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California State University at Bakersfield Athletics

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0
Montana Mont 5-5,0-0 Big Sky
3
Winner CSU Bakersfield CSUB 7-1,0-0 Big West
Montana Mont
5-5,0-0 Big Sky
0
Final
3
CSU Bakersfield CSUB
7-1,0-0 Big West
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Montana Mont 24 20 12 (0)
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 26 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball |

CSUB Sweeps Montana to Close Non-Conference Play

CHENEY, Wash. – The CSU Bakersfield volleyball team has wrapped up non-conference play with a 7-1 record after the Roadrunners swept Montana at the Eastern Washington Tournament Saturday afternoon. The Grizzlies battled the `Runners in the first two sets, but CSUB proved to be too much and dominated Set 3 on the way to another victory.

"I think our team is getting better each day we step on the court," said CSUB's Director of Volleyball Giovana Melo. "We are staying in the moment and learning to move on from our mistakes quicker."

When asked what such a great start to the season does for her team's momentum, Melo stressed the importance with Big West Conference play just around the corner: "This momentum will definitely give us confidence going into conference, but we know we are about to enter a different level of competition. We are excited for the challenge ahead."

The `Runners will play their first-ever Big West matches next week, but before then they had to take care of business in Washington. Bakersfield did just that, handing a Montana squad that was on a win-streak its first loss in its last four matches.

CSUB received another well-rounded performance from its lineup, but junior outside hitter Hayley McCluskey's hot hand led the way. The native of Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. finished with a match-high 13 kills on .400 hitting while adding four digs and two blocks. Four other `Runners added six or more kills on Saturday, including nine kills from junior Milica Vukobrat, while Bakersfield hit .311 as a team.

Every good hitter needs a great passer and Seleisa Elisaia, who was named EWU Tournament MVP, continued to be a dangerous weapon for the `Runner offense. The setter from South Jordan, Utah dished out 31 assists in just three sets, but Elisaia also added six kills, 10 digs, three blocks, and three aces for Bakersfield.

A 7-1 run by the `Runners opened up a 13-9 lead early on in Set 1, but Montana answered with a 5-0 run of its own. The two teams were tied at 14-14 and 18-18 before Bakersfield used a 5-0 burst to gain separation. Montana would not go down without a fight, tying the score at 23 all with a 5-1 run of its own, but CSUB held on for a 26-24 win. The `Runners leaned on five kills each from McCluskey and Brooke Boiseau, the latter of whom had a perfect hitting percentage (5-for-5) in the set.

CSUB jumped out to a 12-6 advantage in the second set but Montana battled to tie the score at 13 all. Bakersfield answered right back with a 10-1 run, seemingly running away from the Grizzlies, but Montana rallied to make the score 23-20. The `Runners would not be denied and finished off the set, 25-20. CSUB's front line tallied six team blocks in Set 2 on the way to a 2-0 advantage on the match.

For the third-straight set, Bakersfield sprinted ahead of its opponent and built a 9-2 lead with McCluskey, a junior outside hitter, getting hot once again. CSUB gained its biggest lead to that point in the match at 17-7 and cruised to a 25-12 win to earn a sweep of the Grizzlies.

CSUB (7-1) will return to Bakersfield and shift focus to its ultimate task: battling for a Big West title. The `Runners, who are playing their first official season in the conference after missing out on the 2020 season, have a tall task ahead of them but Melo's squad will take it one match at a time. First up, CSUB heads out for a pair of road matches, starting the quest at Cal State Fullerton on Friday, Sept. 24, before taking on Long Beach State the following day.
 
~GoRunners.com~
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