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SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The 19th-ranked University of San Diego women’s volleyball team was stunned by a 3-1 loss to Cal State Northridge Friday evening in the USD Invitational at the Jenny Craig Pavilion.
With the 20-25, 25-19, 21-25, 20-25 loss, the Toreros fall to 7-5 overall, while the Matadors improve to 9-2 overall.
Lauren Schad (Cheyenne River Sioux) paced the Torero offense with a career-high 11 kills, while also recording three blocks and she hit for a .348 clip. Canace Finley also had 11 kills, tying a career-high, and also recorded three blocks and hit for a.211 clip. Lisa Kramer has six kills and five blocks, whileHunter Jennings paced the defense with a career-high 22 digs. Jianna Bonomi recorded 23 assists, while Kristen Gengenbacher recorded 20 assists.
In the first set, the two teams were engaged in a close battle right from the get-go. Both teams had their turn with the lead, but neither had a lead bigger than two for half of the frame. Then with USD leading 9-8, a Schad kill sparked a 3-0 run to give the Toreros a 12-8 lead, forcing the Matadors into a timeout. The Matadors then slowly crept their way back into things, and tied the score up at 18-all, forcing the Toreros into a timeout. Out of the break, CSUN grabbed three straight points, to once again force USD into its final timeout. CSUN then went on to claim set one with a 25-20 win.
In the second set, it was once again a close battle right from the get-go, but USD was the team to grab the early lead, and maintain the lead for a majority of the frame. Then with USD leading 18-14, the Matadors would go on a 4-2 run to pull within two of the Toreros, forcing USD into a timeout. USD then grabbed the next two points before CSUN called a timeout. San Diego never looked back, as they evened up the match with a 25-19 win.
The Matadors raced out to an early 5-1 lead to grab the early momentum. San Diego then answered back with a 8-3 run of their own to take a 9-8 lead on a CSUN attack error. The two teams then traded point-for-point over the next few possessions, until CSUN grabbed a 22-20 lead, forcing the Toreros into a timeout. The Matadors then closed the frame on a 3-1 run to go up 2-1 in the match.
In the fourth and final set, the Matadors continued to build on the momentum of the previous set, as they opened things up on a 9-5 run, which forced USD into a early timeout. CSUN the built up a 14-8 lead, and a USD injury forced the Toreros into its final timeout. Then after CSUN took a 21-12 lead, USD got hot and went on a 6-0 run to pull to with three at 21-18, forcing the Matadors into a timeout. USD could get no closer, as CSUN closed out the frame on a 3-2 run to take the match with a 25-20 win.
The Toreros will return to action on Thursday, when they begin their WCC title defense against the University of Portland in a 7 p.m. match inside the friendly confines of the Jenny Craig Pavilion.
