BoxscoreLOS ANGELES — The Lumberjack volleyball team refused to lose Friday night. Humboldt State came back from a set down to clip California College Athletic Association-leading Cal State Los Angeles, 3-2, for the first victory in program history on the Golden Eagles' home court.
Trailing 2-1, the Jacks broke a 17-17 tie with four-straight points to even the match at two sets apiece (25-19, 21-25, 16-25, 25-18).
Alex Hasenstab and
Kaitlyn Dunaway's back-to-back kills started a 9-2 HSU fifth set run, before
Symone Hayden finished the comeback with a match-point kill and 15-7 final.
The HSU victory is the first win in program history at Cal State Los Angeles' Eagles Nest in 10 matches. The Jacks (10-4/7-3 CCAA) win also marks the program's first back-to-back double-digit win seasons since 1998 and 1999 campaigns. With the loss, Cal State Los Angeles (10-4/8-3 CCAA) falls out of the league's top spot behind Sonoma State (8-2 CCAA).
"The girls were a little up and down throughout the match, but did just enough to get to the fifth set," said HSU Head Coach
Kelly Wood. "They were not going to lose the fifth set. They really came out and took control and played consistently well throughout the final set."
Kaitlyn Dunaway topped the all-around HSU leaders. The junior opposite downed 13 kills, hit .321, lined a pair of aces and dug seven attacks.
Ashley Owen led the overall kill total with 15, while Hayden lined 14 kills of her own. Hasenstab added seven kills and five total blocks.
Erin Mitchell guided the HSU offense with 26 assists and seven digs.
Haley Biles produced 30 digs and
Nicole Bewley laced two aces. Kat Rifilato rounded out the night with 22 assists, nine digs, two aces and five kills.
Tied at 17 in the opening set, Bewley started the winning 8-2 finish. The junior middle blocker killed the next point and followed with an ace as the Jacks would never trail in the 25-19 win.
The Eagles turned around the match by taking the next two sets, but the Jacks refused to lose on the night.
After HSU's four-straight fourth set points to gain the lead, Hasenstab blocked a Cal State Los Angeles attack, before Bewley finished the set with an ace for the 25-18 win to even the match, 2-2.
HSU will try to complete the Los Angeles weekend sweep at Cal State Dominguez Hills Saturday night at 7 p.m.
-GoJacks-
