California State University at Northridge
6-4,0-0Big West
San Francisco
2-7,0-0WCC
CSUN Opens USF Challenge With 3-1 Win Over Host Dons
9/18/2025 11:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.— Julia Bazylevych led all hitters with 23 kills and CSUN bounced back after dropping the opening set to defeat San Francisco 3-1 (23-25, 25-13, 25-16, 25-17) on Thursday night in the USF Challenge at the War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.
Bazylevych, who hit .308 on 52 swings, led a balanced Matadors attack as CSUN hit .268 as a team. Junior middle Tatiana Turgeon added nine kills on a sizzling .615 clip along with a match-high seven blocks, while fellow middle Iye Okolo added seven kills on 10 errorless attacks to hit .700. Hayley Ogden chipped in eight kills (.250) and three blocks.
After struggling with 11 attack errors in the first set, CSUN (6-4) tightened up its offense and dominated the next three frames, hitting .452 in the second set and closing the match with back-to-back .370 efforts. The Matadors also controlled the net with 10 total blocks.
Paige Sentes anchored the defense with a season-high 26 digs to go with three service aces, while setters Taylor Dunlap and Jan Marie Duhaylungsod combined for 51 assists.
After dropping the first set 25-23, the Matadors roared back in the second with a 25-13 win, sparked by Saniyah Sobers and Sentes at the service line. CSUN reeled off a 10–3 run midway through the set, highlighted by back-to-back Sentes aces, to even the match.
The third set belonged to CSUN's defense and quick transition attack. Turgeon and Kyleigh Moore each delivered timely kills, while Bazylevych closed with two late points in a 25-16 win. In the fourth, the Matadors jumped ahead early behind Bazylevych and never looked back, sealing the victory with her 23rd kill and a service ace to end it.
The Dons (2-7) were led by Astrid Puig, who tallied eight kills but also committed eight errors. San Francisco hit just .000 in the third set and only .139 in the final frame.
NOTES
- Sentes' 26 digs equals her best total since also posting 26 digs against UC Davis on Nov. 14, 2024.
- CSUN improves to 7-6 all-time against San Francisco, winning its second straight against the Dons.
- The Matadors are now 5-1 in four-set matches this season.
HEAD COACH AQUILES MONTOYA SAID
After some tough losses, we really honed in on our team's communication and confidence. After we let set one slip through our hands, it was great to see the response that they had with each other. Even when San Francisco changed their lineup, we did a substantially better job of doing our assignments and refocusing on the next point.
UP NEXT
CSUN wraps up the USF Challenge - and the non-conference season - on Friday as the Matadors meet San José State at 6 p.m.
#GoMatadors
