BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - The CSUB volleyball team got a little bit healthier and a little bit closer to its first win of 2010, but Fresno State had just enough gas in the tank to hold on for a 24-26, 25-23, 25-20, 25-27, 15-11 win Wednesday night in the Icardo Center.
Junior middle blocker Alysia Baker (Vista/Tri-City Christian HS) returned to the Roadrunner lineup after missing two weeks with a dislocated finger. CSUB also regained some depth when junior outside hitter Brookey Holmes (Bakersfield College) made her first brief appearance since going down with an ankle injury at the beginning of the month.
CSUB got a season-high 22 kill, 15-dig double-double from junior outside hitter Lindy DeGeare (Stockdale HS). The Roadrunners got career-highs of 19 kills from freshman Haleigh Haratyk (Corona/Centennial HS) and 17 from sophomore Tika Smith (Sweetwater, Texas/SHS). The Roadrunners also hit a season-high .276 thanks in large part to a career-high 65-assist night from junior setter Danielle Gong (Stockdale HS).
Fresno State outside hitter Marissa Brand matched DeGeare's 22 kills, however, and even though no other Bulldog reached double figures, four hit .300 or better.
"I thought we played hard and I thought we played well for about 90 percent of the match," said CSUB Head Coach John Price. "But we didn't pass well enough, we had some bad misses in our service game and Fresno State made just enough plays when it mattered to win."
All five sets were as close as the scores indicated, although the match started ominously for CSUB when Fresno State raced to a 17-10 lead to open set one. But five kills by Haratyk sparked a 9-2 run that evened the set at 19-19. Neither team was able to forge more than a two-point lead the rest of the way. The 'Runners finally pulled it out when, tied at 24-24, Haratyk teamed first with Smith and then Baker to stuff Brand and Brianna Clarke on consecutive swings to give CSUB the set.
The second set stayed in the 2-3 point range as both teams attacked with efficiency. The Bulldogs hit .342 and 'Runners hit .400. But four CSUB service errors proved critical as Fresno held on for the 25-23 win.
The third set also remained close until late, when Fresno used four consecutive kills to turn a 19-17 lead into a 24-17 advantage. CSUB managed to hold off three sets points before succumbing, however, and the momentum gained by that little rally carried over into set four.
The 'Runners pulled away early in set four and led by as much as 18-11 before Fresno began a comeback. The Bulldogs finally caught CSUB at 23-23, but never earned a swing to end the match. Smith forced the decisive fifth set by blocking Clarke to break a 25-25 tie before putting down the kill on the final rally.
Fresno took control early in the final set, grabbing a seemingly comfortable 11-6 lead before the 'Runners made one last push. Three kills by DeGeare and two more by Smith got CSUB to within 12-11 before Brand's 21st and 22nd kills got Fresno to the cusp. The Bulldogs were out of system on the final rally, but setter Kasey Van Grouw found open court to end the match.
CSUB will take 18 days off before returning to action Nov. 2 against Cal State Northridge. First serve in the Icardo Center will be 7 p.m.
