SEASIDE, Calif. — For the first time in eight seasons, the Humboldt State volleyball team claimed victory in its California Collegiate Athletic Association opener. Symone Hayden provided opportunistic kills to help the Lumberjacks swat the Otters of Cal State Monterey Bay in straight sets, 3-0, on Friday night.
 
With the win, HSU opened CCAA play victorious for the first time since it defeated Sonoma State, 3-1, at home on August 30, 2006.
 
Hayden led the HSU (4-1/1-0 CCAA) charge. The sophomore provided opening set point in a 25-18 win, before she provided a key mid-set kill to help in a 25-18 second set victory. The outside hitter spurred a 6-1 third set run as HSU grinded out a 25-23 win to complete the sweep of Cal State Monterey Bay (0-5/0-1 CCAA).
 
"We are pleased with a three-set win to start off conference play," said HSU Head Coach Kelly Wood. "The girls played very well in the first two sets and were very consistent."
 
The 2014 balance Jacks lineup showed throughout the night. HSU had four players finish with a .333 hitting percentage or better, and all six frontline players have five-plus kills. As a team, the Jacks hit .314 with only 13 attack errors in 102 attempts.
 
"Our offensive balance will be tough for opponents to handle. We came out a little flat in the third set, but remained tough and together, and pulled it out in the end," said Wood.
 
Hayden led the visiting team attack with 12 kills and a .357 attack percentage.
 
The two middle blockers Alex Hasenstab and Nicole Bewley combined for big nights. Hasenstab downed eight kills and hit .375 to go with a service ace and a block assist. Bewley added seven kills and a team-high .462 hitting percentage.
 
Kat Rifilato handed out 21 set assists, while she posted six kills, five digs and an ace. Setter Erin Mitchell had 15 assists and five digs.
 
Rounding out the night, Haley Biles led the defense with 11 digs and Ashley Owen added four total blocks to go with six kills.
 
Tied at 10 in the opening set, Hasenstab and Biles killed points and Rifilato laced an ace for a three-point, 13-10, HSU lead. The Jacks doubled the lead to six, 23-17, before Hayden killed set point and an Otter attack error gave the Jacks the win.
 
A Hayden kill and Kelci Renshaw ace helped give HSU a 4-0 lead to start set two. The Jacks never trailed even though Cal State Monterey Bay came back to within a point, 15-14. Hayden killed the next point, before Owen started a run of four late points in a row for a second 25-18 win.
 
After intermission, the Otters built leads of 12-7 and 15-10 in the third set. Hayden downed another kill as part of a 6-1 run to tie the match at 16-16. Following six more ties, the scoreboard read 23-23. Rifilato and Bewley posted back-to-back kills to put the end to the straight sets win, 25-23.
 
HSU will try to make it two CCAA road wins in one weekend Saturday night at Cal State East Bay starting at 7 p.m.