Bulldogs open homestand with 3-1 win over Nevada

Thursday, September 28

Fresno, CA

7:00 PM

Fresno State

6-9, 1-2MW

Nevada

4-11, 2-1MW

Nevada

Fresno State

Bulldogs open homestand with 3-1 win over Nevada

9/28/2017 10:19:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Andrew Tomsky / Assistant Director of Communications

VIDEO: Match Highlights

FRESNO, Calif. – Playing just its second official match at home this season Fresno State tallied 13.0 blocks and held Nevada to a .104 hitting percentage in a 3-1 (25-20, 25-18, 19-25, 25-19) victory in its Mountain West home opener on Thursday night in the Save Mart Center.

Fresno State (6-9, 1-2 MW) held the Wolf Pack to .109 or lower hitting in three of the four sets, limiting the visitor to -.160 hitting with six kills and 10 attack errors in the second set. Nevada (4-11, 2-1 MW) had opened league play with a pair of victories last week, including a 3-0 road win at Air Force.

Senior Lauren Torres led the Bulldog block party on Thursday with seven blocks while Haile Watson and Aubrey Folk each had six. Taylor Slover recorded her second career double-double with 12 kills and 10 digs and Brielle Hefner added 10 kills and two blocks. The 'Dogs used two setters for the first time this season and both played well, with Sydney Lostumo tallying 21 assists, four digs, and two aces and Madelyn Halteman posting 17 assists and six digs. Jacqueline Hutcheson had a match-high 19 digs as well as six assists and two aces.

How it Happened
Fresno State set the tone in the first set hitting .256 and tallying four blocks. There were eight ties and four lead changes in the opening set and Fresno State held just a 20-19 lead. The 'Dogs followed with four straight points behind two Nevada errors, a kill from Slover, and a block from Slover and Torres. The Wolf Pack saved the first set point before a Torres kill gave it to the home team.

The Bulldogs dominated the second set as Nevada had four fewer kills than attack errors. Fresno State needed just seven kills to run away with the set as the 'Dogs pulled out to a 10-4 lead. Nevada got back within a 10-8 deficit but couldn't get any closer. The Bulldogs had a 6-2 run to take a 23-15 lead and won the set on a block by Torres and Folk.

The Wolf Pack responded out of the intermission to force a fourth set. Nevada hit .333 in the third set while holding the 'Dogs to .033 hitting. Fresno State took an early 7-4 lead but Nevada had a 5-0 run followed shortly thereafter by a 6-0 run to move ahead 16-10. The 'Dogs got back to within a 20-17 deficit but the Pack ended the set on a 5-2 run.

The momentum continued early in the fourth set as Nevada opened with a 5-3 lead but a 6-0 Fresno State spurt turned things around. The Bulldogs hit a match-best .300 in the fourth set with 12 kills and just three attack errors and had a 21-15 lead. Nevada made it 22-19 before the 'Dogs ended the set with a Nevada attack error, a kill from Slover, and a block from Torres and Hefner on match point.

Quotable
Head Coach Lauren Netherby-Sewell

On the match: "Tonight we calmed down and competed. It was really nice to play at home in front of our crowd with the band behind us. It had been a while. The 6-2 shift will work best for us. It gives us servers that earn runs and certainly puts a big front line up to defend in every rotation. We still have work to do to iron out the wrinkles but we are getting somewhere."

On the team: "I thought my passers did a really nice job tonight staying steady. The leaders led. Jacque passed, dug and served great. It was a good match by her and Taylor played nice and steady, as did Haile. Aubrey Folk took nice swings tonight but more importantly she got in the way of their offense, big-time. She played within our system and made things tough for the outsides."

On what's next: "We are looking to take this momentum into Saturday against San Jose State, who enjoyed a nice preseason."

Notable
Fresno State had 21.0 blocks in its first official home match of the season (vs. CSU Bakersfield) and is now averaging 4.86 blocks per set at home this year with 34.0 blocks in just seven sets…The Bulldogs outblocked their opponent for the fourth consecutive match…Redshirt freshman Montez Uigaese made her first career start on Thursday and had a career-high nine kills with four digs and two blocks…The 'Dogs have won four straight home matches dating back to last season.

What's Next
The Bulldogs return to the Save Mart Center court to host San Jose State at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Fans can receive free admission to the match by presenting a ticket for the home football game vs. Nevada on Saturday night.

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