a match-high four blocks as CSUN out-blocked UTRGV, 7-2.
For the match, CSUN hit a season-high .333 while limiting the Vaqueros to an .080 team hitting clip. The Matadors also won the serve and pass game after posting four aces to UTRGV's one and 42 digs to the Vaqueros' 33.
SET 1: CSUN 25, UTRGV 16
With the score tied 4-4, CSUN outscored UTRGV 8-1 over the next nine points to open up a 12-5 lead. The Matadors maintained a seven-point cushion at 17-10 following a Vaquero hitting error before leading by as many as eight (23-15) following a Dunlap ace.
SET 2: CSUN 26, UTRGV 24
The second set would feature six ties as UTRGV overcame an early 3-0 CSUN lead to pull even at 19-19 on a Matador hitting error. A Miller kill propelled CSUN on a 4-1 run that opened up a 23-20 lead before three straight points by the Vaqueros tied the score at 23-23. A pair of Barron kills set the Matadors up with set points at both 24-23 and 25-24 before she served an ace on set point.
SET 3: CSUN 25, UTRGV 15
CSUN would get four kills from Barron and two each from Miller and Starkey in the final set as the Matadors held UTRGV to a -.050 hitting clip in the 25-15 win. CSUN would take advantage of some timely kills and some Vaquero miscues to open up an 11-3 lead and would lead by double digits throughout much of the set.
NOTES
- Junior Perri Starkey led CSUN with 10 digs while adding five kills on .214 hitting.
- Libero Kelsey Knudsen had eight digs, four assists and one ace.
- Taylor Dunlap posted 20 assists, four digs and one ace while combining with Barron for 34 assists.
- The win snapped a four-match losing streak for CSUN as the Matadors won the first-ever meeting with UTRGV.
ACCORDING TO COACH JOHN PRICE
"Today was a nice win against a good team that has some talent. We've been playing better lately, even though we've lost some close matches. Today was the only other match - after Fresno State - that we won the serve and pass game. It's the fifth match out of nine this season that we've out-hit the opposing team so that's encouraging. If we can continue to improve in the serve and pass area we'll be a much better team. I feel like our offense and defense is much improved over the last few years."
UP NEXT
CSUN plays its second match of the USF Challenge this afternoon at 3 p.m., as the Matadors face San José in a rematch from earlier this season when the Spartans won in five sets.
#GoMatadors
