Box Score ARCATA – The second California Collegiate Athletic Association matches of the weekends have been where Humboldt State has shown well.  Saturday night was no different.
 
After falling in three-straight sets two nights prior a nationally-ranked foe, HSU played tough against 12^th-rated UC San Diego only to fall in four sets.
 
Following a Tritons 25-15 first set win, the Lumberjacks tied the match with a 25-22 win to head into intermission.
 
Despite having a set point opportunity, 24-23, after an Ashley Owen kill, the young and improving home team could not finish out the third game.  UC San Diego put together back-to-back kills before an HSU error finish out the set, 26-24.
 
The visiting Tritons (13-2/5-2 CCAA) finished the match with a 25-18 fourth set win.
 
"We talked in the locker room after the match that we played well but just not consistently well," explained HSU head coach Kelly Wood.  "We had a hard time finishing especially in the third set after we had a little bit of a lead.  The girls had a tough time coming back after that (dropping the third set)."
 
Owen paced the Jacks' attack with 17 kills, while hitting .333 with five digs.
 
Kaitlyn Dunaway produced 14 kills, 17 digs, two block assists and an assist.
 
Symone Haden added nine kills and six digs.  Freshmen Alex Hasenstab downed eight kills and a pair of block assists and Courtney Debrunner had four kills and two blocks.
 
Setter Sam Siebert dished out 44 assist to go with 14 digs, an ace and a kill.
 
Kelci Renshaw led the HSU defense with a season-high 23 digs while adding an aces and an assist.
 
Colleen Noonan and Jacquelyn Callaway chipped in 10 and seven digs, respectively.
 
UCSD exerted themselves early on the night by a four-point lead, 11-7, before coasting to the 25-15 final.
 
HSU led most of the early second set, before it opened a five-point advantage, 14-9, as part of five points in a row capped by a Hasenstab, Hayden and Dunaway kills.
 
The Tritons made a late charge, but was unable to get closer than 23-21 late.  The lone Callaway kill of the night was the final Jacks' point for a 25-22 win.
Trailing 19-15 late in the third contest, HSU received kills from Hasenstab and Dunaway in a 6-0 run to edge ahead 20-19.  Sliding ahead 24-23 on the Owen kill, the Jacks were unable to finish out the match and gain a set advantage with the set's three final points being for the Tritons, 26-24.
 
"The girls are getting better and improving. The third set we weren't able to make enough plays for rallies and ones that we should be making," added Wood.  "Our freshman middles are coming along, but they have a lot to learn and will have more improvement."
 
HSU will wrap up its three-match homestand with a Wednesday night affair against Cal Poly Pomona starting at 7 p.m.