Box Score LAS CRUCES, N.M- Behind 12 kills by Carol Grasso, 11 by Sydney Haynes and a defensive effort that included 10 blocks and 32 opponent attack errors, the CSUB Roadrunners (10-13, 7-3 WAC) handed NM State (20-6, 10-1 WAC) their first conference loss in two seasons with a 3-1 victory Saturday afternoon at the Pan Am Center.
NM State had won 10-straight WAC games this year and 24-straight matches against conference opponents dating back to last season where they were unbeaten in WAC play and the WAC Tournament. This marks the first loss for NM State against a WAC opponent since falling 3-1 to CSUB in the 2014 WAC Tournament semifinals in Bakersfield. Their last WAC loss at home came on October 16 of the same season when they fell to UMKC in Las Cruces.
“I am so proud of these girls, they played with so much fire and passion,” said director of volleyball Giovana Melo. “They played as a team, it was fun to watch.”
The Roadrunners were balanced in the victory as Katie Dunbar-Lowe added nine kills and Aleksand Djordjevic chipped in with seven for Bakersfield to go along with the efforts of Haynes and Grasso who completed her 12th double-double of the season with 16 digs. The Roadrunners hit .215 as a team in the victory while also forcing NM State into the 32 attack errors.
The Roadrunners and Aggies were tied at 13 in the first set before NM State finished the frame on an impressive 12-1 run to take the first set. Sasha-Lee Thomas had three kills during that stretch for the Aggies who also took advantage of three attach errors by the Roadrunners to close out the win.
Bakersfield built a 20-14 lead in the second set taking advantage of three straight attack errors by NM State's Jordan Abalos as the Aggies hit just .132 during that stretch which was a 10-4 run for CSUB. After that the Aggies pulled within four at 21-7, a CSUB timeout led to the 'Runners closing out the set win with kills from Haynes, a block an error by the Aggies and a game-winning-kill from Djordjevic.
In the third set the 'Runners trailed 9-8 before going on a 12-2 run to take control, the Aggies would push back, pulling as close as 22-18 before Dunbar-Lowe and Kortney Freeland combined for a block at the net that sparked a 3-0 CSUB run to end the match with kills by Grasso and Haynes. Grasso had four kills in the final 16 points while Haynes had three for Bakersfield in the set.
With the Aggies on the ropes in the fourth set Bakersfield built and early four-point lead and managed to limit the Aggies effectiveness offensively while taking advantage of key opportunities. The Aggies hit just .053 in the set while the Roadrunners closed out the final set behind a pair of kills apiece from Haynes and Djordjevic. Fittingly the Aggies, who had a rough afternoon offensively against the 'Runners, ended the match on a hitting error by Thomas to give CSUB the 25-19 win. NM State was limited to just a .069 hitting percentage in the loss.
The Roadrunners continue conference play next week as they host Chicago State Thursday at 7 P.M. and UMKC Saturday at 1 P.M.
