Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Oregon State
Bulldogs Lose Two Matches Up North
9/10/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 9, 2006
CORVALLIS, Ore. - After facing the (6-0) Oregon Ducks last night the Bulldogs fell again tonight to the (2-6) Oregon State Beavers in three games (18-30, 21-30, 26-30). Both teams are young and between the two started a total of nine Freshman in that the Beavers started four and the Bulldogs started five.
The first game looked to be a close in that the Bulldogs and Beavers were trading points. The Beavers jumped out to a 10-7 lead and scored three more points until a missed kill by Fr. MB Lexi Rathgeber at 13-8. Fresno State looked to make a comeback but the Beavers battled and took no remorse as they ran with game one (30-18). Sr. OH Alison Pitton led game one with 10 kills.
In game two the Bulldogs fell behind 4-1 but quickly scored three points and tied it at 4-4 with a missed opportunity by Fr. OH Rachel Rourke. The Bulldogs Fr. MB Kelly Leonardo tied the game at 7-7 with a kill giving the Bulldogs momentum. Fresno State and Oregon State were trading points until the Beavers went on a 5-0 run making it 12-7. The Bulldogs cut the lead back to three at 17-14 with a Fr. MB Lexi Watson kill. Fresno State cut the lead to two at 22-20 with a missed kill by Rachel Rourke. Oregon State then scored three consecutive points making it 25-20 and ran with the game two (30-21).
The Bulldogs jumped out to 3-1 lead in game three but the Beavers answered on two consecutive kills by Fr. OH Kaitlyn Myers. The third game looked to be a battle with the scored tied at six a piece. Fresno State's biggest lead of the game was three on a Fr. OH Karlie Houston kill making it 11-8. The Bulldogs held a steady pace until Oregon State Sr. MB Abby Windell capitalized on a kill grabbing the lead at 21-20. At 27-25 Rachel Rourke pounded one more kill which put the game out of reach and the Bulldogs lost game three (30-26).
Fresno State is now (1-8) and head into next week playing the defending national champion Washington at home in the Save Mart Center on Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. That match will be the first of the season for the Bulldogs in the 15,596 arena, but certainly not the last as the team makes a permanent move into the facility beginning with that game. Fresno State leads the series 3-2.
