ARCATA, Calif. — The Humboldt State volleyball team was able to check off its first goal of the week Thursday night. After dropping the opening set, the Lumberjacks prevailed over the Toros of Cal State Dominguez Hills in the next three for the 3-1 victory (15-25, 25-18, 25-17 and 25-20).
 
Cal State Dominguez Hills had HSU back on its heels in the opener and it earned the 10-point first set win. The Jacks gained their focus and produced three-straight set victories to put away the Toros, 3-1.
 
"The team definitely played very nervous in the first set. We were able to get it together and started to play our game more so in the second set," said HSU Head Coach Kelly Wood.
 
With the win, the Jacks improved to 17-8 on the season and posted victory No. 17 in a season for the first time since 1997.
 
The Jacks' win sets up a Saturday night battle for third place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association and a possible NCAA DII national playoff bid. HSU moved into a third place tie at 14-7 with its weekend opponent, Cal State Los Angeles, which lost 3-1 at Cal State San Bernardino Thursday.
 
"We are trying to work on staying focused and playing in the moment and not on what we are playing for (a trip to the NCAA playoffs), which is a lot," said Wood. "I think we will play a lot better Saturday versus Cal State Los Angeles. They want to get to the postseason so bad."
 
HSU tries to check off its second goal of the week by defeating Cal State Los Angeles Saturday night. The Senior Night home finale has a 7 p.m. first serve.
 
On the night, Nicole Bewley was one of four HSU players in double-digit kills and finished with 13. Alex Hasenstab pounded 12 kills, hit .500 and blocked two attacks.
 
Ashley Owen lined 11 kills of her own and blocked four attacks on defense.
 
Kaitlyn Dunaway rounded out HSU's double figure kill producers with 10. The junior added 14 digs for her ninth double-double of the year.
 
Kat Rifilato and Erin Mitchell combined to hand out 53 assists and dug 13 balls. Haley Biles equaled her season-high with 31 digs.
 
Rounding out the Jacks' effort, Symone Hayden chipped in nine kills and Kelci Renshaw had eight digs.
 
The Toros (3-22/2-19 CCAA) scored three of the first four points and never trailed in the opening set. HSU pulled to within two, 13-11, but Cal State Dominguez Hills netted the next five points to go on for the 25-15 set win.
 
HSU stormed back in the second set. The Jacks posted the opening four points and opened a 10-2 advantage. The Toros were unable to get closer than six points the rest of the way and fell 25-18.
 
The Jacks used a second good start in as many sets to go ahead, 2-1, in the match. HSU scored four of the first five points of set three and ran to a 7-2 lead. The Jacks coasted to a 25-17 win capped by an Owen final point kill.
 
Tied at 17 in the fourth set, HSU took advantage of two back-to-back Cal State Dominguez Hills miscues and Rifilato killed a third point in a row for a 20-17 margin. The Jacks never trailed again after the short fun. HSU scored the match's final four points with a pair of Owen kills ending the night in a 25-20 fourth set victory.