'Dogs see winning streak halted in five-set battle with UNLV

Saturday, October 5

Fresno, CA

1:00 PM PT

Fresno State

10-6, 3-1MW

UNLV

6-9, 2-2MW

UNLV

Fresno State

Photo by: Keith Kountz

'Dogs see winning streak halted in five-set battle with UNLV

10/5/2019 4:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Travis Blanshan / Assistant Director of Communications

FRESNO, Calif. - The Fresno State volleyball team saw its five-match winning streak come to an end on Saturday afternoon at the Save Mart Center falling in five sets to UNLV.

Fresno State (10-6, 3-1 MW), who came into the match with five straight victories by sweep, claimed the opening set, 25-19 before UNLV (6-9, 2-2 MW) won the second and third set each by a score of 25-22. The 'Dogs evened up the match at two sets apiece with a 25-23 set four win. The Rebels won the decisive fifth set, 15-11 to hand the 'Dogs their first Mountain West loss of the season.

Leading the way offensively for the Bulldogs was junior outside hitter Desiree Sukhov who finished with a team-high 22 kills and tallied her ninth double-double of the season finishing with 12 digs.

Junior outside hitter Amilya Thompson added her sixth double-figure kill performance of the season finishing with 12 kills and redshirt freshman outside hitter Lauren Sabbatini added nine kills, four digs and two block assists.

Senior setter Madelyn Halteman dished out 47 assists and tallied a season-high 18 digs while junior libero Reagan Leonard added a season-high 30 digs.

How It Happened
The opening set saw the 'Dogs get off to a blazing-hot start jumping out to a 7-0 lead (watch). The Rebels answered back with a 7-2 run to close the Bulldogs' lead to 9-7, but Sukhov got the 'Dogs back on the right side with a kill (watch).

With the Rebels cutting the 'Dogs lead to 14-13 after a kill by Kate Brennan, a 6-1 run, including five straight points (watch), gave the 'Dogs some separation at 20-14. The teams traded the final 10 points with five on each side as block assists by Thompson and senior middle blocker McKenzie Kramer closed out the set (watch).

The second set saw the teams trade points in the early going as a kill by Sukhov (watch), her seventh of the match, tied the set at 10-10. With the Rebels leading 15-13 at the media timeout, the 'Dogs answered back with a 8-2 run, including a kill by Sabbatini (watch), to take a 21-17 lead. Unfortunately, the 'Dogs were held to one point in the remainder of the set as their 16-set winning streak came to an end as the Rebels won the set, 25-22.

Bouncing back from their first set loss in more than two weeks, the 'Dogs and Rebels got off to a 8-8 start to the third set after a block by Kramer (watch). Getting block assists from Thompson and Kramer to bring the 'Dogs within 16-15, UNLV responded with a 6-1 run to take a 22-16 lead. Not going away easily, the 'Dogs responded with a 6-2 run to bring the deficit within two at 24-22 getting block assists from Doyle and Sabbatini (watch). That would be as close as they would get as a kill by the Rebels' Mariena Hayden gave UNLV the set win.

The fourth set saw the Rebels jump out to a 14-9 lead, but the 'Dogs rallied back as a kill by Sukhov (watch) tied the set at 16-16. An attack error by Sabbatini tied the set at 23-23, but the 'Dogs came through with the final two points of the set as block assists by freshman Amaria Kelley and Kramer forced a fifth set (watch).

As they did all match, the teams went back-and-forth in the fifth set as a kill by Thompson (watch) tied the set at 7-7. After the teams traded the next four points, the Rebels took the lead for good with two more points as a kill by Sukhov brang the 'Dogs within one at 11-10, but UNLV claimed four of the final five points to seal the win.

Notes

It is UNLV's first win in Fresno since Sept. 29, 2016.
Leonard moved into eighth place in program history in digs moving past Christy Burnett (1998, 2000-02 - 1,060) as the junior now has 1,082 in her career.
Halteman's 47 assists tied for her second-most in a match this season. Her 18 digs came within two of her career high of 20 set against San Jose State in 2018.
Sukhov led the 'Dogs in kills for the 13th time this season.
Fresno State falls to 8-2 on the season when winning the first set.
Kelley saw her first action since Sept. 14 at Northern Arizona while freshman defensive specialist Molly Eppright played for the first time since Sept. 20 against UC Davis.

Up next
The Bulldogs head out on the road next week traveling to No. 16 Colorado State (14-1, 4-0 MW) on Thursday before heading to Wyoming (8-7, 3-1 MW) on Saturday.

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