SAN FRANCISCO - For the second-straight year, the San Francisco State volleyball team is headed to the CCAA Tournament. The postseason berth was clinched with a sweep of the visiting Humboldt State Lumberjacks, 3-0 (25-19, 25-17, 25-11).
- The Gators (15-8/8-6 CCAA) dominated on the offensive end, hitting a season-high .425, which is also the fourth-best mark since 2003. The Purple and Gold had no errors in the deciding third set and hit a stellar .484 in the frame.
- The victory gives SF State its most wins since 2012 and most home victories since 2009.
- Drew Morris hit .375 with 14 kills and nine digs, and now has hit above .320 in back-to-back contests.
- Trinity Barr hit .562 with 10 kills, her eighth double-digit kill performance of the season. Senior Bailey Johnson was errorless on the night with seven kills and a .583 hitting percentage. It is the fifth time this year she has hit .500 or better. Jessica Haynie added eight kills and hit .400.
- Payton Jensen had 37 assists and three aces. Taylor Garcia made play after play with nine digs and an ace.
- The Gators have three more regular season contests left, and will look to propel themselves up the CCAA North Division standings ahead of the CCAA Tournament, which starts on November 21 in San Bernardino, California.Â
Back-to-back aces by Morris was part of a 4-0 run that put the Gators up 9-8. Barr's kill, her second of the contest off the fingertips of the 'Jack blocker, put SF State up 16-15. Jade Gillespie made it a 20-17 lead with her first kill of the evening and Barr added another and prompt a Humboldt timeout. Morris had a quick kill out of the break for the 23-18 lead and Brenna Dougherty added an ace. Barr put it away with another booming kill from the net for the 25-19 win.Â
Another Morris kill sparked a 4-0 run in the second, which featured kills by Haynie and Barr as SF State came out to a 10-6 lead and the visitors called another timeout. Humboldt cut it to two following the break before Haynie's cross-court kill regained the momentum. Jensen's third ace widened the lead to five, and the rally continued with three straight to go up 21-15. Morris came up big down the stretch with booming kills to give her nine on the night, and Haynie wrapped it up with a kill from the left for the 25-17 win.Â
Haynie's ace was part of a 6-0 run that also featured three Johnson kills to start the third as SF State began to run away with the match. Morris continued her strong performance with three more from the post and SF State got a 7-0 run for a 13-2 advantage. Danielle Ryan joined the fun with a kill down the line out of the timeout. Barr and Ryan teamed up for a block that gave SF State match point, and Morris sent everyone home with another kill from the post.
The Gators wrap up home action tomorrow against Sonoma State. Live stats and a stream will be provided.
