TURLOCK – Pushed to the brink to win the first set Saturday night, Cal State San Bernardino's women's volleyball team worked hard for the first two sets before putting away Stanislaus State, 3-0, in a CCAA conference match at the Warriors' gym
It was the Yotes seventh straight win, improving their overall record to 17-3 and now 10-2 in the CCAA, staying one game back of first-place Cal State L.A., 11-1, a 3-1 winner over Cal State East Bay on Saturday.
Depending on the outcome of Thursday's home matchup with Cal State Dominguez Hills and CSULA's road trip to San Francisco State, the Yotes and Golden Eagles could have a 1-2 showdown on Saturday, Oct. 28, in Coussoulis Arena in the featured event of CSUSB Homecoming Week.
Meanwhile Sonoma State moved into a three-way tie for third place in the CCAA with a 3-2 win over Cal Poly Pomona at Kellogg Arena, while Francisco State was a 3-1 winner over last place Chico State. The Broncos, Seawolves and Gators are all 8-4.
The big scare for the Yotes came in the first set when they outlasted a determined Warriors team, 29-27 in a set that featured five ties and three lead changes. CSUSB then took sets two and three 25-18 and 25-15 with 158 fans present.
It was a big night once again for Yotes freshman
Trinity Sheridan who equaled her season-high with 22 kills and a .438 hitting percentage despite six attack errors and helping out at the net with four block assists. It was her fifth match with over 20 kills and her weekend total of 43 kills in six sets was an average of 7.16 kills per set.
Two-time CCAA offensive player of the week
Jenna Patton hit .385 on seven kills in 13 swings, but her five-match streak with no hitting errors ended with a pair of blocks by Warrior defenders. Patton also contributed five block assists.
Four players were in double figures in digs against the Warriors, led by
Ashley Robinson's 16.
Shira Lahav (3 service aces) and Sheridan each had 14 digs. Kacie Pederson contributed 10 digs. CCAA setter of the week
Marlee Nunley had 38 assists, giving her 73 in the two matches, an average of 12.1 assists per set.
The Yotes hit .282 as a team while holding Stanislaus State to .155 hitting. Ellison Weaver led the Warriors with 10 kills. Gabby Rawson had a team-high 16 digs and Alex Byrd had a solo block on Patton and three block assists.
"We are really excited to complete the weekend on the road with two critical CCAA victories in our pocket.
Trinity Sheridan had an epic weekend offensively and did a nice job on defense as well.
Shira Lahav was also so good, digging everything in sight," said Head Coach
Kim Cherniss.
The Yotes seemed headed to a comfortable win in set one, up 23-16 on a kill by Patton. The never-say-die Warriors (8-13 overall, 3-9 CCAA), won the next five points to close the gap to 23-21. After a another kill by Patton to reach set point, the Warriors evened the score at 24 on a service ace by Eyriana Eatmon and took a 25-24 lead on a kill by Mariah Iosua.
Savannah Hoffmann's kill tied the score at 25-25 and a ball-handling error by Eatmon put CSUSB up 26-25. Samaya Royal tied it again at 26-all. Sheridan's kill put the Yotes up 27-26 but an attack error by Sheridan evened the score at 27.
Sheridan then buried her ninth kill of the first set to make it 28-27 and the Warriors' Gabby Rawson's attack error gave the set to the Yotes 29-27.
The second set was played on equal terms until the Yotes went on a 6-0 run to lead 19-13 on a Sheridan kill. A kill by
Taryn King put the Yotes at set point 24-17 and an attack error by Iosua closed out the set at 25-18.
In the third set, the Yotes were leading 10-9 before going on a 9-2 run to lead 19-11 on kill by Patton off an assist by Nunley.
Nunley's kill made it 24-14 and moments later King and Sheridan blocked the attack of Ellison Weaver at match point to put the match away 25-15.
"We're now looking forward to returning to Coussoulis Arena for homecoming," Cherniss said. CSUSB is 9-0 at home this season.
