SAN FRANCISCO – In a fiercely contested match, the San Francisco State women's volleyball team prevailed by a 3-0 count (25-21, 27-25, 29-27) over Cal State Monterey Bay on Friday in California Collegiate Athletic Association action at the Main Gymnasium.
 
The Gators persevered through 20 ties and seven lead changes in the final two sets, improving to 6-5 on the season and 2-4 in conference play, while the Otters slip to 6-3 overall and 2-3 in the CCAA.
 
SF State was paced by Halimah Oswald's 12 kills, while Kelly Ostello finished with 10 put-aways of her own.  In addition, Iris Tolenada contributed to the victory after notching her fourth straight double-double with 39 assists and 13 digs.  Sarah Kurfess also figured prominently on defense with 13 scoops as well, while Jazmine Williams came up big at the net with four total blocks (1 solo, 3 assists).
 
Conversely, CSUMB was led by Melanie Lashbrook, who tied Oswald for match-high honors with 12 kills, while Rheann Fall finished with 11 in the defeat. Elsewhere,  Rachel Freeno totaled 13 digs and was one of four Otters with three block assists, joining Lashbrook, Tiffany Riggs and Julia Ashen.
 
Despite trailing in total blocks, 8.5-6.0, SF State maintained a 46-35 advantage in kills and owned a .208-.143 edge in hitting percentage, while dialing up nine service aces.  
 
The Gators enjoyed a strong start in the opening set, racing to a 10-4 lead on the strength of three Ostello kills and another two by Oswald, before CSUMB uncorked a 10-5 run, capped by a Lauren Ding service ace, which narrowed the gap to 15-14.  However, SF State stood its ground as an Otter attack error and a subsequent ace by Lauren Walsh snuffed out the rally, giving the host school a three-point bulge at 17-14.  The Gators stretched the margin to 21-16 shortly thereafter on an Oswald kill and another errant CSUMB swing, while a Walsh non-returnable soon provided the clinching point.
 
The second stanza was a nip-and-tuck affair as the two teams combined for 11 ties and six lead changes.  A kill by Megan Johnson seemingly put SF State in the driver's seat at 24-22. However, Fall quickly knocked down a kill and added a service ace, while Ashen recorded a put-away to punctuate a 3-0 spurt, putting the Otters in front 25-24.  However, the Gators responded with three straight tallies on back-to-back kills by Oswald and Ostello, while Walsh finished off the frame with an ace, giving the Purple and Gold a commanding 2-0 advantage in sets heading into intermission.
 
The third and final frame was no less dramatic as SF State battled back from a 16-10 deficit to grab a 22-20 lead as two kills by Ostello and Robyn Hall fueled a 12-4 Gator blitz.  Moments later, Lashbrook and Freeno combined on a block to tie the score at 23-23, before SF State crept ahead once again on a Williams kill.  The Gators were unable to close off the match, however, coming up empty on four consecutive match points, including a 27-26 spread following a CSUMB ball-handling error.  A subsequent SF State service error knotted the score at 27-27, before the Purple and Gold finally ended the suspense with an Oswald kill and a Williams solo block to seal the hard-fought victory.
 
The Gators will have little time to savor their win as Cal State East Bay pays a visit to the Main Gym on Saturday in a CCAA showdown starting at 7 p.m. 

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