Wednesday, February 7
Northridge, CA
6:00 P.M.
California State University at Northridge
7-4,0-0Big West
3
vs
1
UC Merced
0-1
1
2
3
4
F
UC Merced
25
21
15
20
1
CSUN
19
25
25
25
3
Photo by: Steve Fitzgerald
No. 16 CSUN Holds Off UC Merced in Four Sets
2/7/2024 8:44:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. – The 16th-ranked CSUN men's volleyball team overcame a slow start to defeat visiting UC Merced in four sets in a non-conference match Wednesday night at Premier America Credit Union Arena.
After dropping the opening set to the Bobcats, the Matadors (7-4) won a tight second set before dominating the final two sets in a 19-25, 25-21, 25-15, 25-20 win.
Senior Kyle Hobus and redshirt freshman Jalen Phillips again powered CSUN as the duo combined for 25 of the Matadors' 52 kills. Hobus led all hitters with 14 kills on .435 hitting while Phillips added 11 kills on .304 hitting. Junior Matteo Salvador also had a big night for CSUN, coming off the bench to put down nine kills on 14 errorless swings to hit .643.
The Matadors wound up hitting .398 (52-15-93) for the match while limiting UC Merced to a .150 team hitting clip. CSUN served eight aces, four from sophomore Malcolm King, while also out-blocking the Bobcats 8.5 to 3.0. Donovan Constable had 43 assists and five digs and Taylan Cook had a match-high seven digs as CSUN posted a 28-24 advantage in team digs.
"We got off to a slow start and not having Griffin (Walters) in the lineup tonight hurt a little bit. Kyle (Hobus) played well and really steadied us out and I thought Malcolm (King) was very effective from the service line. We've got a lot of really talented players and Matteo really stepped up tonight and played amazing."
UP NEXT
CSUN continues its seven-match homestand on Friday as the Matadors host The Master's University at 6 p.m.
#GoMatadors
After dropping the opening set to the Bobcats, the Matadors (7-4) won a tight second set before dominating the final two sets in a 19-25, 25-21, 25-15, 25-20 win.
Senior Kyle Hobus and redshirt freshman Jalen Phillips again powered CSUN as the duo combined for 25 of the Matadors' 52 kills. Hobus led all hitters with 14 kills on .435 hitting while Phillips added 11 kills on .304 hitting. Junior Matteo Salvador also had a big night for CSUN, coming off the bench to put down nine kills on 14 errorless swings to hit .643.
The Matadors wound up hitting .398 (52-15-93) for the match while limiting UC Merced to a .150 team hitting clip. CSUN served eight aces, four from sophomore Malcolm King, while also out-blocking the Bobcats 8.5 to 3.0. Donovan Constable had 43 assists and five digs and Taylan Cook had a match-high seven digs as CSUN posted a 28-24 advantage in team digs.
HOW IT HAPPENEDIn control!
— CSUN Men's Volleyball (@CSUNMensVB) February 8, 2024
CSUN wins the third set 25-15 and now leads 2-1 overall.#GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/DNoHRUTQtb
- The Matadors raced out to a 4-1 lead to start the match before a 4-0 run by UC Merced, three points coming on CSUN hitting errors, gave the visitors the lead for good. After a Hobus kill tied the score at 7-7, the Bobcats claimed six of the next seven points to open up a 13-8 cushion. The Merced lead swelled to as many as eight at 23-15 before the visitors won the set going away 25-19.
- After hitting .286 in set one, the Matadors improved to .318 in set two and had just enough to pull out a 25-21 win. CSUN overcame an early two-point deficit to take a 13-12 lead following a Merced service error. Still clinging to a one-point lead at 15-14, the Matadors put together a 5-2 run to open up a 20-16 lead following a Salvador kill. The Bobcats would pull within two on three occasions down the stretch before a UCM hitting error and a King ace sent CSUN to the 25-21 win.
- The Matadors would then hit a combined .512 over the final two sets while limiting UC Merced to 12 total kills as CSUN took the third set 25-15 and the fourth by the score of 25-20.
ACCORDING TO COACH THEO EDWARDSBig time response after dropping the first set.
— CSUN Men's Volleyball (@CSUNMensVB) February 8, 2024
CSUN wins 3-1!#GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/zVZScQmT6d
"We got off to a slow start and not having Griffin (Walters) in the lineup tonight hurt a little bit. Kyle (Hobus) played well and really steadied us out and I thought Malcolm (King) was very effective from the service line. We've got a lot of really talented players and Matteo really stepped up tonight and played amazing."
UP NEXT
CSUN continues its seven-match homestand on Friday as the Matadors host The Master's University at 6 p.m.
#GoMatadors
Team Stats
UCM
CSUN
Kills
28
52
Errors
16
15
Attempts
80
93
Hitting %
.150
.398
Points
33.0
68.5
Assists
27
47
Aces
2
8
Blocks
3
8.5
Game Leaders
Kills
14
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
9
Aces
2
Blocks
2
Kills
5
Aces
4
Blocks
4
Players Mentioned
S
/ Men's Volleyball
L
/ Men's VolleyballOH
/ Men's VolleyballMB
/ Men's VolleyballOPP
/ Men's VolleyballOH
/ Men's VolleyballCalHOPE Award Nathan Merren
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