KANSAS CITY, Mo.--For the third consecutive season, CSU Bakersfield advanced to the WAC Volleyball Tournament finals with a straight sets sweep of UTRGV Friday night.

“I'm extremely proud of this group,” said CSUB director of volleyball Giovana Melo.

Led by Kelsee Sawyer who picked up her 1,400th career kill, CSUB defeated UTRGV 25-19 in the first set. Luiza Martins earned an assist on each of the 13 kills that the Roadrunners recorded during the frame.

The Vaqueros opened the second set on a 6-3 run before CSUB scored five of the next seven points to tie the match at eight.  The teams traded the next 10 points, creating seven ties. At 13-13, the Vaqueros scored three straight, forcing the Roadrunners to call their final timeout of the set. UTRGV pushed the lead to 18-13 when CSUB scored three straight, resulting in a Vaqueros' timeout.  

The Roadrunners would battle back to tie the match at 19 when Sydney Haynes and Carol Grasso blocked Alexandra Ender's attempt.  Martins went on two, putting CSUB up 20-19. A Grasso kill created a two-point 'Runner advantage.  A Grasso hitting error cut the run off at 5-0, making it 21-20. CSUB got the serve right back when Ecker went long on a serve.

Haley Durham's attack error extended the CSUB lead to 23-20. The Vaqueros went to their leading hitter, Bojana Mitrovic, who put a kill down to return the serve back to UTRGV.  CSUB earned its first set point when Sawyer recorded a kill at 24-21. A Haynes' service error put the ball back into the Vaqueros' hands. A Sawyer cross court kill ended the set 25-22 and sent the teams into intermission with the Roadrunners up 2-0 in the match.

The third set began with four ties before UTRGV would use a 5-2 spurt to take a 9-6 lead. The Roadrunners scored the next three to tie the match at 9-9. The Vaqueros responded by posting the four of the next six to again take a two-point lead. Down 13-12, CSUB took the next two for a 14-13 lead. Mitrovic tied the score at 14 with a kill.

Mitrovic gave CSUB lead at the media timeout with a service error. Durham tied the match for the seventh time with a UTRGV kill. Durham blocked Haynes at the net to return the lead to the Vaqueros.  Haynes returned the favor with a kill and a 16-16 score. Katie Dunbar-Lowe blocked Joanna Boronczyk at the net.

A Sawyer kill, followed by a Mitrovic hitting error earned CSUB a 19-17 lead. After a UTRGV timeout, Sawyer again put down her 12th kill. With CSUB up 20-17, UTRGV scored off a Grasso hitting error. A Sawyer kill again returned the serve to the Roadrunners.  A Vaqueros' block and a CSUB hitting error cut the 'Runner lead to 21-20. CSUB called timeout and went to Grasso who responded with a kill.

Mitrovic's kill gave the Vaqueros the ball, but a ball handling error by Ecker scored for the Roadrunners.  Mitrovic again put a kill on the board to make it a 23-22 score. Durham tied the match with a kill of her own. Ecker and Dubravka Vukoja blocked Grasso to give UTRGV their first set point at 24-23. Grasso tied it for the ninth time with a kill. Durham created UTRGV's second set point with a kill before Sawyer tied with a kill down the middle.

A Sawyer kill put CSUB up 26-25, but Mitrovic tied the match with a cross court kill. Martins tried to go on two again, but she was blocked by Durham. The third time wasn't the charm as Alisha Watson went wide on a hitting attempt. Sawyer's 15th kill provided CSUB with their second match point. Durham tied the match again at 28 with her 12th kill. Sawyer again created match point with a kill which was followed by a Grasso kill to complete the sweep 30-28.

“We fought so much adversity all year long, but the team just kept fighting,” Melo said. “They have a lot of heart!”

Sawyer recorded 17 kills, committing just one hitting error in 30 attempts (a .533 average). Martins posted 39 assists, nine digs, three kills, and two blocks. Grasso charted 13 digs and nine kills. Sophie Flemion posted 10 digs.

UTRGV was led by Mitrovic who had 16 kills while Durham ended the match with 12. Vukoja tallied 32 assists, eight digs, and five blocks.

CSUB lost to NM State in the 2013 WAC Tournament finals before defeating Seattle U in 3-0 last season in Bakersfield.

The Roadrunners will wait for the winner of Friday's other semifinal between No. 1 NM State and No. 5 UMKC. That match was set for 7:30 p.m. (CST) on Friday.

~www.GoRunners.com~