TURLOCK, Calif. – Throughout the 2009 season the San Francisco State women's volleyball team has maintained a penchant for the dramatic, and Friday was no exception as the Gators defeated Cal State Stanislaus in a five-set nail-biter (24-26, 25-21, 22-25, 25-16, 15-10) at Warrior Arena.
CSUS gave SF State all it could handle, taking a 2-1 lead in sets; however, the Gators rallied to take the final two frames of the evening, improving to 15-5 overall and 8-4 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. SF State also upped its record to 4-1 this year in matches decided by five sets. Meanwhile with the loss, the Warriors drop to 8-12 on the season and 2-10 in league play.
Senior Beth Perkins (Woodland, Calif., Woodland Christian HS, Mt. Hood CC) and freshman Iris Tolenada (Antioch, Calif., Deer Valley HS) led the way for the Gators as each finished with a double-double. Perkins tied a season high with 24 kills and scooped up 10 digs, while Tolenada handed out 51 assists to go along with 15 digs for her team-best 13th double-double of the year. Also contributing to the SF State defensive effort was junior Vanessa Shaw (Santa Barbara, Calif., Dos Pueblos HS, Santa Barbara CC), who posted a team-high 20 digs, while sophomore Kyle Lamet (Benicia, Calif., Carondelet HS)(12 kills, nine digs) totaled two solo blocks.
CSUS led for most of the opening set, building a 22-16 advantage after a Jessica Lehner service ace. However, the Gators fought themselves off the ropes at this juncture, reeling off six straight points to knot the score at 22-22, capped by a Lamet kill. After the two sides traded the ensuing four points, CSUS clinched the frame on a Jennifer Marsh kill and a Megan Britton service ace.
SF State got off to a wobbly start in the second set, falling behind by a 7-2 count. After a timeout, the Gators exploded with an 18-9 run, highlighted by four Perkins kills, to forge a 20-16 lead. Moments later, the Warriors trimmed the deficit to 22-20; however the visitors maintained strategic control, securing the requisite points on a Warrior service error, a block by Tolenada and Halimah Oswald (San Francisco, Calif., Waldorf HS) and another Perkins kill.
SF State jumped out to a 5-2 advantage in set three, but was unable to give itself additional breathing room as CSUS fashioned a 10-2 run to take the lead for good at 12-7. The Gators narrowed the gap to 14-13, but the Warriors regained a five-point bulge shortly thereafter at 19-14. SF State managed to pull within two points on three occasions down the stretch, but was unable to gain the upper hand.
Stung, the Gator defense tightened its grip in the fourth set, limiting the host school to a -.030 hitting percentage on six kills with seven errors on 33 attempts. With the score deadlocked at 4-4, SF State unleashed a 15-5 blitz, ignited by two Perkins kills and another by Lamet, to put itself in the driver's seat at 19-9.
With their new-found momentum, the Gators took charge in the decisive fifth set, opening up a seemingly safe 12-8 advantage. CSUS threw in one last scare, cutting the margin to 12-10 on consecutive kills by Andrea Fett and Jennifer Marsh. However, SF State cemented the hard-fought victory soon thereafter thanks to a Perkins kill followed by a Warrior attack error and a bad set.
The Gators continue their road swing on Saturday when they trek north to battle No. 25 Chico State. Match time is set for 7 p.m.
Box Score
