HAYWARD, Calif. – The San Francisco State women's volleyball team survived a tough battle Friday night, downing host Cal State East Bay in five sets (16-25, 27-25, 25-16, 13-25, 15-5) at Pioneer Gym. With the score deadlocked at two sets apiece, the Gators unleashed a key 13-3 barrage in the decisive fifth set to seize the match, improving to 13-3 on the season and 6-2 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Meanwhile with the defeat, CSUEB slips to 4-12 overall and 2-6 in conference play.
SF State was led by senior Beth Perkins (Woodland, Calif., Woodland Christian HS, Mt. Hood CC), who knocked down a match-high 15 kills to go along with 16 digs en route to her ninth double-double of the season, while freshman Lauren Walsh (Coto de Caza, Calif., Tesoro HS) added 14 kills of her own. Also aiding the Gator cause was freshman Iris Tolenada (Antioch, Calif., Deer Valley HS), who handed out a match-best 48 assists, while fellow classmate Riley Cutner (Irvine, Calif., University HS) contributed a team-high 22 digs.
After a lackluster first set, the second frame was a see-saw affair featuring 14 ties and six lead changes. After an attack error gave the Pioneers a late 25-24 lead, SF State caught lightning in a bottle as Walsh pounded out three straight kills to close out the set, 27-25.
The Gators rode that momentum into set number three, building a quick 7-0 bulge and never looking back. SF State gradually increased its lead to 22-11 following a Halimah Oswald (San Francisco, Calif., Waldorf HS) kill and a CSUEB attack error. The Pioneers got within striking distance shortly therafter, benefitting from five straight Gator attack errors to pull within 22-16. The deficit proved too much for the host school to overcome, however, as a Perkins kill provided the clinching point.
SF State could duplicate the same success in the fourth stanza as CSUEB used a 13-7 run to turn a slim 4-3 Gator advantage into a sizeable 17-11 advantage.
The SF State defense clamped down in the fifth and final set, limiting the Pioneers to a .000 hitting percentage on three kills and three errors in 26 attempts. Meanwhile on offense, the Gators hit a sparkling .417 during the frame as Walsh registered five of the team's 11 kills. With the score tied at 2-2, consecutive kills by Perkins and Tolenada ignited the decisive 13-3 run, as SF State matched its victory total from a year ago.
The Gators return to the court on Saturday when they travel to La Jolla, Calif., for a 7 p.m. showdown with No. 3 UC San Diego.
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