California State University at Northridge
1-6,0-0Big West
Portland
4-4,0-0WCC
Five-Setter Gets CSUN Again as Portland Takes a 3-2 Win
9/8/2023 8:59:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
PORTLAND, Ore. – Playing a five-set match for the second time on Friday - and fifth time this season - the CSUN women's volleyball came up short as the host Portland Pilots rallied for a 3-2 win in a non-conference match Friday evening at the Chiles Center.
Redshirt junior Taylor Hunter led CSUN with a season-high 14 kills on 23 errorless attacks to hit .609. Hunter also set a season-high with 10 blocks, including three solo stuffs to go with two aces. Taylor Orshoff and Leah Miller also reached double figures in kills as Orshoff had 12 (.140) and Miller chipped in 11 (.188). Carisa Barron posted her second double-double in as many matches on Friday with 24 assists and 11 digs. She narrowly missed her second triple-double of the season by adding nine kills.
For the match, CSUN posted a .206 team hitting clip while the host Pilots hit .192. The Matadors also had a 16-12 lead in blocks and a 62-60 edge in digs. Portland posted a slight 10-9 edge in service aces.
SET 1: PORTLAND 25, CSUN 22
CSUN fell behind 7-1 in the opening set and trailed 9-2 after 11 points. But the Matadors rallied behind an 11-2 run, capped by a Tatiana Turgeon kill, that tied the score at 13-13. The two teams then traded sideouts until 20-20 when the Pilots scored twice. A Portland service error and a Layla Cederlind ace would tie the score at 22-22 but the Pilots rallied for the final three points.
SET 2: CSUN 29, PORTLAND 27
In a set that featured nine ties and four lead changes, the Matadors overcame an early 12-7 deficit as a Taylor Dunlap ace gave CSUN a 16-15 lead. The Matadors would lead by as many as four (20-16) before a 6-2 Portland run tied the score at 22-22. The score was tied five more times, the last at 27-27, when an Okolo block and a Hunter ace sealed the Matador win.
Matadors save a host of set points before Hunter deals the ace on set point ... We're even at one set apiece from Portland after #CSUN wins the 2nd set 29-27#GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/qwOs2cRJkc
— CSUN Women's Volleyball (@CSUNWVB) September 9, 2023
SET 3: PORTLAND 25, CSUN 20
Looking to string together back-to-back set wins, CSUN got a Hunter kill to tie the score at 17-17. Two straight Portland points however would give the Pilots the margin they needed to hold off a late Matador run.
SET 4: CSUN 25, PORTLAND 9
The Matadors dominated the fourth set, hitting .545 as a team while holding Portland to an -.042 clip. CSUN raced out to a 6-1 lead and led 9-2 when Portland called timeout. The Matadors extended the lead to double digits at 14-4 following a Barron kill and won the set going away.
S4 l Miller slams down a kill on set point and #CSUN dominates the 4th set 25-9 ... We're going 5 for the 5th time this season!#GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/vp7ISwCydr
— CSUN Women's Volleyball (@CSUNWVB) September 9, 2023
SET 5: PORTLAND 16, CSUN 14
Neither team led by more than one point until a Starkey kill gave CSUN a 9-7 lead. Another Okolo block pushed the lead to 12-9 and the Matadors eventually had four match points at 14-9 following an Orshoff kill. A 6-0 Portland run saved all four match points and put the Pilots in front 15-14 when a Miller kill kept CSUN alive. But two straight Portland kills sent the Pilots to the 17-15 win.
ACCORDING TO COACH JOHN PRICE
"Once again, we played well enough to win but just didn't make enough plays when we needed to. I've been around teams that have gone through stretches like this and its propels them through the remainder of the season. I hope we learn from these five-set matches and are stronger as we get ready for the Big West season. The bottom line is we need to keep getting better."
NOTES
- CSUN libero Kelsey Knudsen posted a season-high 28 digs.
- Perri Starkey had eight kills, a season-high four aces and four digs while redshirt freshman Iye Okolo posted a season-high six blocks (three solo).
- With the win, Portland snapped a 3-3 tie in the all-time series.
UP NEXT
CSUN wraps up the Portland Invitational on Saturday as the Matadors take on Wyoming at 11 a.m.
#GoMatadors
