SAN FRANCISCO – It was better late than never for the San Francisco State women's volleyball team Friday as the Gator offense came to life in the final two sets of a 3-0 victory over Humboldt State (30-28, 25-12, 25-21) at the Main Gymnasium.
After posting a .164 attack percentage in the opening frame, SF State (10-6, 6-5 California Collegiate Athletic Association) more than doubled its efficiency, hitting at a .378 clip for the remainder of the match, while the Lumberjacks (5-9, 2-8 CCAA) were limited to just 17 kills during that span and swung just .135 for the night.
In addition, the Gators maintained a sizeable advantage in both kills (55-32) and digs (82-61), despite committing 11 service errors.
Individually, SF State had three players finish with double-digit kill totals, including
Robyn Hall (14),
Halimah Oswald (13) and
Megan Johnson (11), who logged her third double-double of the year after posting a team-high 17 digs.
Iris Tolenada also doubled up for the eighth time this season after finishing with 42 assists and 15 digs, while
Sarah Kurfess added 16 scoops of her own.
Conversely, HSU was led by Oceana Matsubu and Alexa Rosendale, who recorded match-highs of 17 kills and 18 digs, respectively.
Although the two teams combined for 14 ties and eight lead changes in the opening set, the Jacks appeared to have momentum on their side as a solo block and kill by Merry Ellen Ackema staked the visitors to an 18-12 advantage. Following a Gator timeout, the hosts righted ship, with Oswald launching four consecutive put-aways to spark a critical 7-1 run to tie the score at 19-19. The Jacks responded with kills by Ashley Neale and Rosendale, but an attack error and a combined block by Hall and
Jazmine Williams knotted things up once again, setting the stage for a dramatic finish. Both sides reached set point on two occasions, but the Purple and Gold held firm as a Hall non-returnable ultimately provided the clinching point.
The second stanza belonged to SF State as Johnson and Oswald totaled five put-aways apiece. The Gator defense held HSU to just six kills, breaking open a tight 10-8 score with a timely 15-4 run to close out the frame.
SF State led throughout set number three, save for a pair of ties in the early going as a
Melissa Horton service ace and a Jacks attack error provided the host school a 10-4 cushion. HSU crept to within two at 14-12 following a Bailey Kotas service ace, but could draw no closer. Hall responded with four kills to highlight a 9-4 spurt, giving the Gators a 23-16 lead they would not surrender.
SF State returns to the court on Saturday, when it tackles Sonoma State in a key CCAA tilt, starting at 7 p.m. The Seawolves were 3-1 victors over Cal Poly Pomona on the road Friday.
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