ARCATA, Calif. — Cal Poly Humboldt volleyball put up a fierce fight in front of a spirited home crowd at Lumberjack Arena, but ultimately fell in a five-set thriller to Sonoma State (25-18, 26-24, 22-25, 21-25, 15-12). Despite the tough loss, senior outside hitter Awelina Fakalata delivered yet another stellar performance, notching her third 20-kill, 20-dig match of the season and her 10th double-double.

Fakalata paced the Lumberjacks with a game-high 20 kills and added 22 digs, continuing her impressive run this season. The senior's contributions were vital in keeping Humboldt in contention, particularly as the Lumberjacks battled back from a two-set deficit to force a decisive fifth set.

Sonoma State's balanced attack, led by Emily Hernandez and Jackie Winfield with 15 kills apiece, gave the Seawolves the edge in the closely contested match. Humboldt managed to out-block and out-serve their opponents, with 10 blocks and 11 aces, but couldn't capitalize in the fifth set, hitting -.048 compared to Sonoma's .143.

Supporting Fakalata's efforts, freshman Madyn Cervellera contributed 13 kills and 11 digs for her fifth double-double of the season, while middle blocker Hollis Downing led the team with six blocks. Setter Kyra Slavik dished out 47 assists, and libero Sophia Spoja anchored the defense with a match-high 23 digs.

Looking Ahead
The Lumberjacks, now 7-11 overall and 3-7 in CCAA play, will look to regroup as they prepare for a four-game road trip that begins next Friday at Cal State Monterey Bay (4-12, 3-6 CCAA). First serve is set for 5:00 PM. The rest of the road trip consists of Cal State East Bay (Oct. 26), Cal State San Marcos (Nov. 1), and No. 6 Cal Poly Pomona (Nov. 2). 

All games will be available for streaming on FloVolleyball. For more information on Cal Poly Humboldt Volleyball, please visit humboldtathletics.com, download our mobile app, and follow us on all social media platforms.