BAKERSFIELD, Calif.—Led by a season high 19 kills from redshirt freshman Marina Sanches, CSU Bakersfield defeated Northern Arizona 3-2 in volleyball action Thursday night in the Icardo Center.

The opening set featured 12 ties and seven lead changes before the Roadrunners earned a 25-22 victory. The second set had seven ties as the teams exchanged the lead five times. Northern Arizona would hold CSUB to .000 hitting (8-8-39) as the Lumberjacks won 25-21.

The 'Runners sided out 13-of-20 times in the third set as CSUB earned 25-19 victory. Northern Arizona committed one hitting error in the fourth set (hitting .536, 16-1-28) to tie the match 25-17. The Roadrunners and NAU traded points to get the fifth set underway. Sanches and Kortney Freeland combined for a block on Northern Arizona's leading hitter, Lauren Jacobsen, to put the 'Runners into the lead. Two unforced NAU errors extended the CSUB advantage to three before a Jacobsen kill.

Sanches and Abby Akin posted kills before CSUB won the next two points for a 7-3 lead. Northern Arizona took the next two points to close to within two. The Roadrunners rattled off four of the next six points to lead 11-7. NAU scored the next four points to tie the match at 11. After a CSUB timeout, Hannah Cherry's service error returned the lead to the 'Runners.

CSUB went to Sanches her kill up the middle made it 13-11. A Brittni Dorsey hitting error earned CSUB three match points. Kortney Freeland put the match away with a kill.

“Being at home made us more comfortable and allowed us to be a little hungrier from the start,” said CSUB directory of volleyball Giovana Melo. “We were able to continue to put pressure on them throughout the entire match.”

Sanches hit. 378 for the match (19-5-37). She added a block and a dig. Carol Grasso recorded her fourth double-double of the year with 14 kills and 14 digs. Katie Dunbar-Lowe tallied a career high 13 kills. Emily Lopes earned her second double-double of the year with 11 assists and 10 digs. Addy Peters and Jocelyn Rodriguez combined for 31 digs.

“Marina has gradually gotten better throughout the season,” Melo said. “She has been working very hard and tonight it paid off.”

NAU setter Jensen Barton registered a triple-double of 42 assists, 10 digs, and 10 kills. Jacobsen had a double-double of 19 kills and 14 digs.

CSUB hosts the Roadrunner Classic this weekend. Northern Arizona begins the tournament Friday afternoon against UC Riverside at 1:30 p.m. UC Irvine plays San Francisco at 4:30 p.m. before the Roadrunners conclude the day by facing UC Riverside at 6:30 p.m.

~www.GoRunners.com~