'Dogs split pair of five-set thrillers in Bakersfield

Friday, September 16

Bakersfield, CA

12 P.M. PT

Fresno State

5-5,0-0Mountain West

Sacramento State

3-7,0-0Big Sky

Sacramento St.

Fresno St.

Photo by: Cary Edmondson

'Dogs split pair of five-set thrillers in Bakersfield

9/16/2022 7:30:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Travis Blanshan / Assistant Director of Strategic Communications

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - The opening day of the Central California Challenge hosted by CSU Bakersfield saw the Bulldogs split a pair of matches at the Icardo Center.

Fresno State (5-6) defeated Sacramento State (3-7) in five sets in the first match of the day defeating the Hornets, 25-15, 22-25, 15-25, 25-23, 16-14.

In the evening match, the 'Dogs fell in five sets to Pacific (7-4), 23-25, 25-13, 16-25, 25-23, 11-15.

How It Happened vs. Sacramento State
Getting off to a hot start, the Bulldogs took the opening set in workmanlike fashion leading from start to finish. Jumping out to an early 10-5 lead, the Hornets got within three at 16-13, but a 9-2 run by the 'Dogs closed out the set with Sacramento State committing four attack errors & a service error while the Bulldogs added three kills and a service ace from Lauren Sabbatini for the 25-15 set win.

Despite leading for much of the second set, the 'Dogs stumbled down the stretch. After a kill by Preslee Lillard put the Bulldogs up 19-17, the Hornets closed the set on an 8-3 run. A kill by Sabbatini tied the set at 20 and a kill by Addison Haluska got the Bulldogs back within one at 23-22, but Sac State secured the final two points of the set on a kill and bad set to even the match at one set apiece.

The third set saw the Hornets do what the Bulldogs were able to do in the opening set, lead from start to finish, as Fresno State got to as close as three at 12-9 before Sacramento State went on for the ten-point set win.

With the Bulldogs on the ropes in the fourth set, Sacramento State took a quick 13-6 lead as the 'Dogs needed to play catchup for much of the set. After a Bulldog attack error put Fresno State down five at 21-16, the 'Dogs went on a scoring terror scoring the final six points of the set getting two kills apiece from Lillard and Grace Doyle, one from Ella Rud and closed the comeback effort after a ball handling error by the Hornets.

Heading to a fifth set for the third time this season, the Bulldogs came through with a win for the first time going the distance as the sides went back and forth in the early going. With the Hornets taking their final lead of the set at 11-10, a kill by Rud tied the set at 11 and blocks by Lillard and Kasey Purry put the 'Dogs up 14-11. Three quick points from Sac State knotted the set at 14, but a kill by Olivia Keller and one final kill from Lillard gave the Bulldogs a hard-fought win.

How It Happened vs. Pacific
The opening set against Pacific saw the 'Dogs fall by a pair with the Tigers leading for the entire set. Cutting Pacific's lead to one at 24-23 after an attack error, the Tigers were able to get a kill to take a quick 1-0 lead.

The Bulldogs answered back with a resounding 25-13 win in set two jumping out to a 10-3 lead and going up by as many as ten at 23-13 before getting the final two points after a setting error by the Tigers and a kill from Doyle.

A win by Pacific in the third set by nine pushed the 'Dogs back up against the wall and they came through in the fourth set rallying back to force a fifth set. A service error by the Tigers gave the Bulldogs a 14-12 lead, but the Tigers responded with a 6-0 run to take a four-point lead and extended it to five at 21-16 after a Bulldog attack error. It was all 'Dogs from there closing the set out on a 9-2 run with a kill from Purry forcing a fifth set.

The Tigers got out to a 10-4 lead to start the fifth set with the 'Dogs cutting the deficit in half with three quick points on a service error, kill by Brooke Cowie and an ace from Haluska. An attack error by Pacific got the Bulldogs within two at 13-11, but the final two points of the match went to the Tigers as the 'Dogs dropped their third five-set match of the season.

Notables

The Bulldogs improved to 22-10 all-time against Sacramento State and earned their first win over the Hornets since 2014.
Rud hit double-digit kills for the seventh time this season against Sacramento State while leading the team in kills for the sixth time.
Sabbatini set a new career high in service aces with four against the Hornets.
Sydney Gazzaniga set a new career best in digs with 23 versus Sac State.
Doyle reached double figures in kills in both matches and has now reached that mark in 10 of 11 matches this season.
Rud matched her career best with four service aces against Pacific.
Cowie notched her first double-double of the season against the Tigers leading the team with 20 assists and 14 digs (new career high).

Up next
The 'Dogs wrap up the Central California Challenge on Saturday taking on CSU Bakersfield (3-7) at 4 p.m. on ESPN+.

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