GCU Invitational kicks off with 3-1 defeat

Friday, August 30

Phoenix, AZ

4:30 p.m. PT

Fresno State

0-1,0-0Mountain West

Oregon State

1-0,0-0WCC

Oregon St.

Fresno St.

GCU Invitational kicks off with 3-1 defeat

8/30/2024 9:24:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Holly Cassina / Strategic Communications Coordinator

PHOENIX – The Fresno State volleyball team dropped the season opener to Oregon State in four sets (25-21, 20-25, 26-28, 2-25) to kick off the GCU Invitational in Phoenix, Arizona.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Bulldogs opened the match with an early lead over the Beavers. Oregon State crept ahead, taking as much as a four-point lead over Fresno State. Fresno State tied the game at 16 and held on to the lead for the remainder of the match securing a 25-21 win over Oregon State to end the opening set. Ella Rud and Addison Haluska led the charge in the first set with four kills each, assisted primarily by Brooke Cowie who tallied 11 out of 12 assists in the set.

Oregon State held a firm grasp on the lead for a majority of the second set, only allowing Fresno State to lead by one point at a time. After a 7-7 tie, the Beaver took off with the set, out-killing the 'Dogs 15-10 before winning the set, 25-20. Mya Sellers recorded her second solo block of the day in her fifth match played as a Bulldog in addition to block assists from Haluska and Kasey Purry.

The third set of the night kept both sides on their toes with 15 tie scores and eight lead changes. Neither side took a lead higher than four points in the match and stayed within two points after a 12-12 tie. The Beavers and Bulldogs traded match points three times before Oregon State narrowly avoided a touch on an attack error to win the set. Sophomore Jayden Xiong made her first in-game appearance in a Bulldog uniform in the third set, earning a perfect serve percentage and her first dig.

Fresno State started the fourth set with back-to-back kills from Rud to give the 'Dogs an early lead. After letting go of an early lead, the Bulldogs did not allow the Beavers to stay beyond a two-point game until the match's final play. Sellers recorded two kills in the set, and three overall, while Rud led the set with five kills of her own. The Beavers defeated the Bulldogs 25-22 in the final set and 3-1 overall.

NOTES

Addison Haluska earned the team's first double-double of the season with 16 kills and 12 digs.
Three Bulldogs rounded out the night with a double-digit kill count with 16 from Haluska, 15 from Rud and 10 from Legault.
Dionii Fraga led the team in digs with 26 to tie her career high that she set exactly one year ago today.
Two Bulldogs made their Fresno State debut today: freshman Greta Brown and sophomore Jayden Xiong.

UP NEXT
The Bulldogs are back on the court for the second day of the GCU Invitational and will face Montana who opened the tournament with a 3-0 loss to host GCU. The match is set to start at 4:30 p.m. PT at GCU Arena and will be streamed live on ESPN+. Live stats will be broadcast at BulldogsLive.com.