OREM, Utah ? In her final collegiate match, senior libero Mystie McNaughton (Stockdale HS) broke an 18-year-old school record, but it wasn't enough to keep the CSUB volleyball team from falling two points shy of capturing the NCAA Division I Independent Championship Saturday afternoon in Orem, Utah.
CSUB opened the day with a 25-21, 25-21, 25-19 win over Providence College. Host and defending champion Utah Valley University broke Roadrunner hearts in the final, however, coming back to win 17-25, 25-20, 34-36, 25-22, 16-14.
McNaughton totaled 32 digs in Saturday to give her 654 for the season, smashing Camille Mitchell's record of 637 set in 1990. Earlier this season, McNaughton passed Mitchell for the CSUB career record and finishes with an almost untouchable four-year total of 1,918. Mitchell's old mark was 1,793.
Senior outside hitter Sarah Norman (Stockdale HS) finished her collegiate career with a flourish, earning NCAA Division I Independent Championship all-tournament honors after posting a match-high 30 kills in the final. Junior setter Barbie Thistle (Bakersfield HS) added 67 assists in the championship match to join Norman on the all-tournament team.
After rolling to a straight-sets win over Providence Saturday morning, the Roadrunners seemed well on their way to wearing the Independent crown. The Roadrunners hit .355 in sweeping the Friars to set up of rematch of the 2007 title match with UVU. CSUB cruised to a 25-17 win in the first set against UVU and led 20-18 in the second set.
But the Wolverines rebounded. They scored the final seven points to pull out the second set. They nearly took the third set, as CSUB staved off four consecutive set points and six overall, to take a marathon 36-34 decision and a two sets to one lead.
Set four saw the Roadrunners rally back from 20-14 down to close within two points twice, the last time at 23-21, before UVU forced the fifth set with the 25-22 win.
The Wolverines played from behind the entire fifth set as CSUB twice built three-point leads, the last at a seemingly secure 13-10. But needing only to side out twice to win, a pair of Roadrunner overpasses opened the door for UVU, and the Wolverines slipped through to take the set and the match, 16-14.
CSUB finishes the season at 18-15 overall, putting a cap on the first winning season for any team in the NCAA Division I era of Roadrunner Athletics. Utah Valley finishes the year at 14-12.
