LA JOLLA, Calif. – The San Francisco State women's volleyball team put forth a valiant effort, but came up short in its quest for a huge upset after falling to 16th-ranked UC San Diego in five sets (25-22, 21-25, 25-21, 18-25, 14-16) on Friday night at RIMAC Arena in La Jolla, Calif.
The Gators were unable to sustain a 2-1 advantage in sets for the second match in three days, slipping to 11-12 on the year and 4-10 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Meanwhile, the Tritons improved to 16-4 overall and 10-3 in league play.
"Tonight we played very hard and together as a disciplined team," said head coach Michelle Patton. "We were able to push a great team against the wall and experience the pressure of playing at a high level at the end of a match. We learned that there are no little things when it comes to winning."
After experiencing a tough five-set defeat to Cal State Monterey Bay on Wednesday, SF State displayed its mettle early on against the Tritons, capturing the opening set despite hitting just .026. In a back-and-forth exchange that included 12 ties and six lead changes, the Gators went ahead to stay at 19-18 following a UCSD setting error. SF State was then able to thwart the Tritons' comeback effort thanks to consecutive blocks by junior
Sloane Williams (Henderson, Nevada, Coronado HS, Lake Land College (Ill.)), which gave the visitors a 24-20 cushion they would not relinquish.
UCSD threatened to run away with the second set, building a 6-1 bulge before the Gators responded with a 7-2 run to tie the score at 8-8.
The Tritons went out in front for good on the ensuing point, but it would not be easy as SF State once again picked itself off the mat in the latter stages of the frame. Trailing 15-11, the Gators pulled to within 22-21 after another Triton setting error and a kill by freshman Brittany Powell (Chula Vista, California, Otay Ranch HS, Otay Ranch HS) SF State was shut out the rest of the way, however, as UCSD reeled off three straight points to close out the set.
With momentum on the Tritons' side, the Gators answered the bell with another tight battle in the third set. After a whopping 15 ties and 10 lead changes, SF State surged ahead to stay at 21-20 following a kill by junior
Beth Perkins (Woodland, California, Mt. Hood Community College), while a block assist by Williams and freshman
Kyle Lamet (Benicia, California, Carondelet HS) and a service ace by freshman
Mary Maiocco (Bakersfield, California, Bakersfield HS) provided the clinching points.
Buoyed by their good fortune, the Gators opened up a 12-7 lead in the fourth set before UCSD eventually knotted the score at 15-15 on a kill by Kimberly Carpenter. After the two teams traded points over the next six serves, the Tritons shifted into overdrive, outscoring the visitors, 7-0, to force a fifth set.
Undaunted, SF State jumped out to a 10-5 advantage in the final frame before UCSD fought itself off the ropes with a 6-1 run to tie the score at 11-11. A kill by Williams gave the Gators their last lead of the evening at 12-11, as the Tritons pulled away for the hard-fought victory.
UCSD survived 24 hitting errors while holding SF State to a .070 hitting percentage. Despite their offensive shortcomings, the Gators enjoyed a spectacular night at the net led by Williams, who contributed three solo blocks and a season-high 10 block assists, while Lamet added eight block assists of her own. Perkins paced the visitors with nine kills to go along with a team-high 15 digs. The Tritons' Rebecca Bailey led all players with a game-high 28 kills.
SF State returns home for a pair of matches next weekend when it plays host to Humboldt State on Friday, Oct. 31, followed by a clash with Sonoma State on Saturday, Nov. 1. Both matches are slated for a 7 p.m. start.
Box Score
