Nov. 6, 2008

Final Stats

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - Sophomores Siara Grayson and Brittany Williams each pounded a team-high 16 kills as Cal State Northridge snapped a four-match skid as well as an eight-match road losing streak with a thrilling 25-21, 20-25, 25-21, 28-30, 15-12 non-conference win at Cal State Bakersfield on Thursday.

In snapping their four-match skid, the Matadors (7-19) also avenge a five-set loss to the Roadrunners in Northridge on Sept. 30. Cal State Bakersfield has its season record evened at 13-13 with the loss.

Grayson was a force on the hitting front as well as the service line on Thursday as the sophomore hit .400 with just two hitting errors in 35 swings on her way to 16 kills. She also added a career-high seven aces to her team-leading total of 29 and completed her first career double-double by adding a team-high 10 digs. Williams was effective for the Matadors as she hit .220 on her way to a season-high 16 kills. Junior Angela Hupp also reached double figures with 15 kills (.316) while adding eight digs and three blocks. Tela Burnett and Val Kepler each added seven kills with Burnett posting a match-high six blocks. Setter Sam Orlandini registered 47 assists and eight digs as the Matadors hit .308 as a team.

Northridge hit a solid .462 (14-2-26) and limited the Roadrunners to a team hitting clip of .074 (8-6-27) in taking the first set 25-21. Bakersfield improved that figure significantly to .281 as the Roadrunners took set two 25-20. The Matadors bounced back after a subpar hitting effort in set two to hit .312 in taking set three 25-21.

In a fourth set that featured 18 ties and 12 lead changes, Northridge used a 5-0 run to turn a 17-15 deficit into a 20-17 lead following a Kepler kill. The Matadors held the lead until a Hupp attack error gave the Roadrunners the lead back at 23-22. But ensuing kills from Hupp and Grayson gave Northridge match point at 24-23. But back-to-back CSUB kills put the Runners in position to claim the set at 25-24 before Hupp answered and the match was knotted 25-25. The Matadors had match points at 26-25 and 28-27 but Bakersfield answered each time and a Barbie Thistle-Rosemary Stribling block and a Williams hitting error forced a fifth set after CSUB won set four 30-28.

After the Roadrunners claimed the first three points of the final set, the Matadors rolled off four straight to take a 4-3 lead on a Williams kill. A Sarah Warner attack error gave Northridge a two-point cushion at 6-4 and the Matadors also led by two at 8-6, 10-8 and 12-10 before matching their largest lead at 13-10 on an Orlandini kill. After the Runners closed to 14-12 on a Norman kill, the Matadors claimed the match on Hupp's 15th kill of the night.

Stribling posted a match-high 19 kills (.372) to lead Bakersfield while Norman added 15 kills (.300) and Aysia Baker chipped in 10 kills (.444) and five aces.

Cal State Northridge continues its four-match road trip this Saturday as the Matadors return to Big West action at Cal State Fullerton. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Titan Gym.

- GO MATADORS -