Nov. 1, 2008

Final Stats

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - Siara Grayson and Angela Hupp combined for 27 kills but Cal State Northridge dropped its fourth straight match 20-25, 25-18, 25-18, 25-21 to visiting UC Irvine Saturday night in The Matadome.

With the win the Anteaters improve to 12-11 overall and 7-3 in the Big West. The loss drops the Matadors to 6-19 overall and 1-11 in conference play. Northridge also dropped to 1-8 in The Matadome with one home match yet to play.

Grayson's 14 kills led Northridge as the sophomore hit .122 and added a pair of blocks. Hupp added 13 kills hitting .211 and scooped up 14 digs for her second double-double in as many nights. Freshman setter Sam Orlandini also posted a double-double with 38 assists and 10 digs while senior Kelley Hanson dug a match-high 25 balls.

Northridge hit .137 (46-26-146) as a team to .228 (56-20-158) for the Anteaters.

The Matadors hit a solid .238 in the first set and limited the Anteaters to a .167 clip. After UC Irvine jumped out to an early 6-2 lead, Northridge scored four straight to knot the score 6-6 on a Hupp kill. The teams traded sideouts for the next seven points before three straight UCI points opened up a 12-9 lead. The Anteaters also led by three at 14-11 and 17-14 before the Matadors claimed eight of the next nine points to take a 22-18 lead. Back-to-back service errors and an Orlandini kill gave Northridge its largest lead at 24-19. Lauren Kellerman pulled UCI within 24-20 with a kill but Alexandra Hauser hit out in set point.

Looking to build on the momentum from set one, the Matadors held four one-point leads early in the second set. Trailing 4-3, the Anteaters rolled off five straight points behind Devon Sutherland's tough serving. The UCI lead grew to five at 11-6 following an Alexandra Filkins ace. The Matadors were able to pull within two points five times late in the set, the last at 19-17, before the Anteaters put the set out of reach with a 5-0 run and a Tela Burnett service error made the final 25-18.

Northridge looked to bounce back in the third set and things looked good early as the Matadors led 9-5 after Kellerman hit out. Northridge also led by four at 10-6 before the Anteaters tallied four straight points to tie the score at 10-10. The two teams then traded the lead until 14-14 when a 4-0 UCI run opened up an 18-14 cushion. The Matadors closed to within 19-16 before before another four-point Anteater run put the set out of reach.

UC Irvine wrapped up the match with an 8-0 run midway through the fourth set. With the Anteaters up 12-11, a trio of Kari Pestolesi kills highlighted the 8-0 run which all but wrapped up the match for UCI. An Amy Hultner ace temporarily cut the lead to 23-20 but Hupp was stuffed on match point sending the Matadors to their eighth loss in nine home matches.

Pestolesi wound up with a match-high 16 kills while Filkins and Kellerman each added 12 kills. Pestolesi, Kellerman and Sutherland each posted a team-high 13 digs in the win.

Cal State Northridge heads out on the road for four of its next five matches beginning next Thursday, Nov.6 at Cal State Bakersfield.

- GO MATADORS -