ROHNERT PARK, Calif. – The San Francisco State women's volleyball team opened its 2009 campaign Friday, splitting two matches on the first day of the Seawolf Spike Invitational on the campus of Sonoma State University. After dropping a tough five-set battle in the morning against Central Washington (20-25, 25-20, 25-18, 13-25, 15-11), the Gators (1-1) bounced back with a four-set triumph over Northwest Nazarene (25-27, 25-20, 25-22, 25-21) in an afternoon tilt.
Sophomore Halimah Oswald (San Francisco, Calif., Waldorf HS) notched a blistering .513 attack percentage for the two contests on a combined 24-for-39 hitting with just four errors, including a career-high 15 kill effort against NNU, while senior Beth Perkins (Woodland, Calif., Woodland Christian HS, Mt. Hood CC) and sophomore Kyle Lamet (Benicia, Calif., Carondelet HS, Carondelet HS) posted 27 and 21 kills, respectively, on the day.
Two SF State newcomers also provided starring roles as freshman Iris Tolenada (Antioch, Calif., Deer Valley HS) chipped in with a combined 101 assists, while fellow classmate Mackenzie Pike (Monrovia, Calif., Monrovia HS) registered 72 digs.
The opening set against Northwest Nazarene was a hotly contested affair, with the Gators owning the largest lead of just four points at 9-5. SF State was in position to capture the set after a block assist by Lamet and sophomore Robyn Hall (Hayward, Calif., Bishop O'Dowd HS, Univ. of Portland) gave the Gators a slim 25-24 edge. However, the Crusaders responded with three consecutive kills to capture the frame.
It was more of the same in the second stanza as the two sides witnessed 11 ties and three lead changes. With the score knotted at 20-20, SF State reeled off five consecutive points, punctuated by a Perkins kill, to even the match at one set apiece.
The Gators found themselves on the short end of a 10-4 score to begin the third set before gradually whittling away at the deficit. Consecutive kills by freshman Jennifer Jasper and Perkins put SF State ahead to stay, while a Lamet kill gave SF State its biggest cushion at 18-14. Shortly thereafter, NNU narrowed the gap to 23-22; however, back-to-back kills by Lamet and Oswald provided the clinching points.
The Gators were also forced to rally in the fourth set and once again successfully met the challenge. After falling behind 10-7, SF State eventually forged a 19-19 tie and then closed out the match with a 5-1 run to secure its first win of the 2009 season.
Earlier in the day, the Gators engaged CWU in a tough five-set slugfest, with the SF State utilizing a late rally to take the opening frame. The Gators built an 11-6 bulge in the early going; however, the Wildcats gradually whittled away at the SF State advantage, fashioning a 22-20 lead after a 16-9 flurry. The Gators then stemmed the CWU flurry with a 5-1 run of its own as a Perkins kill accounted for the decisive point.
After dropping the ensuing two sets, the Gators were all business in the fourth stanza, cruising to a 15-6 advantage following consecutive kills by Oswald and Perkins. SF State kept the pressure on, limiting the Wildcats to four points for the remainder of the set.
In the fifth and deciding frame, the Gators erased an early 6-1 deficit, knotting the score at 8-8 on consecutive kills by Tolenada and Oswald, followed by a CWU attack error. However, the Wildcats regained the momentum at this juncture, employing a 7-2 run to pull away for the victory.
The Gators close out play at the Seawolf Spike Invitational with two matches on Saturday. SF State squares off against Notre Dame de Namur beginning at 9 a.m., followed by a clash with No. 24 Western Oregon at 2 p.m.
Central Washington Box Score
Northwest Nazarene Box Score
