California State University at Northridge
5-0,0-0Big West
Lindenwood
1-3,0-0MIVA
Phillips' Career-Night Leads No. 15 CSUN Past Lindenwood
1/18/2025 10:21:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
With the 25-14, 23-25, 25-20, 25-19 win, the Matadors improve to 5-0 on the season equaling CSUN's best start to a season since 2018. The 2016 CSUN squad holds the program record with seven straight wins to open a season.
Phillips completed an impressive weekend that saw him connect for 46 kills in CSUN's two wins. The opposite from Anaheim, set a new career-high with 27 kills against Lindenwood, hitting .404 on 52 swings which was also a career high. He also added five digs, two blocks, and one ace to lead all players with 29.0 points.
Two other CSUN hitters also reached double figures in kills as freshman Stilian Delibosov and senior Lorenzo Bertozzi each added 11 kills. Delibosov hit .500 on 20 swings with six blocks, while Bertozzi hit .400 on 25 attacks to go with eight digs.
Senior setter Donovan Constable handed out a season-high 54 assists as the Matadors connected at a .389 (64-15-126) team hitting clip. CSUN held the Lions to a .183 (44-22-120) clip and also out-blocked the visitors 13.0 to 7.5. Matador libero Chris Karnezis had a career-high 13 digs as CSUN had 46 team digs to 37 for Lindenwood.
SET 1: CSUN 25, LU 14
Consecutive blocks from Constable and Delibosov capped a 10-4 CSUN run to open the match. Following a Lindenwood timeout, a Lions hitting error extended the lead to seven (11-4) before a pair of kills by Phillips opened up the Matadors' largest lead at 18-10. A triple block by Bertozzi, Constable, and Delibosov gave CSUN a double-digit lead at 23-13 before a Delibosov kill on set point sent the Matadors to the 25-14 win.
A dominant first set!
— CSUN Men's Volleyball (@CSUNMensVB) January 19, 2025
CSUN wins 25-14 with the exclamation point from Delibosov.#GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/0rTDVVDd89
SET 2: LU 25, CSUN 23
After hitting .519 in set one, CSUN continued its torrid hitting in the second set but Lindenwood hit slightly better at .405. The visitors claimed three of the first four points of the set before opening up a 12-8 advantage. The Lions would lead by as many as five when a CSUN attack was stuffed giving Lindenwood a 14-9 lead. A pair of Constable kills out of a Matador timeout trimmed the lead to three but the Lions quickly built the lead back to five at 17-12. CSUN rallied back to within two at 18-16 before cutting the lead to one at 24-23 but a Lions kill on set point evened the match at one set apiece.
SET 3: CSUN 27, LU 25
CSUN would hit .226 in the third set but held Lindenwood to an .065 clip in taking a two sets to one lead. The Matadors bolted to a 9-3 lead and would never trail in the set. The Lions answered with a 7-1 run to pull within one (11-10) before CSUN outscored the visitors 8-4 over the next 12 points to lead 19-14. The Matadors held off a late Lindenwood rally that trimmed the deficit to three (23-20) before a pair of Lion miscues sent CSUN to the 25-20 win.
Back on track.
— CSUN Men's Volleyball (@CSUNMensVB) January 19, 2025
CSUN wins the third set, 25-20, and takes a 2-1 lead overall.#GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/KLigBvauGS
SET 4: CSUN 25, LU 19
CSUN again got its offense in high gear, hitting 424 to close out a 25-19 win and a 3-1 match win. Holding a 13-10 lead, CSUN claimed seven of the next 11 points to opened up a 20-14, advantage before Phillips' 27th and final kill on set point gave the Matadors the six-point margin.
He's playing out of his mind. ??
— CSUN Men's Volleyball (@CSUNMensVB) January 19, 2025
Jalen Phillips secures the win for CSUN with his career-high 27th kill of the night.#GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/UreEeJgruz
NOTES
- With the victory, CSUN snaps a 2-2 tie in the all-time series with Lindenwood while avenging a five-set loss to the Lions in 2020.
- With the loss, Lindenwood drops to 1-3 on the season.
HEAD COACH THEO EDWARDS SAID
"We expected a little different offense from Lindenwood, the way these guys attack the ball and serve it is really different from what we're used to, and tonight was no exception. I was impressed with what they did, they tested us in set two which I thought was a little bit of a letdown but we were able to turn it around and get it going our way. Jalen had 27 kills on 51 swings and hit .412, what can I say, he's just an impressive player and is on pace to have a really great year."
CSUN continues its four-match homestand next week, welcoming a pair of ranked teams to the Valley. The Matadors host No. 7 USC on Wednesday at 6 p.m. before taking on top-ranked UCLA on Friday at 6 p.m. Both matches will stream live on ESPN+.
#GoMatadors
