Sept. 16, 2008
SEASIDE, Calif. –The Cal State Monterey Bay women's volleyball team (3-7, 0-2 CCAA) came from being behind 0-2 in the set count to take a 3-2 victory (18-25, 22-25, 25-12, 25-21, 20-18) over UC Santa Cruz tonight at the Kelp Bed.
Freshmen #Rheann Fall# and #Melanie Lashbrook# broke into the school record books in this prolonged match. Fall racked up 27 kills, breaking the record previously held by
Brittany Etchings who nabbed 25 kills twice in her career (vs. CSU Stanislaus, 10/1/04 and vs. Chico St, 10/7/05).
Lashbrook racked up 11 total blocks (9a, 2s) and is now ranked second in the single match record books behind Christine Ricketts who snared 14 total blocks against Cal State Stanislaus on Oct. 8, 2005.
Junior #Alisha Thomas# added 10 kills and 16 digs on the night, joining Fall, who had 15 digs, in scoring a double-double. Freshman libero #Dionna Lucas# and sophomore setter #Dana Grimm# also scored double-digits in digs with 17 and 16 respectively.
The Otters racked up a season-high 65 kills, 18 blocks and 84 digs.
CSUMB stayed in front in the fifth set until both teams hit double-digits, then the seesaw scoring began. A cross-court kill by Thomas ruined the Banana Slugs first match point chance. Freshman middle hitter #Tiffany Riggs#'s kill on a slide set up the Otters first match point. A kill by UCSC's Megan Wisniewski tied the score at 15.
After an attacking error by the Otters, Riggs once again stepped up to the plate to stop the Banana Slugs with a kill from the middle. Fall crushed the ball down threw the block to once again give the Otters the lead. After Fall's attack at 17-17 was ruled out on the back line, UCSC's Winiewski nabbed her 13th and final kill of the match.
An attacking error by Wisniewski gave the Otters a 19-18 lead after the blocking duo of Riggs and Grimm stuff blocked her in the previous play. Lashbrook's fifth kill of the game cancelled out UCSC's hopes once and for all, giving CSUMB their first five-game victory of the season.
After a sluggish first two sets, the Otters sprinted out to a 12-2 lead in the third set by putting down five kills and serving up two aces by Fall. CSUMB accumulated a .345 attack percentage (13k, 3e, 29att) while keeping UCSC at a -.090 attack percentage.
A tie at 7-7 in the fourth set proved to be a turning point for the Otters. CSUMB never gave up the lead after a kill by Fall, finishing with a 25-21 victory and forcing a fifth set.
"I was impressed with UCSC as they played scrappy and went after it,” said head coach
Jody Garry. “We did not bring our best to start the match and had to work very hard to get to the fifth set.”
“We showed true grit in fighting back and stayed together when things got tough."
The Otters return to the Kelp Bed tomorrow night to host CCAA opponent San Francisco State University. First serve is at 7 p.m.
