SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – The San Francisco State women's volleyball team saw its remarkable 2009 season come to an abrupt end Thursday with a three-set defeat at the hands of UC San Diego (25-14, 25-19, 25-23) during the first round of the NCAA Division II Tournament on the campus of Cal State San Bernardino.  The Gators, seeded seventh in the West Region, were unable get their offense in gear for much of the afternoon as the No. 2 seed Tritons owned a .330-.117 advantage in hitting percentage while recording nine service aces.

Despite the loss, SF State (20-11) still finished the year with its best record since 1988, while UCSD (29-2) advances to play sixth-seeded Cal State L.A. (22-8) in the regional semifinals on Friday.

Individually, the Gators were led by senior Beth Perkins (Woodland, Calif., Woodland Christian HS, Mt. Hood CC), who knocked down 13 kills in her final collegiate match, while freshman Iris Tolenada (Antioch, Calif., Deer Valley HS) recorded her 23^rd double-double of the season with 22 assists and 10 digs while adding a team-high three block assists.

The Tritons were paced by Sylvia Schmidt's match-high 19 kills, while teammate Hillary Williamson hit .474 on 10 kills in 19 attempts with one error.

The opening set was a see-saw affair in the early going as the two sides combined for seven ties and three lead changes. Trailing 9-6, a block by Tolenada and junior Sarah Lewis (San Diego, Calif., Lutheran HS, Southwestern College) capped a 5-1 spurt to give the Gators their final lead of the contest at 11-10.  However, SF State was unable to build on its advantage as three consecutive Gator attack errors following a Schmidt kill opened the floodgates for a 14-3 Triton run that closed out the set.

SF State's offensive woes continued in the second frame as UCSD limited the Gators to a -.077 hitting percentage.  Despite their shortcomings, SF State kept within striking distance at 11-9 following an attack error by the Tritons' Julia Freidenberg.  However, UCSD gradually pulled away at this juncture, employing a 10-5 flurry to build a comfortable 21-14 cushion.  Moments later, the Gators cut the deficit to 23-19 following a Perkins kill and a block by Tolenada and sophomore Halimah Oswald (San Francisco, Calif., Waldorf HS), but could draw no closer as another Schmidt kill and an SF State hitting miscue provided the clinching points.

The third set started ominously for the Gators, who found themselves on the wrong side of a 10-3 score.  Stung, SF State picked itself off the mat with a 13-6 run, highlighted by four Perkins kills and another three by sophomore Robyn Hall (Hayward, Calif., Bishop O'Dowd HS, Univ. of Portland) to tie the score at 16-16.  However, the Gators could not gain the upper hand for the remainder of the contest as the Tritons held on for the win.  Trailing 24-21, SF State pulled to within one after a Perkins kill and block from Tolenada and freshman Jennifer Jasper (San Jose, Calif., Prospect HS), but Schmidt answered with a kill of her own to end the suspense. The Gators hit .400 for the frame, but were unable slow down the UCSD attack, which posted 19 kills and a .417 hitting percentage during the decisive set.