Complete Box Score
LOS ANGELES – Tanya White recorded 20 kills and Keslie Brown had 63 assists as the Golden Eagles defeated Cal Poly Pomona on Friday night in the Eagles Nest. For only the second time this season, the Golden Eagles took a match to it's five-game limit as they edged out the Broncos; 30-20, 24-30, 28-30, 30-15, 15-11. Cal State L.A. improves to 17-8 overall, 13-7 in the CCAA.
The match, which was the final regular season competition for Cal State L.A., marked the final game in the Eagles Nest for eight Golden Eagle seniors: Tanya White, Luana Cavalcanti, Kha Tara Steen, Andrea Richardson, Shannon Johnson, Ashley Hardwick, Jenevieve Duguies, and Isabella Camargo.
Cal State L.A. took the first game, 30-20. After a block by Steen and Cavalcanti, the Golden Eagles broke the 8-8 tie and never looked back. With the Golden Eagles leading, 20-16, Airess Padda recorded a kill allowing Hardwick the opportunity to serve four consecutive points, increasing Cal State L.A.'s lead to 25-16. Kha Tara Steen put the game away with a Brown-assisted kill. Statistically, the Golden Eagles outplayed their opponents, tallying 20 kills with an attack percentage of .308, compared to the Broncos' seven and .030.
Cal State L.A. fell behind early in the second game and were unable to recover. For the game, the Golden Eagles managed a mere .146 attack percentage, compared to the Broncos' .289. The game came to an end as Cal Poly Pomona recorded their 20th kill of the game to beat the Golden Eagles, 30-24.
Game three was close the whole way through as both sides found themselves tied seven times. Tied at 27-27, the Broncos went on to win three of the last four points of the game, with the lone Golden Eagle point in that span coming on a Cal Poly Pomona attack error. Cal Poly Pomona took the game, 30-28.
The Golden Eagles found themselves trailing early in game four, giving up the first two points to their cross-town rivals, but the Golden Eagles refused to go down without a fight. Alex Meuter put the team ahead 5-4, recording her first kill of the evening. Meuter's kill started the Golden Eagles on a six-point run that included her 14th service ace of the year, and two Keslie Brown-assited kills from Airess Padda. With Shannon Johnson serving as the Golden Eagles were up 20-9, the Broncos committed three consecutive attack errors. Not interested in seeing their season end early, Cal State L.A. would go on to double up on the Broncos and take game four, 30-15.
For only the second time this season, Cal State L.A. found itself playing a game five. The only other match that went the distance was a loss to UC San Diego on October 7, in La Jolla. Determined to not lose their second game five of the season, the Golden Eagles started things off taking a 2-0 lead. The game would find itself tied at 2-2 before Cal State L.A. took the lead for good. Leading 14-11 in the closing moments of the 2006 regular season, Padda secured the team's 17th win by recording her 186th kill of the campaign.
Golden Eagle stat leaders at the end of the regular season:
Attack:
Setting:
Service Aces: Cavalcanti (28), Hardwick (26), Shannon Johnson (25)
Digs: Cavalcanti (299), Hardwick (261), Isabella Camargo (185)
Blocking:
- Solo Blocks: Padda (11), White (8), Steen (7), Cavalcanti and Makinna Hibbard (6)
- Assisted Blocks: Padda (58), Steen (54), White (42)
