SAN MARCOS, Calif. - #7 California State University San Bernardino women's volleyball earned a 3-0 road victory over Cal State San Marcos on Saturday afternoon at The Sports Center. Set scores were 25-16, 25-17, and 25-17.
With the victory, the Coyotes improved to 21-2 overall and 10-1 in CCAA play.
CSUSB scored the first five points of the match behind the serve of junior McKenna Edwards. The opening run included two kills by junior Sarai Ross, a kill by junior Kisa Sagiao, and two Cal State San Marcos errors.
The Cougars pulled within three at 13-10, but CSUSB responded with five of the next seven points to extend its lead to 18-12. Senior Kacie Pedersen and senior M'Kera Drake added kills during the stretch. The Coyotes later scored the final three points of the set, with Ross closing the 25-16 win on her sixth kill.
CSUSB hit .419 with 16 kills and three errors on 31 attempts in the opening set. Ross recorded six kills on 11 swings, while senior Allison Legates, Drake, Pedersen, and Sagiao added two kills apiece.
The second set featured five ties and four lead changes through the first 16 points. Cal State San Marcos took an 8-7 lead before CSUSB scored five straight points behind Pedersen's serve. Ross had two kills during the run, freshman Lilly Hartman added another, and a Cougar attack error gave the Coyotes a 12-8 advantage.
Cal State San Marcos cut the margin to two at 14-12, but CSUSB answered with three consecutive points, including a block by Ross and a Sagiao kill. The Coyotes maintained at least a four-point lead the rest of the set and closed the frame on consecutive Cougar errors.
Ross led CSUSB with four kills in the second set, while Pedersen and Drake recorded three apiece. The Coyotes held Cal State San Marcos to a .146 hitting percentage and forced seven attack errors.
CSUSB scored the first four points of the third set, including an Edwards service ace and kills by Pedersen and Sagiao. After the Cougars scored their first point, the Coyotes answered with a 5-0 run behind Haedyn Heyes' serve to build a 9-1 advantage.
The lead reached 18-8 on a Heyes service ace and later grew to 23-12. Cal State San Marcos scored five straight points to cut the margin to six, but Cali Tirado stopped the run with a kill before sophomore libero Saniyah Sobers ended the match with a service ace.
The Coyotes hit .317 in the final set with 16 kills and three errors. Pedersen had five kills, Sagiao added four, and Tirado recorded two kills on two attempts.
CSUSB finished with 44 kills and 10 attack errors on 107 swings for a .318 hitting percentage. The Coyotes held Cal State San Marcos to .164 and recorded advantages in service aces, 6-2, and total blocks, 5-3.
Ross led CSUSB with 11 kills on .346 hitting, while Pedersen finished with 10 kills and 11 digs. Drake recorded six kills on .500 hitting, and Sagiao added seven kills and three blocks. Edwards totaled 23 assists and 12 digs, junior Jaiden Van Horn had 12 assists, and Sobers finished with a match-high 19 digs.
The Coyotes will visit Stanislaus State on Friday at 5 p.m. at Fitzpatrick Arena in Turlock.
