LOS ANGELES – Just as its previous meeting in September, San Francisco State's match against Cal State L.A. on Friday went down to the wire, and the Gators once again prevailed in dramatic fashion, pulling out a five-set victory (24-26, 25-23, 21-25, 26-24, 15-12) in a key California Collegiate Athletic Association showdown at the Eagles Nest.
With the win, SF State (11-10, 8-8 CCAA), which entered the weekend ranked seventh in the latest NCAA Division II West Region poll, recorded its first-ever regular season sweep of the Golden Eagles (11-9, 8-8 CCAA) and posted its first victory at CSULA since 1987.
Halimah Oswald hit a blistering .559 for the match on a career-high 22 kills in 34 attempts with just three errors, while Sarah Lewis (14) and Lauren Walsh (11) reached double figures in kills as well. Lewis, whose kill total equaled a personal best, also came up big defensively with a career-high eight total blocks (six assists, two solos), while Sarah Kurfess was one of four Gators to record double digits in digs with 20 scoops, joining Walsh (11), Jackie Domecus (11) and Iris Tolenada (10). In addition, Tolenada handed out 51 assists for her eighth double-double of the year, a mark also registered by Walsh.
Conversely, the Eagles were led by Marquis Mora (.576), who tied Oswald for match-high honors with 22 kills to go along with five block assists, while Amrita Tuladhar and Stephanie Gay contributed 58 assists and 27 digs, respectively, in the loss.
As a team, SF State trailed in kills (67-63), digs (72-68) and service aces (9-5); however, the Purple and Gold held a slim edge in hitting percentage (.208-.207) and total blocks (11.0-10.0) while committing five fewer errors (31-26).
The two sides combined for 29 ties and 15 lead changes in the two-and-a-half-hour slugfest as the Gators put the brakes on four-match slide and notched their fifth win of the season in five sets – all of which came after trailing 2-1.
The opening frame witnessed a tight battle as SF State seemingly took control of the scoreboard, 24-19, following back-to-back kills by Lewis and Robyn Hall. However, CSULA caught lightning in bottle, notching seven straight points, including a combined block by Tuladhar and Mary Laupepa for the clinching tally.
It was déjà vu all over again for the Gators in the second stanza as a 16-11 lead quickly morphed into a 21-19 advantage for the Eagles. Stung, SF State called timeout and promptly righted the ship with a 6-2 run, capped by an Oswald kill, to even the match at one set apiece heading into intermission.
Following the break, the Gators found themselves trailing by an 11-6 count early in the third frame, until a CSULA service error and a combined block by Tolenada and Lewis sparked a 10-5 outburst to knot the score at 16-16. However, the Purple and Gold was unable to gain the upper hand as the Eagles went ahead to stay on the very next serve, courtesy of a Zuzana Cizova kill. The host school soon stretched the margin to 22-18 on an SF State attack error, while an Alexandra Risko service ace provided the clinching point moments later.
With their postseason hopes perhaps hanging in the balance, the Gators responded with one of their most productive sets of the year, hitting at a .341 clip for the fourth frame on 17 kills on 41 swings with just three errors. Still, SF State had to overcome a quintet of eight-point deficits, including an 18-10 spread after Mora knocked down a kill. However, the Gators maintained their poise as CSULA imploded with seven attack errors and another ball-handling miscue during a fateful 14-5 blitz that, incredibly, gave the visitors a 24-23 lead. Not to be outdone, Oswald came up big during that run with three kills, while Lewis added a kill of her own to go along with a solo block and a block assist. A Mora kill temporarily stemmed the tide, but SF State would not be denied as Megan Larmour blasted back-to-back kills to send the frenzied match into a fifth set.
With momentum on their side, the Gators hung tough in the final frame when two additional kills by Larmour sandwiched around another non-returnable by Walsh broke a 5-5 deadlock, putting the Purple and Gold ahead to stay at 8-5. The Eagles managed to keep things close, however, narrowing the gap to 13-12 on Mora's final kill of the night. Shortly thereafter, SF State ended the suspense as Lewis came up huge with a solo block and then combined with Tolenada for another rejection at the net, giving the Gators yet another thrilling comeback win.
SF State concludes its Southern California road trip tomorrow, Oct. 30, when it locks horns with Cal State Dominguez Hills in Carson beginning at 3 p.m. The Toros (3-19, 2-14 CCAA) were defeated at home by Cal State Monterey Bay in four sets on Friday.
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