Box Score
SEASIDE -- The fifth time was the charm for Cal State L.A.'s women's volleyball team.
The Golden Eagles won for the first time this season in a five-set match when they survived a battle with Cal State Monterey Bay, 22-25, 25-18, 25-17, 22-25, 15-9 Saturday in a California Collegiate Athletic Association match in the Otter Sports Center. Cal State L.A. (18-7, 14-4 CCAA), ranked 21st in the nation and sixth in the NCAA Division II West Region, won for the ninth time in its last 10 matches.
Gabriela Bulawczyk had a match-high 18 kills to lead three Golden Eagles in double figures. She also had 10 digs, three aces and two blocks.
Chelsea Hamilton added 14 kills and five blocks, while
Zuzana Cizova had 13 kills and 15 digs.
Rheann Fall had 12 kills and 12 digs and Elizabeth Hanna had 10 kills and five blocks to lead Cal State Monterey Bay (10-17, 5-13 CCAA).
Cal State L.A. was 0-4 in four previous matches this season that have gone five sets. The Golden Eagles, though, hadn't been in a five-set contest since losing at home to UC San Diego on Sept. 18.
Cal State L.A. had a 65-50 advantage in kills and hit at a .244 percentage to Cal State Monterey Bay's .179. Cal State Monterey Bay had a 14.5 - 8 edge in blocks.
Stefanie Gay had a match-high 21 digs, while
Mary Laupepa had nine kills, six digs and three blocks and
Marquis Mora had eight kills and three blocks.
The Golden Eagles fell behind early after Cal State Monterey Bay broke a 20-20 tie late in the first set. The Otters pulled ahead 22-20, the Golden Eagles made it 22-21 after an attack error and later pulled to within one again at 23-22 after a kill by Mora. The Otters, though, got a kill by Fall and an attack error to finish the set.
Cal State L.A. then appeared to gain control of the match with wins in the second and third sets. In the second, Cal State L.A. took the lead for good at 9-8 and opened up a 19-13 lead after a block by Hamilton and Mora and an ace by Hamilton. The Golden Eagles got to set point at 24-17 after a kill by Bulawczyk and evened the match at 25-18 after a kill by Hamilton.
Cal State L.A. also took quick control in the third set and opened up a 19-12 lead after a kill by Bulawczyk and a block by Hamilton and Laupepa. Hamilton added another ace later in the set and Bulawczyk finished it with a kill.
Cal State Monterey Bay, though, extended the match by taking an early 11-4 lead and holding it the rest of the way in the fourth set. The Otters led by as much as 19-11 before the Golden Eagles rallied and closed to within 23-22 after a kill by Hamilton and an attack error. The Otters, though, regrouped and got a kill by Kerri Sudarsana and a block by Kami Ward and Tiffaney Riggs to end the set.
Cal State L.A. scored the first two points of the fifth set on a kill by Bulawczyk and a block by Hamilton and Laupepa and led the rest of the way. Back-to-back kills by Mora made it 8-4 and another kill by Mora opened up a 9-6 lead. The Golden Eagles got to match point at 14-8 after an ace by Bulawczyk and a kill by Cizova and another kill by Cizova ended the match.
Cal State L.A. will now finish the regular season with four home matches, beginning with a contest on Friday night against Cal Poly Pomona.
