Sophomore outside hitter Haleigh Haratyk (Corona, Calif., Centennial HS) registered 26 kills and 10 digs in recording her ninth double-double of the season to lead the CSU Bakersfield Volleyball team to a 3-1 (25-20, 23-25, 27-25, 25-17) victory over Montana State at the Icardo Center on Friday night.

The win was the Roadrunners first of the season at home and the first volleyball win on the Icardo Center's new blue court. Middle hitter Brittney Hopley (Jr., Thornhill, Ontario, Wilfrid Lauer Univ.) added 11 kills for the 'Runners while outside hitter Tika Smith (R-Jr., Sweetwater, Texas, Sweetwater HS) posted 10.

The turning point in the match came when the Bobcats had the Roadrunners on the ropes with a 25-24 lead in the third game and Haratyk and freshman outside hitter Molly O'Hagan (Tonganoxie, Kan., Tonganoxie HS) came up with a momentum-shifting block to keep CSUB alive. The 'Runners then rallied to win the game and dominated the next frame to win the match.

"I think our players did a good job of keeping their composure tonight and staying steady when Montana State put some pressure on us spreading their offense," said CSU head coach Jolene Shepardson. "Our girls stuck to what we do best and that's the serve-and-pass game and we were in system a lot, which helped. We kept pressure on them with our serving game and that helped us come out on top."

Sophomore setter Lisa Bartsch (Wuppertal, Germany, Augusta State) put up 44 assists to help CSUB keep its offense moving and the 'Runners combined to drop in 10 service aces on the night.

Haratyk, who entered the week ranked No. 8 in Division I with 4.71 kills per set, finished the match with a .426 hitting percentage.

The win was the first in CSUB history over Montana State (3-24), but the Bobcats still lead the all-time series 2-1.

The Roadrunners (8-17), who are riding a two-match winning streak, will face Montana State in a rematch on Saturday night at the Icardo Center in their 2011 season finale at 7 p.m.

~www.GoRunners.com~