Box Score SAN BERNARDINO – It was billed as a battle between the top two blocking teams in CCAA volleyball. Visiting Cal State Dominguez Hills won round 1 Thursday night but the Yotes dominated the next three rounds for a 3-1 majority decision over the Toros in Coussoulis Arena.
The Yotes victory, combined with Cal State L.A.'s 3-1 loss at San Francisco State sets up a showdown for sole possession of first place in the CCAA conference before an expected Homecoming crowd in Coussoulis Arena at 7 p.m. Saturday.
CSUSB, ranked No. 8 in NCAA Division II, improved to 18-3 on the season with their eighth-straight win and are 11-2 in the CCAA, the same conference record as the Golden Eagles, ranked No. 23 in Division II.
The Yotes lost to CSULA 3-1 at the Eagles Nest on Sept. 29. They haven't lost since.
After the Toros held off the Yotes in the first set, 25-23, helped by 10 block assists to just two by the Yotes, CSUSB found it's A game to take the next three sets in dominate fashion 25-13, 25-15 and 25-11.
The Toros drop to 10-10 on the season and 5-8 in conference play. CSUSB now leads the all-time series between the two teams 62-6.
CSUSB prevailed with its attackers out scoring the Toros on kills 56-32, hitting .295 as a team to just .039 for the Toros and outblocked the Toros over the final three sets 16 to 6 with two solo blocks by senior middle blocker
Jenna Patton to go with her six block assists.
Offensively, four Yotes were in double figures in kills, led by
Ashley Robinson with 16,
Savannah Hoffmann with 14 and NCAA Division II player of the week and CCAA player of the week
Trinity Sheridan putting 13 attacks on the floor.
Setter
Marlee Nunley, the team's court general, posted a season-high 47 assists in the 52 kills made by her teammates. Nunley chipped in six digs and five block assists.
Patton, the NCAA Division II leader in hitting percentage at .481, made no errors for the fifth time in her last six matches and hit .600 on 15 swings against the Toros.
The Toros were hurt by 27 attack errors and six service errors and in two of the sets their hitting percentage was in the minus zone. CSUSB struggled in the first set, hitting just .205 but hit .290, .400 and .292 in the next three sets.
CSUSB's
Shira Lahav, ranked No. 3 in the CCAA in digs, had 22 more against the Toros to keep her average over 4.0 per set. Robinson complimented her match-leading 16 kills with eight digs and a service ace.
Kayly Pau led the Toros with 11 kills. Jesi Diekmann had five block assists, most of them in the first set.
In the first set the Yotes were down 18-11 on a kill by Pau, but rallied with six straight points to cut the margin to one on a Robinson kill. Moments later, down 23-19, the Yotes rallied again to trail by one, 24-23 on a Toros swing error. A kill by Kilyn Hayes saved the set for the Toros, 25-23.
Leading 11-9 in the second set, the Yotes scored six straight points for a 17-9 advantage. Later the lead expanded 10 at 23-13 on a solo block by Patton and an assisted block by Patton and Nunley. Two swing errors by the Toros ended the set at 25-13.
CSUSB pulled away in the third set after taking a 10-4 lead on a service ace by Patton. Leading 21-11, Head Coach
Kim Cherniss substituted freshman
M'Kera Drake into the game and Drake responded immediately by assisting Nunley in blocking a Toros attack by Lauren Whyte. Sheridan closed out the set with a kill at 25-15.
The Yotes opened a 10-4 lead early in the fourth set and never looked back. Leading 16-11, the Yotes ran off eight straight points that included back-to-back aces by Jayden Chormomud to reach match point. Sheridan ended the match with a kill at 25-11.
