Saturday, November 16
Northridge, Calif.
2:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
9-18,4-12Big West
3
vs
2
UC Riverside
9-20,4-12Big West
1
2
3
4
5
F
UC Riverside
22
25
30
15
8
2
CSUN
25
20
28
25
15
3
Photo by: Connor Clark
CSUN Celebrates Senior Day With 3-2 Win Over UC Riverside
11/16/2024 7:05:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. – Amaris Smith pounded a match-high 23 kills and Leah Miller added 15 to lead the CSUN women's volleyball team to a five-set win over visiting UC Riverside in a Big West match Saturday afternoon at Premier America Credit Union Arena.
The Matadors (9-18, 4-12 Big West) celebrated Senior Day prior to Saturday's home finale as Layla Cederlind and Autumn Rojelio were honored. CSUN then went out and snapped a three-match skid while sweeping the season series from the Highlanders. With 23 kills, Smith had her best offensive output since also notching 23 kills against San Francisco in early September. She hit .190 on 63 swings while adding 10 digs for her fifth double-double of the season. Smith rounded out an impressive all-around performance with a season-high three aces and one assist.
Miller hit well with 15 kills on 33 swings to hit .364 along with three digs and a pair of blocks. Katie Kolar also doubled up for CSUN - her 16th of the season - with 46 assists and a team-high 19 digs. Kolar was one of five Matadors with double figures in digs as CSUN posted 81 team digs, its fourth-best total of the season. CSUN hit exactly 100 points better than the Highlanders (.216 to .116) while each team had 10 blocks. UCR out-served the Matadors 10-5 in the loss.
SET 1: CSUN 25, UCR 22 – A Tatiana Turgeon kill gave CSUN an 18-13 lead before a UCR hitting error opened up the Matadors' largest lead at 21-14 largest. After Iye Okolo's kill gave CSUN set point at 24-18, the Highlanders saved four set points (24-22) before Smith's swing went off the UCR block to seal the 25-22 win. The Matadors hit .111 while holding UCR to a .000 hitting clip in set one.
SET 2: UCR 25, CSUN 20 – The visitors opened up the second with an early 6-2 lead before the Matadors used a 9-2 run to take an 11-8 lead forcing a UCR timeout. The visitors countered with a 6-3 run to take a 16-14 lead while forcing a CSUN timeout. UCR extended the lead to three at 20-17 before Smith's eighth kill ended the run while pulling the Matadors within two. CSUN would get no closer as UCR capped the set with a 5-2 run.
SET 3: UCR 30, CSUN 28 – CSUN led by 12-8 early, before the Highlanders rallied back behind a 6-1 run to take a 14-13. UCR still led by one (20-19) before a Highlander block forced a Matador timeout at 21-19. Miller answered with a kill, again cutting the lead to one before the Highlanders went back up two at 23-21 forcing another CSUN timeout. The Matadors strung together two straight to force extra points when the visitors snapped a 28-28 with a kill and an ace.
SET 4: CSUN 25, UCR 15 – CSUN scored the first three points in set four and led 9-6 following a Kolar kill. Smith put down a kill to extend CSUN's lead to five (12-7) forcing a UCR timeout. The Matadors would lead by as many as nine at 22-13 before closing out a 25-15 win on Smith's 19th kill of the match.
SET 5: CSUN 15, UCR 8 – Neither team led by more than one until a UCR block gave the Highlanders a 5-3 edge. The lead remained two at 6-4 when another Smith kill propelled the Matadors on a 6-1 run forcing a Highlander timeout at 10-7. Two more Matador points extended the run and forced a final UCR timeout before CSUN would go on to claim three of the final four points to secure the 15-8 win.
ACCORDING TO HEAD COACH AQUILES MONTOYA
"This was a tough, gritty win against a Riverside team that is playing with a ton of confidence. I was really excited to see some of the depth of our team tonight. We have a couple of injuries so with no one else really to go to, just watching the team embrace each other and work through the game plan was great. After losing set three, 30-28, we could have easily been flat but I thought we did a great job in sets four and five. Our defense and our blocking really stepped up and made them play and those long rallies were worth it for us in the end."
UP NEXT
CSUN plays the remainder of the 2024 regular season on the road, visiting UC San Diego (Nov. 22) and Long Beach State (Nov. 23) next week.
#GoMatadors
The Matadors (9-18, 4-12 Big West) celebrated Senior Day prior to Saturday's home finale as Layla Cederlind and Autumn Rojelio were honored. CSUN then went out and snapped a three-match skid while sweeping the season series from the Highlanders. With 23 kills, Smith had her best offensive output since also notching 23 kills against San Francisco in early September. She hit .190 on 63 swings while adding 10 digs for her fifth double-double of the season. Smith rounded out an impressive all-around performance with a season-high three aces and one assist.
Miller hit well with 15 kills on 33 swings to hit .364 along with three digs and a pair of blocks. Katie Kolar also doubled up for CSUN - her 16th of the season - with 46 assists and a team-high 19 digs. Kolar was one of five Matadors with double figures in digs as CSUN posted 81 team digs, its fourth-best total of the season. CSUN hit exactly 100 points better than the Highlanders (.216 to .116) while each team had 10 blocks. UCR out-served the Matadors 10-5 in the loss.
SET 1: CSUN 25, UCR 22 – A Tatiana Turgeon kill gave CSUN an 18-13 lead before a UCR hitting error opened up the Matadors' largest lead at 21-14 largest. After Iye Okolo's kill gave CSUN set point at 24-18, the Highlanders saved four set points (24-22) before Smith's swing went off the UCR block to seal the 25-22 win. The Matadors hit .111 while holding UCR to a .000 hitting clip in set one.
First set is ours.
— CSUN Women's Volleyball (@csunwomensvb) November 16, 2024
CSUN wins the opening frame 25-22!#GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/GkAd4zVnjF
SET 2: UCR 25, CSUN 20 – The visitors opened up the second with an early 6-2 lead before the Matadors used a 9-2 run to take an 11-8 lead forcing a UCR timeout. The visitors countered with a 6-3 run to take a 16-14 lead while forcing a CSUN timeout. UCR extended the lead to three at 20-17 before Smith's eighth kill ended the run while pulling the Matadors within two. CSUN would get no closer as UCR capped the set with a 5-2 run.
SET 3: UCR 30, CSUN 28 – CSUN led by 12-8 early, before the Highlanders rallied back behind a 6-1 run to take a 14-13. UCR still led by one (20-19) before a Highlander block forced a Matador timeout at 21-19. Miller answered with a kill, again cutting the lead to one before the Highlanders went back up two at 23-21 forcing another CSUN timeout. The Matadors strung together two straight to force extra points when the visitors snapped a 28-28 with a kill and an ace.
SET 4: CSUN 25, UCR 15 – CSUN scored the first three points in set four and led 9-6 following a Kolar kill. Smith put down a kill to extend CSUN's lead to five (12-7) forcing a UCR timeout. The Matadors would lead by as many as nine at 22-13 before closing out a 25-15 win on Smith's 19th kill of the match.
A DOMINANT fourth set.
— CSUN Women's Volleyball (@csunwomensvb) November 17, 2024
CSUN takes it 25-15 to force a fifth. Amaris Smith up to 19 kills. #GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/gGdoVYO0jl
SET 5: CSUN 15, UCR 8 – Neither team led by more than one until a UCR block gave the Highlanders a 5-3 edge. The lead remained two at 6-4 when another Smith kill propelled the Matadors on a 6-1 run forcing a Highlander timeout at 10-7. Two more Matador points extended the run and forced a final UCR timeout before CSUN would go on to claim three of the final four points to secure the 15-8 win.
NOTESCSUN WINS!
— CSUN Women's Volleyball (@csunwomensvb) November 17, 2024
What a performance to come back from a 2-1 deficit on Senior Day. #GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/zaR2D2oiet
- Okolo wound up hitting a match-high .500 (8-1-14) with three blocks while fellow middle Turgeon tied for match-high honors with six blocks (one solo).
- In addition to Kolar's 19 digs, Paige Sentes had 17, Cederlind matched her season-high with 12, Rojelio had 11, and Smith had 10.
- With the win, CSUN improves to 65-23 all-time against UC Riverside. The loss drops the Highlanders to 9-20 overall and 4-12 in the Big West.
ACCORDING TO HEAD COACH AQUILES MONTOYA
"This was a tough, gritty win against a Riverside team that is playing with a ton of confidence. I was really excited to see some of the depth of our team tonight. We have a couple of injuries so with no one else really to go to, just watching the team embrace each other and work through the game plan was great. After losing set three, 30-28, we could have easily been flat but I thought we did a great job in sets four and five. Our defense and our blocking really stepped up and made them play and those long rallies were worth it for us in the end."
UP NEXT
CSUN plays the remainder of the 2024 regular season on the road, visiting UC San Diego (Nov. 22) and Long Beach State (Nov. 23) next week.
#GoMatadors
Team Stats
UCR
CSUN
Kills
53
61
Errors
32
26
Attempts
181
162
Hitting %
.116
.216
Points
73.0
76.0
Assists
49
59
Aces
10
5
Blocks
10
10
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
23
Aces
3
Blocks
3
Kills
15
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
8
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Players Mentioned
DS/L
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's VolleyballOPP
/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
/ Women's VolleyballOH/OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
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