SEASIDE — Leading two games to one following an impressive comeback in the third set, Humboldt State emerged from a neck-in-neck fourth-set struggle to prevail, 19-25, 125-18, 26-24, 31-29 over Cal State Monterey Bay in a California Collegiate Athletic Association volleyball match played Saturday.

Boxscore

Yet another close match against a respected opponent ended in favor of the Lumberjacks, who improved to 4-5 overall and 1-4  in the CCAA. Cal State Monterey Bay lost for only the second time this year, dropping to 5-2 and 2-2 in conference contests.

The Jacks utilized their strong block to keep the match in doubt, and rode the hitting skills of Oceana Matsubu and Alexa Rosendale. Matsubu topped the team with nine block assists, and Allison Drobish added six assists and two solos while Merry Ellen Ackema had eight block assists.

Matsubu's 20 kills and 19 by Rosendale provided the Jacks with a potent 1-2 punch. Rosendale also contributed a team-high 24 digs, Tiffany McCray had 23, and Matsubu added 20 for HSU.

Cal State Monterey Bay's Melanie Lashbrook led all players with 24 kills. Reann Fall was the only other Otter in double figures with 16, and she also had 18 digs. Monique Sena had a team-high 20 digs for CSUMB.

The Otters jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the opening set when Lashbrook and Fall each put down a pair of kills. Humboldt State caught up and moved ahead, 15-14, on Drobish's kill, but the Otters scored nine of the next 11 points to again take control.

The Jacks struggled to gain the sideout, finally taking it back when Matsubu and Merry Ellen Ackema combined for a block. But they soon succumbed when Lashbrook put down another kill for the win.

After gaining a 4-3 lead in the second set on Ashley Neale's attack, the Jacks didn't trail again on the way to evening the match at a game apiece. Rosendale and Drobish penetrated the Otters' defense to close out the set.

Neither team led by more than two points throughout an exciting third set. CSU Monterey Bay gained a 24-22 lead on another Lashbrook kill, but successful attacks by Matsubu and Neale kept the Jacks in the set, evening the score at 24-24.

The surge continued when the Otters committed an attack error to give the Jacks an advantage, and Neale closed out the exciting comebacks with another kill.

Again, it was Lashbrook and Fall who powered CSUMB to a 10-5 advantage in the fourth set. Humboldt State's hitters committed four attack errors to help the Otters gain a 15-6 lead before Bailey Kotas' kill briefly interrupted the surge.

The Otters maintained a comfortable advantage before the Jacks rallied to pull within a single point on two occasions. Rosendale's kill evened the score at 20-20, and another by the junior transfer gave HSU its first lead of the set.

Humboldt State held match point at 24-23, but Fall put down the kill to tie the score again. The drama continued, the Jacks taking a lead on Matsubu's kill and Fall answering with her own for CSUMB.

The Lumberjacks moved to match point four times and the Otters held it twice before kills by Bailey Kotas and Matsubu finally finished off CSUMB.

Humboldt State heads home for four straight matches, beginning with Thursday's 7 p.m. contest against Cal State Los Angeles. The Lumberjacks host Cal State Dominguez Hills in a 4:30 matinee match-up on Saturday.