Box Score ARCATA – A balanced attack can be difficult to completely defend, which is how 16^th-ranked Sonoma State was able to overtake Humboldt State Thursday evening.
 
With every short burst by the home Lumberjacks, the balanced Seawolves, which had five players with at least nine kills on the night, had the answer to take the match in four sets, 3-1.
 
"It comes down to how we are able to play well in stretches, but we have yet to play well long enough to beat the good teams of the conference," explained HSU head coach Kelly Wood.  "We can't sustain that level (of play)."
 
The Seawolves (22-5/15-4 California Collegiate Athletic Association) by opening a nine-point lead on the way to a 25-15 opening set victory.
 
The Jacks (10-16/5-14 CCAA) battled back in the second set.  After trailing late 22-20 and 23-21, a Symone Hayden kill and Kaitlyn Dunaway ace tied the contest, before a visiting attack error and Alex Hasenstab kill finished off a 25-23 win to tie the match, 1-1.
 
The momentum into intermission turned out to be short lived for the home Jacks.
 
Sonoma State played virtually error-free volleyball the rest of the night.  The visiting club slowly built a 22-11 lead before winning 25-14 in the third set.  The Seawolves used the same methodical method to eventually score the final four points of the night to close out the match with a 25-17 fourth set.
 
"The hit .435 which is incredible.  We tried to adjust some blocking strategy to shut down their hitters, but then someone else for them would hit instead," added Wood.  "We just don't put runs against teams.  We are good at moments, but can't string them together to maintain that consistency."
 
Hayden paced the Jacks' attack with 13 kills with three errors in 27 total attack for a .370 hitting percentage.  She also dug 11 balls, added four block assists and had an assist.
 
"Symone had a good game and her best hitting percentage she has had all season," said Wood of the redshirt freshman.
 
Ashley Owen chipped in 13 kills of her own with a solo block and three digs.
 
Dunaway was the other double digit kill player with 10, while having 12 digs, three aces, one block and an assist.
 
Courtney Debrunner and Hasenstab each contributed six kills and combined for five block assists between them.
 
Sam Siebert handed out 41 assists to go with two kills and two digs.
 
Kelci Renshaw and Colleen Noonan helped the defense with eight and seven digs.
 
Sonoma State recorded five players with at least nine kills apiece with 15 each from Caylie Seitz and Kelsey Hull to hit .435 with 68 team kills in the match.
 
"We look forward to the three chances we have left this season to fire on all cyclinders," concluded Wood.
 
In the first chance to accomplish the task, HSU will host 'Senior Night' this Saturday against San Francisco State starting at 7 p.m.