Bulldogs shatter three-set blocks record in 3-0 sweep of CSU Bakersfield

Tuesday, September 5

Fresno, CA

6:00 PM

Fresno State

4-3

CSU Bakersfield

4-3

CSU Bakersfield

Fresno State

Bulldogs shatter three-set blocks record in 3-0 sweep of CSU Bakersfield

9/5/2017 9:02:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score VIDEO: All 21 Blocks

By: Andrew Tomsky / Assistant Director of Communications

VIDEO: All 21 Blocks

FRESNO, Calif. – Fresno State recorded 21.0 blocks, a program record for a three-set match and the highest block total recorded by an NCAA Div. I team this season, en route to a 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-13) sweep of CSU Bakersfield on Tuesday night in the Save Mart Center.

Fresno State (4-3) broke the previous three-set program record of 15.0 blocks set against Hawaii in 2007. The Bulldogs came within one block of the overall program record of 22.0 blocks set in a four-set match against San Jose State in 2013 and matched vs. Sacramento State in 2014. Entering play Tuesday night, the highest single-match blocking number recorded by any team in NCAA Div. I this season was 20.5 and the three-set high was just 17.0.

Junior Haile Watson led the block party with a career-high and three-set program record 10 total blocks with four solo blocks. She became the first player in program history to record 10 blocks in three sets as the previous record stood at nine. Senior Lauren Torres had two solos and nine total blocks, Taylor Slover had five blocks, and Madelyn Halteman totaled four. The team had five blocks in the first set, nine in the second set, and seven in the third, holding CSU Bakersfield (4-3) to .039 hitting for the match with a 21-3 edge in team blocks.

The Bulldogs had a well-rounded night all together, with Slover leading the charge offensively with 13 kills. Brielle Hefner was superb, finishing with 10 kills and no errors for a .625 hitting percentage while also contributing three blocks. Halteman recorded her second double-double of the season with 31 assists and 10 digs and Jacqueline Hutcheson totaled 16 digs and two aces.

How it Happened
Fresno State hit a match-best .357 in the first set with 13 kills and just three attack errors. The first set was the only one in which CSU Bakersfield hit better than .020, but the visitors finished the set at just .108. The Roadrunners held a 19-18 lead late but the Bulldogs surged ahead with a 6-0 spurt and closed the set on a 7-1 run overall with a pair of blocks in the sequence.

After tallying eight blocks in one set vs. Oregon State in their last match on Saturday, the Bulldogs did one better with nine blocks in the second set on Tuesday. CSU Bakersfield actually led for almost the entire set, however, and had a comfortable advantage at 19-14. Fresno State hit just .024 in the set and trailed 20-17 before totaling five blocks, including three straight points to get to set point, to close the set on an 8-1 run and take a 2-0 lead.

The Bulldogs pulled away early in the third set, turning a 9-7 lead into a 15-7 edge with a 6-0 run. Torres had three kills and five of her nine blocks in the third as the Bulldogs hit .306 and the Roadrunners had just nine kills and nine attack errors to hit .000. The 'Dogs outscored the Runners 10-4 to close the set, with a solo block from Watson fittingly clinching the win.

Quotable
Head Coach Lauren Netherby-Sewell

On the match: "That was a really fun finish to a relatively tight match. We have to be better at the start of each set. We've been a little lethargic out of the gate but once we settle in we show a lot of fight and grit to come back if we are down."

On Brielle Hefner: "Brielle has been unbelievably solid for us. Zero errors on 16 attempts tonight is unreal."

On the blocks: "Our middles came on strong at the net. I'm really proud of their accomplishments tonight."

Notable
The Bulldogs recorded double-digit blocks for the third consecutive match and are averaging 4.30 blocks per set in the stretch after averaging 1.79 blocks per set through the first four matches of the year…The teams finished exactly even in assists (33), aces (3), and digs (54) while the 'Dogs had just one more kill…CSU Bakersfield entered the night on a four-match win streak after sweeping three matches in a tournament at South Dakota State last weekend…The Bulldogs have now won eight of the last nine matches with CSU Bakersfield and lead 19-5 in the all-time series…The valley rivals meet again next Tuesday in Bakersfield.

What's Next
Fresno State returns to the Bay Area this weekend to play at Saint Mary's on Friday and face CSUN in Moraga at 11 a.m. on Saturday before crossing the bay for a rematch with San Francisco at 7 p.m.

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