SAN FRANCISCO – Despite maintaining a 52-43 advantage in kills and a 72-65 edge in digs, the San Francisco State women's volleyball team could not strike it rich on the scoreboard Saturday, falling to Sonoma State in four sets (25-13, 20-25, 25-21, 25-22) in a key battle between two regionally ranked teams at the Main Gymnasium.
With the match tied at 1-1 in sets, the Gators (13-12, 10-10 California Collegiate Athletic Association) were unable to preserve a 20-17 lead in the third frame and had a belated rally come up short in the fourth set en route to the hard-fought defeat. Despite hitting a modest .200 on the evening, the Seawolves (16-8, 13-7 CCAA) limited SF State to a .142 hitting percentage and committed 14 fewer errors (30-16), while owning an 11-4 advantage in total blocks.
Individually, the Gators were led by Halimah Oswald, who knocked down 13 kills in 29 swings with just one error for a sparkling .414 hitting percentage, while Sarah Lewis added nine put-aways of her own to go along with one solo block and a block assist.
SF State also received a much-needed spark off the bench from Kelsie Brennan, who finished with a career-high eight kills, and Lauren Hoffman, who launched six kills and contributed two block assists in her first match since Oct. 22. In addition, Sarah Kurfess was one of three Gators to record double-digit digs with 18 scoops, joining Lauren Walsh (15) and Iris Tolenada(13), who notched her 10th double-double after handing out a match-high 46 assists.
Conversely SSU was paced by Keala Peterson's 17 kills and three service aces, while Taylor Krenwinkel and Lindsay Lytle collected 24 digs and 20 assists, respectively, in the win. Elsewhere, Devynne Johnson and Brooke Moore also played key roles on defense, finishing with four block assists each.
The opening set was a seesaw affair early on as a Walsh kill knotted the score at 7-7. However, the Seawolves tallied the next six points to stake a 13-7 lead they would not surrender. SSU eventually stretched the margin to 21-12 when Peterson became a one-person wrecking crew, knocking down three kills and adding a solo block to provide for the final score. The Seawolves committed just one error in the frame, hitting at a .303 clip, while Gators totaled nine miscues and a .024 attack percentage.
SF State found itself on the wrong side of a 13-10 score in the second stanza when the host school fashioned a 15-7 blitz to close out the set. The Gators deftly spread the ball around as Brennan, Hoffman, Lewis and Robyn Hall each knocked down two kills apiece during their timely run.
Set three was another tightly contested affair as the two sides witnessed 10 ties and five lead changes. After a blocking error gave SSU a 15-12 cushion, SF State responded with an 8-2 spurt, capped by a bad set, to take a 20-17 lead. However, the Seawolves quickly regained control at this juncture, scoring eight out of the final nine points to escape with the set. The Gators committed three late attack errors and fell victim to two service aces at an inopportune time as Ally Sather's kill closed out the frame, giving the visitors a 2-1 edge in sets.
SSU rode that momentum into the fourth set as Peterson took center stage once again, launching three early kills and adding two service aces to help the Seawolves open a 12-3 lead. SF State methodically chipped away at the deficit, however, eventually pulling to within two at 23-21 following a Lewis solo block. Alas, the comeback bid was squelched moments later as a Peterson kill aptly ended the match.
SF State closes out its 2010 regular-season slate with a pair of home matches next weekend, Nov. 12-13, when it battles Cal State Stanislaus and Chico State on successive nights. First serve for both contests is set for 7 p.m. Prior to the Chico State match, the Gators will recognize their three seniors, Jackie Domecus, Lauren Hoffman and Sarah Lewis in a special ceremony as part of Senior Night festivities.
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