Box Score
Carson, CA -- Cal State Dominguez Hills junior Courtney Spainhour (Redondo Beach, CA/El Camino CC) led the Toros with 10 kills, but visiting and 12th-ranked Cal State L.A. kept its momentum from last night's huge victory over Cal Poly Pomona by sweeping CSUDH 30-20, 30-21, 30-14 on Saturday night in the Torodome. With the loss, the Toros fall to 6-15, 2-11 CCAA while the Golden Eagles stay atop the CCAA and improve to 20-1, 12-1 CCAA.
The Toros hung tough in game one behind three #3Timary More# (Torrance, CA/El Camino CC) kills, taking a 16-11 lead on a CSULA attack error. Behind Tanya White's five and Melissa Zapiain's four kills, however, the visitors would regroup, outscoring CSUDH 19-4 the rest of the way to take the 30-20 game one win.
Game two was a mirror image of the opener as the Toros would jump to an early 14-10 lead on a Spainhour kill. Again, however, CSULA would mount a comeback behind White, who posted seven more kills in the frame as the Golden Eagles gained the lead for good at 18-16. After four points off Ashley Hardwick's serve would give CSULA a 22-16 cushion, six Toro hitting errors and timely kills by CSULA would give the visitors a comfortable two-games-to-none edge.
After intermission, CSULA game out with the intensity befitting the No. 12 team in the country, charging to a commanding 12-3 lead. Spainhour contributed three kills in the frame, but the Toros would be unable to withstand a .333 to -.065 hitting advantage enjoyed by the Golden Eagles as they would take a commanding 27-14 lead on a Toro service error. Two CSUDH ball-handling errors would give CSULA match point at 29-14, and a Roxanne Ozolins kill would cement the game three 30-14 win, and the match, 3-0.
Spainhour added a match-high 15 digs and More chipped in nine kills in the effort, while junior Maria Serrano (Lakewood, CA/Cerritos CC) and senior libero Sylvia Bonilla (Los Angeles, CA/Fremont HS) added 12 and 11 digs, respectively.
CSULA's White led all hitters with 14 kills while setter Tiare Tuitama dished 30 assists and added a team-high 11 digs in the win.
As a team, CSULA hit .238 compared to .078 for CSUDH, and was +6 at the service line compared to -3 for CSUDH.
The Toros host their annual alumni match this Wednesday before heading north next weekend to take on Cal State Monterey Bay and Sonoma State. They then return home for their final three matches of the year, beginning with No. 6-ranked Cal Poly Pomona on Nov. 5.
