SEATTLE ? The CSUB volleyball team moved one step closer to history Saturday by defeating fellow NCAA Division I independent member Seattle University at the Connolly Center in Seattle.
CSUB improved to 13-10 with the 25-14, 25-18, 25-27, 25-22 win. More importantly, the Roadrunners reduced their magic number for clinching a winning season to four. By winning at least four of its nine remaining matches, the 'Runner volleyball team would become the first team in the NCAA Division I era of CSUB Athletics to post a winning record.
While the team moved a step closer to a place in history, senior libero Mystie McNaughton (Stockdale HS) moved 30 steps closer to a place of her own. McNaughton recorded 30 digs, one of the top four-set performances in CSUB history, to give her 1,755 for her career. She is now just 38 away from Camille Mitchell's CSUB career record of 1,793.
Offensively, seniors Sarah Norman (Stockdale HS) and Rosemary Stribling (West HS) came up big with the match on the line in the fourth set. Norman collected six of her match-high 20 kills in the set, including a big swing with the Redhawks thinking upset that tied the set at 20-20.
Stribling, who hit a match-high .400, had four of her 15 kills in the final set, including the swing that brought CSUB to set point at 24-22.
Also enjoying a big match was junior setter Barbie Thistle (Bakersfield HS), who posted an impressive four-set total of 52 assists while adding a match-high five aces.
It appeared as if Saturday's win would come easily as the 'Runners led wire-to-wire while cruising to wins in the first two sets. But even with the comfortable margins, the 'Runners walked a high wire. They allowed Seattle to score more points on 'Runner errors (14), than Redhawk kills (11) in the opening two sets.
Seattle eventually took advantage of CSUB's generosity. With CSUB's 10 errors matching Seattle's 10 kills, the Redhawks overcame a 20-16 deficit in the third set, saved a match point at 24-23, then forced a fourth set with the 27-25 win.
Neither team could take a firm foothold in the decisive fourth set. The teams traded five leads before a Lindy DeGeare (Stockdale HS) kill put the 'Runners in front to stay at 22-21. A Seattle error and Stribling's final swing brought CSUB to the brink, setting up DeGeare for the match-winning kill.
CSUB will take Sunday off before finishing its trip to the Pacific Northwest at the University of Portland Monday evening. The 'Runners return home to host undefeated Fresno Pacific University Wednesday in the Icardo Center.
