Nov. 15, 2008

Final Stats

DAVIS, Calif. - Junior Angela Hupp pounded a match-high 15 kills and sophomore Siara Grayson added 13 as Cal State Northridge claimed its final road contest of 2008 with a 25-20, 25-22, 25-20 over UC Davis Saturday at The Pavilion.

With the win, the Matadors improve to 8-21 overall and 2-13 in the Big West. Seven of Northridge's eight wins this season have come on the road and the three-set sweep was the Matadors' first since Sept. 12 against Montana. The Aggies slip to 12-16 overall and 4-11 in conference play with the loss.

Hupp hit .250 on her way to 15 kills and also added six digs, four blocks, three assists and one ace. The junior had 18.0 of the Matadors' 54.0 points. Grayson had 13 kills while hitting .182 and added one ace and five digs. Senior Val Kepler added six kills (.417) and freshman Puneet Pataria came off the bench to record five kills (.160), two digs and one block. Libero Kelley Hanson posted a team-high 13 digs and setter Sam Orlandini had 34 assists and nine digs.

Northridge out-hit UC Davis .227 (44-17-119) to .158 (33-17-101) despite being out-blocked 8.5 to 6.0. The Matadors passed well as the Aggies had just one ace in 64 service attempts.

Trailing 18-15 in the first set, Northridge claimed seven of the next eight points to take a 22-19 lead after Kayla Varney's attack went wide. Varney came back with a kill on the next point to cut the Matador lead to 22-20 but a kill from Grayson and a pair of kills from Hupp wrapped up the set for Northridge 25-20.

The Matadors bolted out to a 5-1 lead and led virtually the entire second set. Another Varney kill pulled the Aggies within one at 15-14 but consecutive Northridge points boosted the lead back to 17-14. The Matadors also held a slim 19-18 lead before Grayson was blocked by Carson Lowden and Katie Denny and the score was tied at 19-19. But an ensuing 4-0 Northridge run, highlighted by kills from Grayson and Hupp and a co-block by Hupp and Lynda Morales gave the Matadors an insurmountable 23-19 cushion. The Aggies blocked Hupp to get within one at 23-22 but a Morales kill followed by a Lowden setting error gave Northridge the two-set lead.

The final set featured six ties and four lead changes before the Matadors used a Pataria-Kepler block to open up an 18-15 lead. The Northridge lead was never less than two points the rest of the way and with the Matadors on top 23-20, a Grayson kill and a Renee Ibekwe hitting error gave Northridge the win.

Melanie Adams wound up leading UC Davis with 11 kills while hitting .556. Varney chipped in eight kills and Ibekwe and Julie King each had six.

Cal State Northridge closes out the 2008 season on Friday, Nov. 21 as the Matadors entertain No. 25 Long Beach State on senior night. Northridge will honor its five seniors, Kelley Hanson, Amy Hultner, Val Kepler, Jenn Probert and Kayla Wright in pre-match ceremonies.

- GO MATADORS -