SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco State women's volleyball team stayed close with the nation's No. 3 team for one set, but ultimately could not generate a consistent attack for the remainder of the night as Cal State San Bernardino pulled away for a three-set victory (25-21, 25-13, 25-13) in a California Collegiate Athletic Association match on Saturday in the Main Gymnasium.
The Coyotes (18-0, 13-0 CCAA) outhit the Gators .322 to .029 and maintained a sizeable 11-3 advantage in total blocks to keep their unblemished record intact, while SF State was unable to overcome 24 attack errors, slipping to 10-9 on the season and 6-8 in league play.
CSUSB shared the offensive burden, with
Megan Johnson (.636) finishing with a match-high eight kills on 11 attempts, while Samantha Middleborn, Danielle Newcombe and Priscilla Collings contributed seven put-aways each. Middleborn, the reigning Division II Player of the Year, also displayed her prowess at the net with six block assists to go along with three service aces. In addition, Camille Smith and Kelcie Tolan registered match highs of 32 assists and 12 digs, respectively.
On the flip side, the Gators were limited to just 27 kills for the match, with
Jazmine Williams launching a team-best six non-returnables, while
Kelly Ostello collected five. Elsewhere,
Iris Tolenada handed out 24 helpers and added a pair of block assists, while Kurfess tied Tolan for match-high honors with 12 digs as well.
The opening set was a nip-and-tuck affair as the two teams battled through 13 ties and three lead changes. With the score knotted at 17-17, the Coyotes came up with three key blocks during a 4-1 spurt to take the lead for good at 21-18. SF State twice narrowed the gap to one, including a 22-21 spread following a Williams put-away. The Purple and Gold could not gain the upper hand, however, as a Gator attack error and back-to-back kills by Johnson allowed CSUSB to escape with the frame.
SF State found it difficult to match the Coyotes' firepower in set number two as the visitors recorded a .462 hitting percentage on 14 kills in 26 swings with just two errors, compared to the hosts' .033 clip (7-6-30). Still, the Gators trailed just 7-6, until a 13-5 run gave CSUSB all the breathing room it needed at 20-11.
Two kills by SF State's namesake
Megan Johnson helped keep the Gators close at 5-4 early in the third frame, but the Coyotes were just too much to handle in the end. Newcombe knocked down three kills, while Middleborn added two aces to fuel a 16-5 run as CSUSB built a 21-9 lead and never looked back.
SF State closes out its long homestand next weekend, Oct. 21-22, when it tackles Cal State Stanislaus and No. 23 Chico State on consecutive nights. First serve for both matches is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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