In a nail-biting,
back-and-forth contest sophomore outside hitter Haleigh Haratyk (Corona,
Calif., Centennial HS) slammed a match-high 22 kills to lead the CSU
Bakersfield Volleyball team on Saturday night, but it wasn't enough to top UNLV
as the 'Runners fell 3-2 (25-14, 18-25, 22-25, 25-18, 15-12) at the Icardo
Center.
After dropping the first
set, the Roadrunners rallied to win the second and third sets behind the attack
of Haratyk and freshman outside hitter Saelina Dunn (Long Beach, Calif., Wilson
HS), who added 10 kills. The Rebels (11-11) battled back to win the final two
sets to win the first ever matchup between the teams.
“I appreciate us coming back
and fighting. I think we put forth a really good effort,” said CSUB head coach
Jolene Shepardson. “We are getting there and we are going to talk about ending
matches and continuing with the same aggressiveness that got us in those
situations.”
At five different points in
the match, the 'Runners put together runs of scoring five or more straight points
to gain momentum and produce loud cheering by the CSUB fans. Paired with strong
serving, the runs were aided by sophomore setter Lisa Bartsch (Wuppertal,
Germany, Augusta State), who set a season-high mark in assists with 39.
Libero Lauren Holderman (R-So.,
Bakersfield, Calif., Bakersfield HS) posted 16 digs, while junior outside
hitter Brittney Hopley (Thornhill, Ontario, Wilfred Lauer Univ.) added nine
kills and outside hitter Tika Smith (R-Jr., Sweetwater, Texas, Sweetwater HS)
chipped in eight.
With
their first homestand of the year in the books, the 'Runners (6-15) will return
to the road to play Idaho State on Friday at 6 p.m. Their next and final home
matches of the season will be held on Nov. 11 and 12 against Montana State at
the Icardo Center.
“We
are sad to go back on the road because we had such an awesome crowd,”
Shepardson said. “We hope that when we return for Montana State, we'll continue
to have that strong support.”
~www.GoRunners.com~
