HAYWARD, Calif. – Despite a career-high 24 kills from Megan Johnson, the San Francisco State women's volleyball team dropped a tough five-set decision on the road to Cal State East Bay (25-15, 22-25, 19-25, 25-16, 15-13) Friday in a key California Collegiate Athletic Association match at Pioneer Gym.
The Gators were unable to overcome 35 attack errors, slipping to 12-10 on the season and 8-9 in conference play, while the Pioneers owned a sizeable advantage in kills (64-48) and total blocks (11-4) to even the season series and raise their record to 13-8 overall and 8-8 in the CCAA.
In addition to her kill total, Johnson served up a collegiate-best five aces and posted 11 digs for her sixth double-double of the year, while Iris Tolenada doubled up on the stat sheet for the 12th time this season after contributing 44 assists and 14 scoops. SF State also received 10 kills and trio of aces from reigning CCAA Player of the Week Halimah Oswald, while Sarah Kurfess added a team-high 19 digs.
As a team, the Gators recorded their best serving performance of the year with 12 aces and maintained a 71-66 edge in digs, but were outhit .261-081 on the night as the duo of Kitona Offord (.361, 16 kills) and Samantha Bruno (.500, 15 kills) provided the offensive punch for the Pioneers. In addition, Leslie Ray totaled a match-high 24 digs, while Katie Allen tallied four blocks in the victory.
SF State got off to a slow start with only six kills in the opening set, but trailed just 13-12 after a Jazmine Williams and Robyn Hall block, followed by an East Bay hitting error. However, the Pioneers uncorked a 12-3 run to close off the frame, fueled by three Offord kills and another two by Bruno.
The Gators finally found their rhythm in the second stanza as Johnson blasted six of the team's 13 put-aways. Clinging to a precarious 14-12 lead, an Oswald service ace punctuated an 8-3 spurt to give SF State a seemingly insurmountable 22-15 advantage, before the Pioneers staged a late rally. Two kills by Nikki Long and Bruno cut the margin to 24-22, but Johnson aptly provided the clinching point with a shot that found daylight to stave off the threat.
The Gators erased an early 10-5 deficit in the third frame as three consecutive Johnson kills and another two by Katie Judd highlighted a key 7-1 blitz to put the visitors ahead to stay at 12-11. SF State limited East Bay to just four kills for the remainder of the set, while aces by Reyna Rochin, Johnson and Lauren Walsh helped give the Purple and Gold a comfortable 24-16 cushion it would not surrender.
Unfortunately, the Gators could not sustain the momentum heading into set number four as the Pioneers grabbed a quick 8-4 lead and were never fronted. Bruno collected four kills down the stretch, including the clincher, setting the stage for a dramatic conclusion.
The two teams battled through six ties and three lead changes in the fifth and deciding frame, with SF State nursing a slim 10-9 advantage following a combined block by Oswald and Kelly Ostello. However, the Purple and Gold could not maintain the upper hand as East Bay took the lead for good at 12-10 after Danielle Stewart and Long knocked down kills sandwiched around a Gator attack error. SF State twice pulled to within one, including a 14-13 spread following a Kelsie Brennan put-away, but Bruno and Allen joined forces at the net for a block, allowing the Pioneers to escape.
SF State will have little time to dwell on the defeat as it heads south to Seaside, Calif., on Saturday for another CCAA encounter with Cal State Monterey Bay, starting at 7 p.m.
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