Fresno State Athletics
Bulldogs Finish Second at Home Invite
9/18/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 18, 2010
FRESNO, Calif. - The Bulldog volleyball team powered to a second-place finish to No. 7 USC in the Fresno State Invitational with a sweeping set of wins against Sacramento State (3-2) and CSU Bakersfield (3-0) on Saturday in the Save Mart Center.
"As a team, I think we played really well this whole tournament," senior co-captain Kelly Mason said. "We're fired up going into conference play. We feel like our whole preseason has done a good job of helping us prepare for what is to come."
Mason, the Bulldogs' libero, earned her second all-tournament team honors of the season for her play in the two-day home event.
Head coach Lauren Netherby-Sewell presented her weekly "Fighting Spirit" award and honored Mason's leadership and tenacity as one of three winners for the tournament.
"The fighting spirit went to Kelly Mason, Kasey Van Grouw, and Cecilia Agraz," said Netherby-Sewell. "Team captains Mason and Van Grouw changed during this tournament and became more mature for the team. Cecilia works so hard to do what we ask of her and she doesn't always succeed but keeps trying."
The day began with a seesaw battle between the Bulldogs and Sacramento State Hornets. The roller coaster match ended in five sets of back-and-forth play as Fresno State picked up the victory on set scores of 14-25, 25-13, 11-25, 25-12 and 15-13.
The Dogs later went on to sprint past the Roadrunners of Cal State Bakersfield in three straight sets for their second win in the finale of the Fresno State Invitational, which marked the second home tournament hosted by the Bulldogs.
Against the Hornets, Fresno State started slow, but quickly picked up the pace. Fresno State blasted onto the scene with aggressive play in the second set, getting into the groove with the quick 25-13 set win. Senior Lauren Berger led her squad in doubling the team's kills from set one by posting a .800 attack percentage, with the solid performances of Fresno State's freshman setter Erin Stock and junior middle blocker Brianna Clarke.
The Hornets returned to their hard-hitting play when Sacramento State's Eryn Kirby buzzed three kills and two aces to charge the visitors back ahead after the third set.
But the Bulldogs refused to lose focus and evened the match at a 2-2 tie through four sets and captured the critical victory behind a gutsy spirit that sparked the 15-13 fifth set win.
Korrin Wild, who recorded 15 digs and eight kills in the morning session match, and Clarke's 12 kills with five blocks highlighted the team's fearless effort.
The Dogs opened the final match of the evening against Cal State Bakersfield with a solid, 16 kill set for a 25-15 set one win led by Clarke and Agraz, who each posted .857 and .800 attack percentages, respectively. Stock, who has already shown much of her capabilities this season, had 15 assists.
Fresno State's quick start versus CSU Bakersfield paved the way for the 3-0 victory and set the stage for a level of confidence for a team preparing to move into Western Athletic Conference next week.
The `Dogs also celebrated their head coach's birthday on Saturday as the team improved to 5-6 in non-conference action and 3-3 in the Save Mart Center.
"We're excited about what is to come with our home conference opener next Thursday against Idaho," Mason said of the team's mindset. "We love to play at home and the Save Mart Center is best place for us to play and we're really comfortable here. The energy and spirit is great here and were always really pumped to come out here and play."
WAC action will be served up for the Bulldogs on Thursday night against the Idaho Vandals at 7 p.m. PT. And coming off a two-win streak in today's matches, the Dogs are ready for action.
"When we play at home, we can come together as a whole, get wins and achieve our goals that we set for ourselves for the community," Clarke also noted. "We have high expectations for our performance and look forward to conference play."
Fresno State Invitational - Results
Sept. 17 - Day 1:
Sacramento State 3, CSU Bakersfield 0
USC 3, Fresno State 0
Sept. 18 - Day 2:
No. 7 USC 3, CSU Bakersfield
Fresno State 3, Sacramento State 2
No. 7 USC 3 vs. Sacramento State 0
Fresno State 3 vs. CSU Bakersfield 0
Final Standings
1. No. 7 USC (3-0)
2. Fresno State (2-1)
3. Sacramento State (1-2)
4. CSU Bakersfield (0-3)
MVP
Kendall Bateman - No. 7 USC
All-Tournament Team
Lauren Williams - No. 7 USC
Kelly Mason - Fresno State
Kelsey Elston - Sacramento State
Chelcy Motes - CSU Bakersfield
"We Are Your Team!" The Fresno State volleyball team opens conference play Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010 against Idaho at the Save Mart Center at 7 p.m. PT.
