Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Hawai'i
Dogs Beat by No. 4 Hawai'i
10/17/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
FRESNO, Calif. - On Sunday night, Fresno State held their own against one of the nation's top volleyball programs, but eventually the fourth-ranked Rainbow Wahine swept the Bulldogs to the Waikiki shoreline in straight sets (25-18, 25-18 and 25-17) at Honolulu's Stan Sheriff Center.
"We played pretty well tonight for the most part," head coach Lauren Netherby-Sewell said.
Sophomore Marissa Brand led the Bulldogs with seven kills and junior Brianna Clarke added six during the contest.
"Marissa can score amongst the best," Netherby-Sewell also noted. "Lauren Berger scored points for us in a big way."
Senior libero Kelly Mason (Temecula, Calif.) recorded a match-high 16 digs in the Western Athletic Conference match.
Fresno State jumped out to a 2-1 lead in the opening set, but No. 4 Hawai'i used their height and power to secure consecutive 25-18 victories for a 2-0 lead at the intermission.
In the third set, the `Dogs pulled ahead 10-8 before the Rainbow Wahine took control with an 11-2 run and cruised to the three-set triumph.
"Hawai'i just executed skills better than we did," Netherby-Sewell added. "They gave us a lot of opportunities and missed a ton of a serves. We just couldn't convert off of defense."
The Rainbow Wahine's Kanani Danielson, the 2010 WAC Preseason Player of the Year, converted a match-best 13 kills.
The win marked Hawai'i's 31st consecutive victory against a WAC opponent. The Rainbow Wahine, who advanced to the 2009 national semifinals as the 14-time defending conference champion, remained the only undefeated team in WAC play at 6-0 and improved to 16-1 on the season, with their lone loss coming in a five-set contest against USC.
The Bulldogs dropped to 7-11 on the season and 2-5 in the WAC standings for sole possession of eighth place. The top six schools qualify for the 2010 WAC Tournament Nov. 22-24, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nev. and the Bulldogs will next meet a WAC opponent on Saturday at San Jose State, who currently sits in sixth place in the league.
Fresno State continues their longest road trip of the season when the Bulldogs visit Cal State Bakersfield on Wednesday night for a brief detour from conference action. The `Dogs beat the Roadrunners 3-0 earlier this season on Sept. 18, 2010 in the finale of the Fresno State Invitational.
"We Are Your Team!" -- After a four-match road trip, the Bulldogs will celebrate Fresno State's Centennial on Oct. 28 versus Nevada and finish the homestand against Utah State on Oct. 30. Both matches start at 7 p.m. in the Save Mart Center.
