Box Score

LOS ANGELES – Cal State L.A.'s women's volleyball team completed a perfect week of California Collegiate Athletic Association play with a hard-fought win over Sonoma State.

 

The Golden Eagles saved set points in two of the four sets and defeated the Seawolves, 25-22, 26-24, 18-25, 26-24, Saturday afternoon in the Eagles Nest in the Billie Jean King Sports Complex. Cal State L.A. (9-6, 6-5 CCAA) pulled to within one game of third place in the tightly-bunched conference race.

 

The Golden Eagles stormed back from a 24-19 deficit in the second set and climbed out of a 24-22 hole in the fourth set to take the match.

 

Zuzana Cizova had another strong match with 16 kills and 11 digs, while Marquis Mora had 12 kills and 10 blocks. Chelsea Hamilton had 12 kills and five blocks, while Natalia Gonzalez had 11 kills.

 

Allyson Sather had 16 kills and three blocks to lead Sonoma State (10-5, 7-4 CCAA), while Keala Peterson had 14 kills and Devynne Johnson had 10 kills and four blocks.

Amrita Tuladhar had 49 set assists, three kills and five digs for the Golden Eagles, while Stefanie Gay had a match-high 24 digs.

 

Cal State L.A. held a 60-54 advantage in kills, but Sonoma State had a slight edge in hitting percentage, .254 - .236. Both teams had six aces and Sonoma State had a 12-10 advantage in blocks.

 

The match pitted first-round NCAA Division II playoff opponents from a year ago. In that match, Cal State L.A. edged Sonoma State in five sets. On Saturday, Cal State L.A. prevailed in a contest every bit as competitive.

 

Cal State L.A. fell behind at the outset, 5-1, but steadily worked its way into the match. The Golden Eagles battled back and eventually took the lead for good after a Sonoma State service error and a kill by Mary Laupepa to take a 21-19 advantage. The Seawolves pulled to within 23-22 after a kill by Lindsay Lytle, but a kill by Mora and a Sonoma State attack error gave the Golden Eagles the opening set.

 

Sonoma State looked poised to even the match after taking a 24-19 lead in the second set following a kill by Brooke Moore. Cal State L.A. though, scored seven straight points to take the set. A kill by Hamilton, a block by Hamilton and Mora and a service ace by Laupepa got the run started. After an attack error made it 24-23, consecutive blocks by Hamilton and Mora and Gonzalez and Mora got the Golden Eagles to set point at 25-24 and a kill by Hamilton gave the Golden Eagles a 2-0 sets advantage.

 

Sonoma State regrouped strongly and dominated the third set. An ace by Hamilton brought the Golden Eagles to within 18-15, but the Seawolves scored the next two points on kills by Peterson and Lytle and never looked back.

 

Sonoma State jumped out to a 13-9 lead in the fourth set and held a 21-18 advantage before the Golden Eagles battled back. A kill by Hamilton, an ace by Laupepa and an attack error knotted things up at 21-21. Back-to-back kills by Johnson and Peterson gave the Seawolves a 24-22 lead, but a kill by Mora and another Sonoma State attack error tied it up. Cizova then got a kill to get the Golden Eagles to match point and Mora's kill ended the contest.

 

Cal State L.A. will play its next four matches on the road, beginning with a contest Friday at Cal State Stanislaus.