Seniors lead Bulldogs to 3-0 sweep of UNLV in season finale

Monday, November 20

Fresno, CA

6:00 PM

Fresno State

12-18, 7-11MW

UNLV

8-23, 4-14MW

UNLV

Fresno State

Seniors lead Bulldogs to 3-0 sweep of UNLV in season finale

11/20/2017 9:18:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Andrew Tomsky / Assistant Director of Communications

FRESNO, Calif. – Fresno State's two seniors went out with a bang in front of their home fans, with Jacqueline Hutcheson tallying a career-high 26 digs to surpass 1,000 career digs and Lauren Torres hitting .562 with nine kills and a match-high seven blocks in a 3-0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-8) sweep of UNLV in the season finale Monday night.

Hutcheson entered the match needing 10 digs to become the 10^th player in program history to reach 1,000 career digs. She had nine just in the first set and 10 more in the second set to surpass the 1,000 dig plateau. She ended the night with a career-high 26, tying the program record for digs in a three-set match and surpassing her previous career high by one.

Fresno State (12-18, 7-11 MW) ended the season winning three of its last four matches and closed the year 7-3 on its home floor. With the late surge the 'Dogs ended the year tied with New Mexico and Air Force for 8^th place in the Mountain West. The Bulldogs completed a season sweep of UNLV (8-23, 4-13 MW), which finished last in the league after ending the season with eight consecutive losses.

The 'Dogs held UNLV to .083 hitting on the night as the Rebels hit -.194 with four kills and 11 attack errors in the third set. Fresno State tallied 12 blocks and had four service aces with no errors. The 'Dogs ended the season with 311.5 blocks, second most in the rally scoring era (2001-pres.) and just 4.5 shy of the program record set in 2003.

Aubrey Folk led the 'Dogs with 10 kills and had five blocks while Taylor Slover had eight kills and Brielle Hefner finished with seven. Haile Watson added five blocks to end her junior season with 148 blocks, the fifth most in a season in program history and second most in the rally scoring era.

How it Happened
The first set was really the only competitive one of the night with 12 ties and four lead changes. The 'Dogs had an early 11-6 lead but UNLV battled back and took a two-point lead at 18-16. The set was tied at 22-22 before two straight Fresno State points gave them two set points. The Rebels saved the first one but setter Madelyn Halteman had a surprise attack on the second as her kill gave the 'Dogs a 1-0 lead.

Fresno State led for the entire second set after jumping to a 5-0 lead. UNLV got as close as a two-point deficit, trailing just 14-12, but never got closer. With a 19-15 lead the Bulldogs scored four straight points to move well ahead, reaching set point at 24-16 and winning it 25-19 on a block from Watson and junior Jessica Gilbert.

The 'Dogs took a quick 6-1 lead in a third set that was never close. The eight points allowed by the Bulldogs in the set were the fewest the team allowed in any set this season. UNLV never took a timeout as the Fresno State lead continued to grow rapidly. The 'Dogs had six blocks in the set and 13 kills, ending the match on a 6-0 run punctuated by two straight blocks to end it.

Quotable
Senior Jacqueline Hutcheson

On the match: "It's kind of an unreal feeling. I knew it was my last night so I just went all out and it was a lot of fun. I love this team."

On reaching 1,000 career digs: "I knew coming in I needed a couple digs and that was the goal. When they announced it, it almost made me cry. It means everything to me to be up there with all those players."

On what she'll miss most: "I'll miss the girls and the road trips and all the bonding. You get really close to people that you pretty much spend 24 hours a day with so I'll miss all the girls a lot."

On ending her career with a win: "It's pretty satisfying. It's good to go out winning in three and leaving with a really good taste in my mouth."

Senior Lauren Torres

On the match and her emotions: "My emotions?…there's a million of them. I was really happy and excited but at the same time I was sad because it's over now. I really love the way we went out with a bang. I just love and appreciate these girls so much and how we've grown as a team. I wish them all the best next season and I just want to say thank you to all of them and the coaches."

On ending her career with a great match: "I can't imagine it going any better. We all just went after it and set after set we just started going harder and harder. We really established ourselves and I love the way every single one of us played. It took all of us to have a win like that."

Head Coach Lauren Netherby-Sewell

On the match and the seniors: "We played really well at home in November. It was a great effort tonight by the team, especially our seniors. Jacque dug a ton of balls and served lights out. Torres has played so steady and confident in the last week; I'm really proud of her play and effort to be reliable. They were both tremendous athletes for us for four years and they will certainly be missed."

On the fans: "Our fans and band make playing at home special. After a rocky bout on the road in October, our home support brought us back to life."

Notable
Fresno State has won nine of its last 12 home matches dating back to last season…The Bulldogs outblocked their opponents 124-76 over the season's 10 home matches, holding the opposition to .178 hitting and winning 25 of 38 sets played on their home floor…Fresno State ended the year ranked fourth among the 11 MW teams in average home attendance. If the crowd for the exhibition match vs. Fresno Pacific could be included, the 'Dogs would have had the third best average in the league.

"Just the Ticket to Build Our Community" – The Bulldog Scholarship Fund gives Bulldog alumni, fans and friends the opportunity to support Fresno State Athletics and the student-athletes who inspire them. For information about how you can support the Bulldog Scholarship Fund, please visit www.bulldogscholarshipfund.com or call 559-278-7160.

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