SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco State women's volleyball team received double-digit kills from three players, but it wasn't enough as the Gators dropped a hard-fought battle to Cal State Monterey Bay in five sets (25-27, 25-20, 25-19, 16-25, 9-15) on Wednesday night at the Main Gymnasium. 

With the defeat SF State suffered its third loss in a row to fall to 11-11 on the season and 4-9 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association.  Meanwhile the Otters raise their record to 7-16 overall and 3-10 in league contests.

“Cal State Monterey Bay proved they were the better team tonight,” said Gator head coach Michelle Patton. “They came in with determination and we didn't make the necessary adjustments.”

Although the opening set was a closely contested affair with five ties, SF State was never able to gain the upper hand.  Trailing 24-21, the Gators knotted the score on consecutive kills by freshman Kyle Lamet (Benicia, California, Carondelet HS, Carondelet HS) and junior Kelly Burke (Redwood City, California, Sequoia, Canada College), followed by a ball-handling error on the Otters' Dan Grimm.  After the two sides traded scores, CSUMB was able to capture the frame on a kill by Kerry Sudersana and an attack error by Lamet.

The second stanza was another seesaw battle in the early going, featuring six ties and two lead changes.  However, SF State used to a 7-1 run midway through the set to turn a 13-12 deficit into a safe 19-14 advantage.  The Gators were never seriously threatened for the remainder of the frame as the clinching point was provided on a kill by freshman Brittany Powell (Chula Vista, California, Otay Ranch HS, Otay Ranch HS).

In the third set, SF State was never headed, but had to hold off a series of Otter rallies after building a 7-1 lead.  With the Gators up 15-11, CSUMB made things interesting with a 4-1 run to pull within 16-15.  Consecutive kills by junior Beth Perkins (Woodland, California, Mt. Hood Community College) and Burke, however, swung the momentum back in favor of the home team as part of a 9-4 run to close out the set.

With a 2-1 advantage in sets, SF State was unable to seal the match in the fourth frame, falling into a big hole it could not dig itself out of.  After a kill by Perkins knotted the score at 1-1, the Gator attack was stymied the rest of the way as CSUMB raced a 17-8 lead it would not relinquish.

SF State tried to bounce back in the fifth set but to no avail.  After a kill by sophomore Maddy Lorenz (Spokane, Washington, Joel E. Ferris HS, Concordia College (NY))gave the Gators a 5-3 edge, the Otters seized control with a 12-4 flurry to clinch the victory.

Individually, Perkins tied for the game high by knocking down 21 kills, while Burke tallied a season-best 16 kills of her own to go along with Powell's 10.  In addition, freshman

SF State returns to the court on Friday, Oct. 24, to take on No. 16 UC San Diego in La Jolla, Calif.  First serve is set for 7 p.m.

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