California State University Northridge Athletics
California State University at Northridge
10-13,6-7Big West
California Baptist
6-18,3-10Big West
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Baptist | 15 | 25 | 11 | 25 | 10 | 2 |
| CSUN | 25 | 21 | 25 | 23 | 15 | 3 |
11/5/2026 8:53:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. — The CSUN Women's Volleyball team rallied for a 3-2 victory over California Baptist in a key Big West match on Thursday night at Premier America Credit Union Arena, winning 25-15, 21-25, 25-11, 23-25, 15-10.
With the win, CSUN snaps a mini two-match skid while improving to 10-13 overall and 6-7 in conference play. The Matadors finished with a .222 attack percentage and dominated at the net with 16.5 total blocks.
Sophomore Fallyn Blotzer led CSUN with 21 kills while hitting .390 on 41 swings and Audrey Nuckols added 15 kills on 25 attacks to hit .520. Katie Kolar directed the offense with a match-high 42 assists to go with 12 digs for her 10th double-double of the season. Redshirt freshman Raegan Richardson led all players with a match-high 17 digs, while Paige Sentes added 15 digs and Blotzer added 13 as CSUN posted a sizable 70-49 edge in team digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
CSUN jumped ahead early, using a strong serving and blocking effort to build an 8-2 lead. The Matadors continued to pressure California Baptist into attacking errors and closed out the opening set, 25-15. CSUN hit .185 and sided out on 87 percent of its opportunities.
California Baptist opened the second set with a 4-0 advantage, and CSUN briefly pulled even at 7-7. The Lancers then used a 4-0 run to take control at 12-8. CSUN battled back late, cutting the deficit to 21-19, but California Baptist scored four of the final six points to even the match with a 25-21 win.
CSUN answered emphatically in the third set. The Matadors built an early 8-4 lead and extended the margin to 12-6 behind consistent attacking and several key blocks. CSUN limited California Baptist to five kills and forced nine errors, rolling to a 25-11 victory. The Matadors hit .323 in the set and held a 13-5 edge in kills.
The fourth set featured 13 lead changes and 19 tie scores. CSUN held a 20-19 advantage late, but California Baptist responded with a three-point run to move ahead 22-20. The Matadors fought off one set point, but the Lancers finished the set, 25-23, sending the match to a fifth set.
The decisive set remained tight early, tied at 4-4 before CSUN began to separate. A pair of California Baptist errors helped the Matadors take an 8-6 lead at the court switch. Blotzer and Nuckols then delivered consecutive kills, giving CSUN a 14-9 advantage. After the Lancers saved one match point, Nuckols finished the comeback with the match-winning kill at 15-10.
HEAD COACH AQUILES MONTOYA SAID
"We've had a lot of heartbreakers and some trouble closing teams out in the last few weeks. Tonight we told our players we wanted them to be brave, be adaptable, and be selfless and they felt really good about that. There were some dips here and there in some sets, but you could tell in that fifth set that they weren't going to let up. Fallyn (Blotzer) really came alive with 24 points and Audrey (Nuckols) coming alive on the right side as well."
UP NEXT
CSUN wraps up a brief two-match homestand on Saturday, hosting UC Riverside at 4 p.m. The match will stream live on ESPN+.
#GoMatadors
