SAN FRANCISCO – The SF State women's volleyball team ran out of magic just shy of pulling off a five set thriller on Tuesday evening at the Main Gym. Trailing by four late in the fourth set the Gators rallied back to force the fifth and final set, unfortunately, the Wildcats were able to hold on and took the set and the match winning 3-2 (21-25, 25-13, 20-25, 28-26, 12-15).
The Gators (3-7/1-2 CCAA) endured several long rallies all evening, as the two teams battled evenly. The Gators attempted 166 attacks on the night, the Wildcats (11-3/3-1 CCAA) countered with 170. SF State hit .211, Chico State .182, the Gators had 64 digs, the Wildcats 77. The difference in the game, was Chico State's ability to keep plays alive and extend rallies.
Leading the team on the attack was junior
Taylor Brownlee who came alive in the later sets, she finished the night with 14 kills on 41 swings. She also recorded two blocks in the fourth set during the Gators epic rally.
Jaclyn Clark finished the night with 13 kills, two aces and eight digs for another all-around solid evening. Joining Clark and Brownlee in double figures was sophomore
Christine Johnson and freshman
Danielle Rehmann.
Johnson was on fire in the first two sets, recorded 10 kills on 12 swings. She finished the night with a career-high 12 kills on 25 swings for a .280 attack percentage. She also teamed up with Rehmann and
Samantha Krakower to throw up a wall defensively. Johnson finished the night with six block assists, a career-best mark.
Rehmann finished the night with 10 kills on 18 swings for a .389 attack percentage. She also recorded eight total blocks. Krakower recorded seven kills on 23 swings and had three total blocks.
For the second-consecutive match, the Gators back line trio of
Krista Forte,
Arianna Cruz and
Jessica Nicerio were exceptional. The three combined for 43 of the teams 64 digs. Nicerio finished with a team-high 20 digs, while also recording three service aces. Forte finished with 10 digs, while Cruz had 13 digs and an ace.
In the first set the Gators could not match the hot start of the Wildcats. SF State came out hitting .257, but Chico State countered hitting .438. In the second set the Gators flipped the script. Hitting .321 while the Wildcats hit just .028.
In the third set the Wildcats taking the set late 25-20 late, the Gators once again hit well, recording 13 kills on 35 swings for a .257 attack percentage. Chico State was just a little better, recording 14kills on 31 swings for a .323 percentage.
In the fourth set it looked like the Gators had run out of gas, trialing 22-18. Out of a timeout, the Gators got back into the set and the match on back-to-back blocks by Brownlee. A pair of kills by Clark, sandwiched a third block in the late states of the match to give the Gators the set 28-26.
In the fifth set the Wildcats took advantage of the Gators attack errors. SF State hit into five errors in the set, hitting .037. A kill down the line by Chico State gave the Wildcats the set 15-12.
The Gators will return to action on Friday, when they travel south to take on Cal State San Marcos at 2:00 p.m.
Complete Box Score
(HTML)Complete Box Score
(PDF)Post Match Video--
Gator Athletics has a proud tradition of competitive success within the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The department offers 12 intercollegiate sports programs: Baseball, Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Men's and Women's Soccer, Softball, Women's Track & Field, Women's Volleyball and Men's Wrestling.Gator Athletics places great emphasis on academic performance as well as athletic achievement. The program offers student athletes the opportunity to reach their educational goals, as well pursue meaningful athletic accomplishments. For more information, visit SF State Athletics' website, Twitter and Facebook pages.
