TURLOCK, Calif. — After a tough start to the weekend, the Humboldt State volleyball team finished strong. The Lumberjacks built big leads in each set and breezed past the Warriors of Cal State Stanislaus, 3-0, Saturday night.
 
HSU (15-6/12-5 California Collegiate Athletic Association) never trailed in any set by more than a single point of the straight sets victory (25-18, 25-17, 25-16) over Cal State Stanislaus (2-19/2-15 CCAA).
 
"As we've done all season, our players came back very strong after a tough loss (a 3-1 loss Friday at Chico State). We came out strong in every set tonight, and we improved our level of play each set," said HSU Head Coach Kelly Wood.
 
Kaitlyn Dunaway led the balanced HSU attack with 10 kills, a .421 hitting percentage, 11 digs and a pair of block assists.
 
Symone Hayden and Nicole Bewley finished with solid nights of their own. The two Jack frontline players both hit nine kills and registered three blocks.
 
Kat Rifilato dished out 20 assists to go with nine digs, two kills and a block assist. Erin Mitchell added 15 assists and seven digs.
 
Off the HSU bench, Heather Williams downed two kills and Elissa Sanchez dug three attacks.
 
Trailing 3-2 in the opening set, HSU posted the next nine points to go ahead 11-3. The Warriors made it back to within four points twice, before falling 25-18. Bewley paced the first set HSU attack with six kills and two block assists.
 
The Jacks scored four points in a row two times to open a 20-12 lead in the second set. Ashley Owen lined the set-winning kill, 25-17, to put HSU ahead, 2-0, in the match.
 
Tied at one, HSU ran off the next five points to start the third set. The visitors kept the momentum and extended the advantage to 11 points, 19-8, compliments of Williams' two kills. Hayden killed three of HSU's final four points to complete the set, 25-16, and match sweep.
 
HSU stays on the road next week for three matches in three nights. The Jacks open the week Thursday night at No. 18 Cal State San Bernardino, before they play at Cal Poly Pomona Friday and finish at UC San Diego Saturday. Each match begins at 7 p.m.