ROHNERT PARK, Calif. – In a match of close calls and near misses, the San Francisco State women's volleyball team produced a spirited effort against the hottest team in the conference, but it wasn't enough as the Gators fell to Sonoma State in four sets 20-25, 26-24, 25-27, 14-25 Friday night at Seawolf Gym. SF State was unable to halt the Sonoma State winning streak, which was extended to nine matches in a row as the host team raised its record to 13-1 overall and 5-0 in the CCAA. Meanwhile with the loss, the Gators slip to 7-6 overall and 1-4 in league action.
“We did some really good things tonight, but failed to compete when the pressure was on,” said SF State head coach Michelle Patton. “Maintaining our focus late in the week is something we need to get better at.”
In the opening set, SF State erased a five-point deficit to pull within 20-19. However, the visitors were unable to gain the upper hand as the Seawolves used a 5-1 run to close out the frame.
The Gators regrouped in the second stanza, building 19-14 advantage before SSU rallied to tie the score at 24-24. With the Seawolves serving, SF State got a sideout on a kill by junior Beth Perkins (Woodland, Calif.) and then claimed the set on a service ace by freshman Lisa Morgan (La Quinta, Calif.).
The third set was another tightly contested affair, with the Gators fashioning a 16-12 advantage until SSU battled back again. The Seawolves tied the score at 22-22 on an attack error by Perkins and after the two sides traded scores for the next six serves, SSU received the clinching two points on a kill by Lindsay Brown and a service ace by Taylor Kerwinkel.
Stung, SF State was unable to generate any offense in the fourth set as the Seawolves outhit the Gators .275-.048, building an insurmountable 20-7 lead to effectively put the match away.
Individually, freshman Brittany Powell (Chula Vista, Calif.) knocked down a team-high 17 kills for SF State, while Perkins added 14 kills of her own. Senior Anne Heggli (Cool, Calif.) pitched in with 26 assists, while freshmen Kyle Lamet (Benicia, Calif.) and Christina Johnson (Wildomar, Calif.) provided the defensive support with 29 and 26 digs respectively.
The Gators will have little time to dwell on their defeat as they continue north to Arcata, Calif., to face Humboldt State on Saturday night starting at 7 p.m.
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