HAYWARD, Calif. – For the second straight night, the San Francisco State women's volleyball team was unable to hold a lead in sets as No. 23 Cal State East Bay rallied for a five-set victory (23-25, 18-25, 25-11, 25-21, 15-8) in a California Collegiate Athletic Association match Saturday at Pioneer Gym.
Despite three players with double-digit kill totals, the Gators fall to 10-10 on the season and 7-8 in conference play, while the Pioneers maintained their grip on second place in the league standings, improving to 16-4 overall and 11-4 in the CCAA.
SF State was unable to overcome 35 errors on night, including 21 over the final three sets, hitting just .030 during that stretch and .087 for the match. Meanwhile, CSUEB posted a .224 hitting percentage, including a .289 clip during the last three frames. The Pioneers also maintained a 57-50 advantage in kills and a 71-69 edge in digs.
Individually, SF State was led by Robyn Hall who knocked down a match-high 14 kills, while Lauren Walsh (13) and Halimah Oswald (12) surpassed double figures as well. Oswald finished with a sparkling .400 hitting percentage for the match, committing just two miscues in 21 swings, while Iris Tolenada notched her second straight double-double and seventh on the season with 45 assists and 13 digs. Also aiding the Gator cause was Sarah Kurfess, who shoveled up 18 digs, while Sarah Lewis added six total blocks, including two solos, to go along with five kills.
On the flip side, CSUEB also had three players reach the double-digit kill plateau, including Katie Allen (12), Cara Crowder (11) and Brianna Bryant (10), while K.C. Walsh and Lauren Massa contributed 28 assists and 25 digs, respectively.
SF State got off to a slow start in the opening set, falling behind by a 7-2 count after a kill by Allen. The Gators displayed their resiliency, however, fashioning a 16-9 run, punctuated by a Tolenada service ace, to take the lead for good at 18-16. The Purple and Gold maintained the upper hand for the remainder of the frame, but had to survive some anxious moments as a kill by Roxanne Neely narrowed the gap to 24-23. On the next serve, however, SF State dodged the threat as the Pioneers committed an attack error to end the set.
The Gators trailed 4-2 in the second stanza, until a kill by Oswald sparked a 9-1 blitz, putting the visitors up 11-5. CSUEB managed to trim the deficit to 13-10 after a Bryant kill; however, the host school drew no closer the rest of the way as SF State closed the set with a 12-8 run, capped by a Reyna Rochin service ace.
The Pioneers came to life after intermission, hitting .429 during the third frame on 11 kills in 21 attempts with just two errors. CSUEB also benefited from eight Gator attack errors as the visitors managed just six kills in 26 tries for a -.077 percentage. With the score deadlocked 4-4, a kill by Katie Allen ignited a 21-7 outburst to take the set going away.
Set number four was a much closer affair as SF State jumped out to a 10-7 advantage after a Lewis solo block. The Pioneers remained in contention, however, eventually taking the lead for good at 21-19 following a kill and service ace by K.C. Walsh. The Gators received a kill by Hall on the ensuing serve, but CSUEB tallied four out of the next five points to square the match at two sets apiece.
SF State was forced to play catch-up in the fifth and deciding set as a block by Ariel Ajagu and Kitona Offord provided the host school a 7-3 cushion it would not relinquish. The Gators pulled within three on two occasions, including an 11-8 spread following a Lewis kill. However, the deficit proved too much to overcome as the Pioneers scored the final four points to complete the comeback victory.
SF State continues its road swing next weekend, Oct. 29-30, when it heads back to Southern California to tackle Cal State L.A. and Cal State Dominguez Hills. The Gators' match with the Golden Eagles is scheduled to get underway at 7 p.m., while their clash with the Toros is slated for a 3 p.m. start.
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