Bulldogs beat Bobcats 3-1 in season opener

Friday, August 30

Green Bay, WI

11:00 AM PT

Fresno State

1-0

Ohio

0-1

Ohio

Fresno State

Bulldogs beat Bobcats 3-1 in season opener

8/30/2019 3:07:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Andrew Tomsky / Assistant Director of Communications

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Fresno State won the first two sets easily and battled through a tight fourth set to pull out a 3-1 (25-15, 25-16, 16-25, 28-26) victory over Ohio to open the 2019 season Friday at the GBD Invite in Green Bay.

The Bulldogs won their season opener for the fourth consecutive season and the ninth time in the last 12 years. With eight newcomers making their Fresno State debuts on Friday the 'Dogs outhit the Bobcats .248-.209, had an 11.0-6.0 edge in blocks, and a 5-1 advantage in service aces, including a match-winning ace by senior Madelyn Halteman to close the fourth set.

Halteman tallied 47 assists, nine digs, four blocks, and two aces in the match. Desiree Sukhov hit .333 with a match-high 19 kills and added 10 digs for a double-double in her Bulldog debut. Amilya Thompson had 18 kills and seven digs, McKenzie Kramer had six kills and match-high six blocks, and Reagan Leonard led the 'Dogs with 14 digs.

How it Happened
The 'Dogs completely dominated the first set outhitting Ohio .440-.031. Fresno State led for the entirety of the set, taking a quick 8-2 lead and extending to an 18-10 advantage. Thompson had five kills and Sukhov landed four in the set while the Bulldogs also had a 3.5-0.0 edge in blocks and won the set 25-15 on a kill from Sukhov.

The second set started closer and Ohio had an early 9-6 lead. The Bobcats led 11-10 before an 8-1 run by the Bulldogs gave them a comfortable 18-12 advantage. The 'Dogs led by at least five points for the remainder of the set, hitting .258 with a 4.0-0.0 edge in blocks in the period while winning it on an Ohio service error.

After hitting .031 in the first set and .059 in the second set, Ohio hit .500 in the third set with 14 kills and just two attack errors. The 'Dogs had just six total attack errors over the first two sets before committing nine in the third. The Bobcats jumped to a 10-4 lead and were up by at least five points for the remainder to force a fourth set.

While none of the first three sets were particularly competitive there were 18 ties and seven lead changes in the fourth and neither team ever led by more than three points. With the set tied at 22-22 the 'Dogs had two straight points to lead 24-22 but Ohio saved two match points. The 'Dogs had two more match points at 25-24 and 26-25 but couldn't finish it off. With the set tied 26-26, freshman Grace Doyle had a kill to reach a fifth match point and Halteman's ace closed the win.

Notes

After winning its fourth straight season opener the 'Dogs will also look for a 2-0 start to the season for the fourth straight year on Saturday.
Sukhov recorded her first Fresno State double-double after tallying 11 last year as a sophomore at CSU Bakersfield.
The Bulldogs are now 19-2 over the last two seasons when winning the first set.
The Bulldogs remained undefeated (16-0) when tied or leading in aces in the last two seasons.
The teams combined for 21 service errors with six total aces on Friday, five of which came from the 'Dogs.
Eight of the 11 Bulldog players used on Friday were playing their first match at Fresno State.

What's Next
Fresno State plays two more matches at the GBD Invite on Saturday, taking on Indiana State at 9 a.m. PT and tournament host Green Bay at 4 p.m. PT

"Fresno State Athletics: The Pride of the Valley"" – The Bulldog Foundation creates championship experiences for Fresno State student-athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in life. To become a BDF member, please call 559-278-7160.

Follow us on:
Twitter: @FresnoStateVB
Instagram: FresnoStatevball
Facebook: FresnoStateVB