SEASIDE – The Cal State Dominguez Hills volleyball team will be returning home on a positive note to start the season after splitting the final day of Cal State Monterey Bay's Otter Classic Saturday. The Toros battled closely with No. 23 Michigan Tech despite a three-set defeat, and escaped the Kelp Bed beating Academy of Art in five games to return to Carson 2-1.
 
Match 1 – No. 23 MT 3, CSUDH 0 (24-26, 20-25, 15-25)
Although the Toros dropped the Huskies in three, the first two sets were neck-and-neck as neither side led by more than three points.
 
Toward the end of the first set, the Huskies were at match point and forced extra serves when two errors allowed the Toros to tie the game.
 
Dominguez Hills started the second set scoring three of the first four points. Despite Michigan Tech leaped over Dominguez Hills, the Toros kept pace with the Huskies until the end.
 
Much like the start of the second round, the Toros started the third with a service ace by Angelina Cabal and a kill by Ava Hurry. The lead was short-lived as Michigan Tech capitalized on five straight errors to take an 8-3 lead. The Toros couldn't recover from the deficit after that.
 
The Toros combined for a 15.6 hitting percentage. They did hit 43.3 percent in the first set. The Huskies, meanwhile hit 25.5 percent the entire match.
 
Camila Sanchez-Tellez tallied nine kills, Ava Hurry had seven and Macy Kirkwood had five to lead the Toros in that column. Kirkwood was credited for five of the Toros eight total blocks.
 
Match 2 – CSUDH 3, ARTU 2 (25-16, 25-21, 20-25, 16-25, 15-7)
After the close battle to start the match, the Toros went on a four-point run to take a 9-4 lead to set the tone of the first set. The Urban Knights got to within 20-15 as the Toros went on to win five of the final six serves to take the first win.
 
Despite taking a 3-point lead early into the second set, Dominguez Hills saw itself trailing 15-11 after Academy of Art took a 9-2 run. The tide turned when the Toros reflected the Urban Knights momentum to take a 21-18 lead. Jenna Sandall had two kills to lead the effort.
 
After Academy of Art tied the set at 21, Sanchez-Tellez would tally three kills and Sandall had one to clinch the round for the Toros.
 
Academy of Art would go on to win the next two games to force a deciding game. The Toros jumped ahead 6-2 to start the set and then went on a 5-point run to setup the runaway match-victory.
 
Sanchez-Tellez had 14 kills, Taylor had 12, Shelby Saporetti had eight to led the effort on the attack. Angelina Cabal was credited for 24 assists while Mya Tillman had 22.
 
As the Toros begin the fall semester Monday, they will look forward to the weekend when they open the Torodome to host the Toro Classic, welcoming CCAA foes Stanislaus State along with Winona State and Western Colorado. Dominguez Hills opens the showdown taking on Western Colorado Friday at 10 a.m.