CARSON -- Cal State LA's women's volleyball got things rolling just in time for a crucial California Collegiate Athletic Association victory.
Theo Golden Eagles, after watching Cal State Dominguez Hills roar back from two sets down, jumped out to an 8-1 lead in the fifth and deciding set and went on to a 25-16, 25-23, 22-25, 24-26, 15-7 on Friday night in the Torodome. Cal State L.A. (15-5, 7-4 CCAA) won its fourth straight match.
Iona Lofrano equalled a season-high with 26 kills, which was just one off of her career best. She had 19 kills in the final three sets, including nine in the fourth and four in the short fifth set.
JamieAnn Bero had a career-high 17 kills and three blocks, while
Lauren Gomez had 12 kills.
Alijah Gunsaulus had 17 kills for Cal State Dominguez Hills (6-13, 4-7 CCAA), while Claire Autry had 13 kills and Vanessa Phyakeo had 11 kills.
Kelsey Molnar had 57 set assists and three blocks,
Taylor Kushner had nine kills, 24 digs and three aces,
Mia Alcaraz had five kills and three blocks,
Chloe Clancy had 16 digs and
Cynthia Giron had 15 digs.
The Golden Eagles had a 72-58 edge in kills and hit at a .220 percentage to .209 for the Toros. The Toros had a 10-7 advantage in blocks, but the Golden Eagles had eight services aces to six for the Toros and had only six serving errors to 11 for the Toros.
Cal State LA won the first two sets, but soon found itself battling for the match. The Golden Eagles broke an 11-11 tie in the opening set with five consecutive points and opened up a 21-13 lead after a kill by Kushner and an ace by
Makayla Taylor. A kill by Bero ended the set.
Cal State LA trailed 19-17 in the second set, but took the lead after kills by Lofrano and Bero at 21-19. A kill by Lofrano got the Golden Eagles to set point at 24-20 and, after the Toros closed to within 24-23, a kill by Bero gave the Golden Eagles a 2-0 lead.
The Golden Eagles had a 17-13 lead in the third set, but the Toros rallied and, after a kill by Lofrano made it 20-20, the Toros won the next two points and never trailed again.
Lofranoe was unstoppable in the fourth set and had four straight kills to help the Golden Eagles erase a 21-17 deficit. Another Lofrano kill gave the Golden Eagles a 23-22 lead, but Cal State Dominguez Hills still managed to win the set.
Cal State LA, though, grabbed the momentum early in the fifth set and never let go. The Golden Eagles won six straight points on Kushner's serve to open up an 8-1 lead and back-to-back kills by Gomez gave Cal State LA an 11-2 advantage. A block by Alcaraz and Gomez made it 13-6, a kill by Gomez made it 14-7 and a kill by Lofrano ended the match.
Cal State LA will return to action on Wednesday at Sonoma State.
