LOS ANGELES – The San Francisco State women's volleyball team was unable to capitalize on an early lead Friday night as it fell to No. 20 Cal State L.A. in four sets (25-18, 24-26, 11-25, 15-25) at the Eagles Nest in Los Angeles.
With the come-from-behind victory, CSULA improved to 19-5 overall and 12-5 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association, while the Gators slipped to 11-15 on the season and 4-13 in conference play.
SF State never trailed in the first set, opening up a 19-13 bulge on a kill by junior Sloane Williams (Henderson, Nevada, Coronado HS, Lake Land College (Ill.). The Eagles pulled within 22-18 shortly thereafter; however the Gators stood their ground, getting the clinching points on a kill from freshman Mary Maiocco (Bakersfield, California, Bakersfield HS) and a CSULA attack error.
SF State could not duplicate its success early on in the second frame as it found itself on the wrong side of a 13-7 score. The Gators were able to methodically chip away at the deficit until a kill by freshman Lisa Morgan (La Quinta, California, La Quinta HS) knotted things up at 20-20. The two sides traded points over the next seven possessions, with Gators owning a 24-23 edge after a Williams kill. However, the Eagles stole the momentum at this juncture, recording three straight kills to escape with the set.
CSULA was all business in the third stanza as it jumped to a 17-3 advantage and never looked back. The Eagles then took control in set four, employing a 20-10 run to put the match out of reach.
As a team, the Gators were outhit .267-.151, committing seven more errors (25-18) than their hosts. Junior Beth Perkins (Woodland, California, Mt. Hood Community College) led the SF State offense with 11 kills, while Maiocco added 27 assists. CSULA was paced by Gabriela Bulawczyk's match-high 16 kills, while teammate Ursula Vieira added 12 of her own.
SF State concludes its road trip on Saturday, Nov. 8, when it pays a visit to Cal State Dominguez Hills in Carson, Calif. First serve is slated for 7 p.m. The Gators will then return home for their final two matches of the regular season next weekend as Cal State Stanislaus (Nov. 14) and Chico State (Nov. 15) invade the Main Gymnasium. Both contests are scheduled for a 7 p.m. start.
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