Box Score LOS ANGELES – Top-seeded Cal State San Bernardino ended No. 4 seed Cal Poly Pomona's hopes for a second straight CCAA women's volleyball championship with a 3-1 victory over the Broncos in the 2023 CCAA tournament semifinals Friday night.
The Yotes, 23-4 this season and ranked No. 2 in the NCAA's West Region and No. 9 in the nation, will take on host Cal State Los Angeles, the No. 2 seed, in the championship match at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Eagles Nest on the CSULA campus.
The two teams tied for first place in the CCAA at 15-3. Cal State L.A. is unbeaten at home this season at 10-0 and is 40-5 at home the past four seasons.
CSUSB will trying to win its sixth conference championship in seven years under the tournament format adopted in 2015. Cal State L.A. has yet to win a conference tournament championship but did make the final in 2019, losing to the Yotes, 3-2, in Coussoulis Arena at the San Bernardino campus.
Senior middle blocker
Jenna Patton, junior outside hitter
Ashley Robinson and freshman outside hitter
Trinity Sheridan combined for 38 of the Yotes' 53 kills in taking the match 25-19, 19-25, 25-19, 25-20. Patton had a team-high five block assists.
Senior setter
Marlee Nunley had 38 of her team's 42 assists in the match, added four kills, three block assists and 11 digs for a double-double. Robinson also recorded a double-double with 17 digs to go with a solo block and two block assts.
Senior middle
Taryn King had an efficient night on the front line with five kills in seven swings (.571 hitting) with a solo block and three block assists. The Yotes finished with four solo blocks, two by Sheridan, and 18 block assists.
Sets two and three were very competitive with the score tied nine times with four lead changes in the second set and eight ties and four lead changes in the third set. CSUSB was the most effective in the first set with 17 kills with only three attack errors for .326 hitting.
The Yotes pulled out the fourth set even though they hit just .061 with 11 kills and nine errors in 33 swings. The Broncos converted just nine kills with seven errors and hit .043. Overall the Broncos hit .172 for the match.
In the final set, the Yotes never led by more than three points until the latter stage of the set when Robinson delivered a solo block of Pomona's senior Daisy Duke for a 23-19 advantage. After a kill by …… Campion, the Yotes secured the match on a kill by King and a service ace by Robinson.
Duke led Pomona with 17 kills on .289 hitting. Madison Novak had 15 kills and Samantha Campion finished with 10 kills and three service aces. Caitie Mueller had a match-high 42 assists. Kaitlan Tucker had a team-high five block assists.
