Box Score EDINBURG, TX – The fourth seeded CSU Bakersfield volleyball team lost one time at home to a Western Athletic Conference opponent this season and that team was conference champion and the one seeded New Mexico State, on the last day of the regular season. So you know the `Runners had revenge on their mind going into the semifinals on Friday afternoon.
The first set was very tight to start. It was tied at 5-5, 6-6, 7-7 and 8-8 before the `Runners went on a 6-0 run to force NMSU to take a timeout with CSUB up 13-8. The Aggies would go on a 5-2 run and CSUB would take a timeout to try to stop the run and it worked. The `Runners came out of the timeout and senior
Aleksandra Djordjevic would get the kill to halt the momentum and the `Runners led 16-13. After the `Runners took a 19-14 lead and had all the momentum, NMSU's bench was served a red card and a long delay occurred. Was it to try to stop the momentum that CSUB had? If that was the plan, it worked. NMSU went on a 5-2 run and cut the `Runners lead to 21-19. Djordjevic would get the set winning kill and the `Runners held on for a 25-22 first set victory.
The `Runners jumped out to a 9-4 lead to start the second set thanks to a 4-0 run and that forced the Aggies to call timeout to try to kill the CSUB momentum. `Runners forced NMSU to take another timeout after winning seven of the last eight points and 10 of the last 12 to take a 12-5 lead. The `Runners would make it 18-9, before NMSU would go on a little run of their own and cut CSUB's lead to 21-17. But once again, the `Runners finished the set strong and won the second set 25-20 to take a commanding two sets to zero lead at the break.
Junior
Mattison DeGarmo caught fire in the second set and had a team leading seven kills through two sets along with senior
Sydney Haynes seven kills as well. Senior
Emily Lopes had nine digs to lead the `Runners. Senior
Fabiana Andrade and sophomore
Sidney Wicks had 26 of the `Runners 28 assists through two sets.
Champions do not go away easy and NMSU are the WAC regular season champs, so you knew the match was far from over. The third set started out very similar to the first with neither team being able to jump out to a big lead. The game was tied at seven and then eight. Then 13. And 14. What a battle. Tied at 15 and 16. Unreal. Tied at 17. NMSU would take a 19-17 lead and force CSUB to take a timeout. The Aggies would finish the set on an eight to three run and win the third set 25-20.
`Runners jumped out to an early 7-3 lead in the fourth set. CSUB would sustain the lead and force NMSU to take a timeout with the `Runners leading 18-14. Freshman
Desiree Sukhov would get the `Runners 10
th ace of the day and NMSU would have to take another timeout with CSUB leading 20-15. Djordjevic would get the match winning kill and the `Runners would defeat NMSU in four sets, 25-22, 25-20, 20-25, 25-17.
CSUB's Director of Volleyball,
Giovana Melo said after the `Runners big win, "The girls played with so much heart and passion. That's the team I have always knew we had." When Melo was asked about having five girls do so well, she added, "They were on fire. We have said this from the beginning - we just needed each of them to believe and play for each other."
NMSU had lost only four sets since Oct. 12
th, but lost three sets to CSUB in 130 minutes.
The `Runners were led by DeGarmo's 13 kills and Djordjevic had her second consecutive double double and fifth of the year with 12 kills and 11 digs. Lopes, who was 19
th in the country in digs per set, led the match with 17 digs. Andrade had 25 assists and Wicks had 24.
The `Runners will play the winner of the Utah Valley/UTRGV semifinal at 7 p.m. CT. with the winner getting the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
