Carson, CA - It may not have been the prettiest display of volleyball at times as CSUDH bumbled and stumbled, but the resilient Toros ultimately rumbled by Cal State Bakersfield behind the fourth double-double of the season by Courtney Spainhour (Redondo Beach, CA/El Camino HS), whose 13 kills and 18 digs led four Toros in double figures as CSUDH picked up the 16-30, 30-27, 31-29, 30-25 win. With the victory, CSUDH's first over CSUB in 38 matches since its last victory on October 28, 1986, the Toros improve to 7-11, 4-8 CCAA, while CSUB falls to 2-10, 2-10 CCAA.
The 'Runners would come out sprinting in game one and run over the Toros, 30-16. In the game CSUB would post a .545 hitting percentage to the Toros' .061. Kate McWhorter and Rosemary Stribling would each have five kills while hitting .833 and .625, respectively.
CSUDH would cool the hot 'Runner offense in game two, holding them to a .233 hitting percentage, while Arreana Peoples (West Covina, CA/John A. Rowland HS) blasted five kills in the game while hitting .833 to lead the Toros to the slim 30-27 win.
Game three would see the race tighten, as CSUB built a small 24-20 lead.
A kills by Peoples would start the Toro comeback that would be completed on a CSUB attacking error to knot the game at 28-28, before the Toros put away the Roadrunners for the 31-29 win.
CSUB would have another hot start in game four, jumping out to an early 12-5 lead on a kill by Kerianne Kreger.
However, after a Toro time out, TaMesha Jefferson (Lancaster, CA/Antelope Valley College) would end the 'Runner run and start the momentum shift towards the Toros.
CSUDH would slowly chip away at the deficit, and finally catch up to the Roadrunners at 19-19 on a kill by Nicole Hoffman (Clovis, CA/Fresno CC).
The two teams would remain close and tie at 23-23 and 25-25 before CSUDH was able to make that final push, finishing off CSUB with a block by Peoples and Timary More (Torrance, CA/El Camino CC).
CSUB posted five players in double figures, led by Stribling's 17 kills and .485 hitting percentage. Sarah Warner would add a double-double of 12 kills and 10 digs, while Melissa Myers, Kreder, and McWhorter rounded out the remaining 'Runners in double figures with 11, 10, and 10 kills, respectively.
In addition to Spainhour's 13 kills, Peoples would chip in 12 kills while hitting .478, while Hoffman and Jefferson each added 10 kills apiece. Setters Tiffany Bull (Lake Los Angeles, CA/Antelope Valley College) and Kayleigh Spratt (Rhonert Park, CA/Ranco Cotate HS) would run the 6-2 offense to nearly identical efforts, dishing out 26 and 25 assists, respectively, in the come-from-behind win.
CSUDH will next be in action on Friday, October 13, when they hit the road to take on Cal State Stanislaus, before returning home on Friday, October 20 to take on Cal State San Bernardino, with first serve for both matches scheduled for 7:00 pm.
