California State University at Northridge
2-3,0-0Big West
San Francisco
2-3,0-0WCC
CSUN Claims Second 5-Set Win, Defeats USF 3-2 in Sacramento
9/6/2024 7:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – After taking the first two sets over San Francisco, the CSUN women's volleyball team was forced to go five sets for the third time in five matches this season, but the Matadors held on for their second win of the season Friday at The Nest.
In its second match of the Sacramento State Invitational, CSUN (2-3) won by set scores of 31-29, 25-21, 22-25, 34-26, 15-8. Sophomore setter Katie Kolar registered 61 assists, tied for seventh-most all-time in program history. Kolar also added 15 digs, along with a season-high five aces, for her fourth double-double in five matches this season.
Offensively, Amaris Smith led the Matadors with 23 kills (.211) on 71 swings which tied for fourth-most for a single match in CSUN history. Junior opposite Leah Miller had an impressive match, connecting for a season-high 18 kills on 33 errorless swings to hit a career-best .545. Hailey Brockway was the third CSUN hitter in double figures, putting down 17 kills (.286) to go with 14 digs for her third double-double. Smith also doubled up for the second time in 2024 by adding a season-high 12 digs.
Behind libero Paige Sentes' 31 digs, the Matadors posted 89 team digs while hitting a season-high .298. Sentes' 31 digs are the most by a CSUN player since 2019 and ties for ninth in program history.
SET 1: CSUN 31, USF 29
CSUN's offense came out on fire in the opening two sets. Despite hitting .320 in set one, the Matadors were forced to go extra points in a 31-29 win. The set saw 21 ties and six lead changes as neither team would lead by more than four in a tight set. Down 18-14, CSUN used a 7-3 run, capped by a Brockway kill, to knot the score at 21-21. The Dons however would claim three of the next four to set up set point at 24-22. Consecutive kills by Smith would save a pair of set points - CSUN would save a total of six in the set - before Rojelio's ace and Brockway's kill snapped the final tie at 29-29.
Matadors rally from down 4, save 6 match points before an ace from Rojelio and a kill from Brockway sends #CSUN to a 31-29 win in set 1#GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/omdB3xcs9t
— CSUN Women's Volleyball (@csunwomensvb) September 6, 2024
SET 2: CSUN 25, USF 21
After hitting .320 in set one, CSUN ramped it up to .382 in set two while limiting USF to a .216 clip. Trailing 14-8, the Matadors called a timeout which would spur an 8-1 CSUN run that put the Matadors in front 16-15. After an Okolo kill extended the lead to 17-15, the Dons scored twice to tie the score for the final time. CSUN would rally behind a 7-3 run to take set point at 24-20. USF would save one set point before Turgeon's attack could not be returned as the Matadors took a two-set lead.
Turgeon's swing finds the floor for a kill on set point and #CSUN has opened up a 2-set lead over USF after taking the 2nd set 25-21 ... Set 3 up next from Sacramento#GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/v86yokEr5I
— CSUN Women's Volleyball (@csunwomensvb) September 7, 2024
SET 3: USF 25, CSUN 22
With the score tied 12-12 in the third set, the Dons scored five straight to open up a 17-12 cushion. CSUN battled back to within three at 20-17 following a Miller kill before a Smith kill ultimately brought the Matadors within two (24-22). But USF converted its next swing at the set cutting the CSUN set lead to 2-1.
SET 4: USF 26, CSUN 24
The Matadors would out-hit USF .227 to .182 in the fourth but the Dons held on to force a fifth and deciding set. Neither team led by more than two until USF used a kill to open up a 16-13 edge. The Dons maintained a three-point lead at 22-19 when the Matadors put together a 3-1 run to pull within 23-22 following a Smith kill. A USF hitting error kept CSUN within one at 24-23 before Kolar's ace knotted the score for the final time. The Dons then got a kill and a block on set point to take a 26-24 win.
SET 5: CSUN 15, USF 8
The fifth set was tied a single time (1-1) when a Smith ace and a Miller kill gave the Matadors a 4-2 lead. A kill from Brockway extended the lead to 7-4 before CSUN eventually built its lead to six (11-5) on a Grace Stone ace. The Matadors still led by five at 12-7 when they outscored USF 3-1 over the final points as Smith's 23rd kill of the night capped a 15-8 win.
NOTES
- Middles Iye Okolo and Tatiana Turgeon combined for 12 kills on .360 hitting with each recording four blocks.
- Autumn Rojelio had a pair of CSUN's season-high 10 aces in the match while also posting seven digs.
- With the win, CSUN improved to 6-6 all-time against San Francisco while avenging a 3-2 loss to the Dons last season.
ACCORDING TO HEAD COACH AQUILES MONTOYA
"Very proud of our group and how they handled a USF team that refused to back down. All sets were tight with great volleyball. We simplified what we had been doing and let our big arms go to work. Our team never stopped playing for each other and we had so many players step in for timely plays. We will enjoy the win but have a tough test with a historically great New Mexico State team tomorrow to close out the tournament."
UP NEXT
CSUN wraps up the Sacramento State Invitational on Saturday as the Matadors take on New Mexico State at noon at The Nest. The match will stream on ESPN+.
#GoMatadors
