California State University at Northridge
0-1,0-0Big West
Seattle University
1-0,0-0WAC
CSUN Falls to Seattle in Five Sets in Season Opener
8/30/2024 6:07:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
POCATELLO, Idaho – Sophomore Hailey Brockway put down a match-high 22 kills and junior Amaris Smith added 19 but the CSUN women's volleyball team dropped its season opener in five sets to Seattle University on Friday in the opener of the Idaho State Tournament at Reed Gym.
Behind Brockway, Smith, and opposite Leah Miller, CSUN (0-1) received 56 of its 71 kills from its pin hitters. Brockway hit .263 on 57 swings while Smith hit .224 while tying for match-high honors with 58 attacks. Miller chipped in 15 kills on 39 swings to hit .205. Matador setter Katie Kolar posted a double-double in her CSUN debut with 53 assists and 16 digs while Miller and Brockway also doubled up by adding 18 and 15 digs respectively. Libero Paige Sentes scooped up a career-high 23 digs as CSUN posted 85 team digs.
For the match, the Matadors out-hit the Redhawks .216 to .192 and had 71 kills to 56 for Seattle. The Redhawks posted advantages at the net with 11 blocks to CSUN's 6 and served 11 aces to the Matadors' seven. Kolar and Layla Cederlind each had a pair of aces for the Matadors in the loss.
SET 1: Seattle 26, CSUN 24
The opening set of the season for both teams featured 17 ties and seven lead changes. A Miller kill gave CSUN an early 3-1 lead when Seattle scored three straight to lead 4-3. Neither team would lead by more than two until a Redhawk ace gave Seattle an 18-15 edge. But a pair of Redhawk miscues, along with a Kolar ace, pulled the Matadors even at 18-18. The score remained tied at 22-22 when kills from Brockway and Iye Okolo set the Matadors up with two set points. A Redhawk kill saved one set point while forcing a CSUN timeout. Seattle then used a Matador hitting error and a pair of blocks to seal a 26-24 win.
SET 2: CSUN 25, Seattle 14
The Matadors, who would hit a robust .440 in the set, jumped out to a 6-1 lead and would never trail in the frame. A Kolar ace extended the lead to seven at 14-7 before Okolo's kill gave CSUN its largest lead at 20-12. Still leading by eight at 22-14, a Sentes ace, a Redhawk hitting error, and a Tatiana Turgeon kill sent the Matadors to the 25-14 win.
SET 3: Seattle 26, CSUN 24
After a Seattle hitting error pulled the Matadors even at 7-7, Rojelio's ace propelled CSUN on an 8-2 run that pushed the lead to 15-9. Still up six at 16-10, the Matadors would outscore Seattle 5-3 over the next eight to open up an eight-point margin at 21-13. But the Redhawks would answer with an 8-0 run of their own that tied the score before Smith's kill kept CSUN up one at 22-21. Brockway connected at 22-22 giving the Matadors their last lead at 23-22 when Seattle claimed four of the final five points in an improbable 26-24 win.
SET 4: CSUN 26, Seattle 24
Needing a win to stay in the match, the Matadors found themselves down 7-3 when a Smith kill fueled a 6-1 CSUN run that put the Matadors in front 9-8. With the score knotted at 9-9, Brockway's kill capped a 3-0 run that put CSUN up 12-9. The Matadors would lead until a late 3-1 Seattle run put the Redhawks on top 20-19. Kills from Brockway and Miller and a Seattle hitting error would give CSUN the lead for good at 22-21 and the Matadors held off a late run for the 26-24 win.
SET 5: Seattle 15, CSUN 8
The two teams played to a 4-4 tie when the Redhawks scored five straight points to open up a 9-4 advantage. A Smith kill ended the run but Seattle used a 3-1 run to extend the lead to six at 12-6. Brockway's final kill of the night would pull the Matadors within four at 12-8 but the Redhawks claimed the final three points in a 15-8 win.
NOTES
- Four CSUN players made their Matador debut in the match; Kolar, Smith, Brockway, and Autumn Rojelio (7 digs, 2 assists, 1 ace).
- Turgeon hit .600 with six kills on 10 errorless swings in the middle.
- CSUN slipped to 20-24 all-time in season openers.
- With the win, Seattle evened the all-time series at two wins apiece.
"Unfortunately our inexperience in moments of adversity showed. We cannot allow that to be an excuse any longer. In most of the match, we dictated the pace and had our way. When chaos occurred we were frantic and panicked. There still was growth and I'm fired up to see us compete tomorrow against a physical SDSU team."
UP NEXT
CSUN continues the Idaho State Tournament on Saturday as the Matadors take on San Diego State inside Reed Gym at 12 p.m. The match will stream on ESPN+..
#GoMatadors
