LOS ANGELES -- Cal State LA's women's volleyball team had a Friday evening filled with championship memories and a hard-fought five-set match in between.

The Golden Eagles unveiled their 2023 NCAA Championship banner in pregame ceremonies and received their championship rings in a post-match ceremony. In between was a thrilling California Collegiate Athletic Association contest with Cal State San Marcos that came right down to the wire. No. 17 Cal State LA (7-3, 2-1 CCAA) finally outlasted the Cougars (2-8, 0-3 CCAA), 25-23, 21-25, 25-10, 23-25, 15-10 in front of an enthusiastic crowd in University Gym.

Emily Elliott had a match-high 20 kills and four blocks to lead the Golden Eagles, while Samarah DaCoud had 18 kills, three aces, four blocks and a team-high 17 digs and Zuhal Cetin had 12 kills and two blocks.

Cal State San Marcos got eight kills and four aces by Danielle McCasland and eight kills and five blocks from Alyssa Gurrola.

Arielle Chandler had 25 set assists and an ace for the Golden Eagles, while Neely Craig had 20 set assists and an ace. 

The Golden Eagles trailed in the opening set, 23-21, but got kills by DaCoud, Elliott, Roundtree and a block by Roundtree and Cetin to take the frame.

The Cougars, though, battled back to take the second set and even the match. The Cougars opened up a 20-13 lead and withstood a big Cal State LA comeback. The Golden Eagles got to within 22-20, but the Cougars got to set point at 24-20 and, after a kill by DaCoud made it 24-21, closed out the set with a kill by Thomas.

Cal State LA scored eight straight points to extend a 12-9 lead to 20-9 in the third set and closed things out with a 5-0 run on a kill by Elliott, a block by Roundtree and Cetin, a bad set, a block by Roundtree and Elliott and a kill by Elliott.

Cal State San Marcos, though, pulled even with a determined effort in the fourth set. The Cougars opened up an early 11-6 lead, only to see the Golden Eagles rally to take a 16-15 lead after a kill by Rebecca Topete. A kill by Elliott gave the Golden Eagles a 20-19 lead and a kill by Cetin kept it even at 21-21, but the Cougars took the lead for good after a kill by McCasland and a block by Gurrola and Gracie Zaitz. The Cougars got to set point after a kill by Zaitz and captured the set after a service error.

The fifth set was tied at 8-8 before an important 4-0 run by the Golden Eagles that featured three straight kills by DaCoud and a block by Elliott and Havannah Vogel. The Cougars got as close as 13-10 after that, but a block by Elliott and a kill by Roundtree ended the match.

Cal State LA will return to action on Saturday against Cal Poly Pomona at 3 p.m.