IRVINE, Calif. – The Cal State Dominguez Hills Toros experienced split the day at the Golden Eagle Classic, earning a commanding 3-0 sweep over Ursuline College in the morning before falling in a hard-fought five-set thriller to Concordia University Irvine.
 
In their first match of the day, the Toros controlled the contest from start to finish, dominating Ursuline in straight sets. Kayly Pau and Jade Fuentes led the attack with six kills each, while Bailey Fuches dished out 19 assists. Ally Sokolow anchored the defense with 12 digs. The Toros limited Ursuline to a -.067 hitting percentage, while recording 35 kills and a .229 hitting percentage. In set of 24-14, 25-11, and 25-20 the Toros took the victory.
 
In the second match, the Toros jumped out to an early 2-0 set lead against CUI. Maria Bejines-Garibay delivered a standout performance with 14 kills and 23 digs, while Ava Hurry added 12 kills and 13 digs. Kayly Pau contributed 9 kills, 4 blocks, and 1 ace, and Bailey Fuches tallied 26 assists. Defensively, Nina Robles led the back row with 24 digs and 3 aces.
 
The Toros won the first two sets 25-18 and 25-19, but CUI mounted a comeback, taking the third and fourth sets before clinching the match with a 15-9 win in the fifth. Despite the loss, the Toros put up a strong fight, recording 53 kills and closed the tournament with two wins and two losses.
 
"Very proud of the Toros starting off today with a sweep over Ursuline we played clean and executed well" said coach Teddi Esko. "Strong fight against a solid Concordia team, but we fell short of the win.  We are ready to get back in the gym Monday to prepare for Colorado."
 
The Toros head to the Maverick Fall Classic in Colorado as they open the tournament on Thursday, September 12^th at 4pm against Minnesota State University Moorhead.