Box Score
SEASIDE, Calif. – With the squad back at full strength, the Cal State Monterey Bay women's volleyball team snapped a four-match skid by defeating the Cal State East Bay Pioneers in four-sets, 25-18, 21-25, 25-18, 25-23, Tuesday, at the Kelp Bed.
“I am really proud how our team executed our game plan and responded to the changes we needed to make,” said Head Coach
Jody Garry.
After missing the last two matches, senior middle blocker
Melanie Lashbrook (Truckee/Tahoe Truckee HS) led all hitters with 15 kills in addition to five blocks. Senior outside All-American
Rheann Fall (Elk Grove/St. Francis HS) tallied her twelfth double-double with 14 kills and 17 digs. Sophomore
Lacee Ventura (Salinas/Salinas High) tied a CSUMB single-match record with her six aces, joining teammate
Dionna Lucas (Redlands/Arrowhead HS) and former Otter Melissa Nickas.Sophomore
Julia Ashen bounced back after sitting out four matches due to illness with an eight kill and three block performance.
Defensively, the Otters registered 11 blocks to just six by CSUEB. Both teams posted 63 digs.
CSUMB came out fired up, taking a quick 5-1 lead. The Pioneers closed the gap to 9-8, but six unanswered points that included three service aces by Ventura put the Otters up 16-8. CSUMB captured the first set 25-18 with the six different Otters recording kills.
The Otters led 17-14 in the second set, but allowed the Pionners to go on a 8-0 run to tie the match at one set apiece with a 25-21 win. Lashbrook had a team-high six kills on nine attempts and one error for a .556 clip. CSUEB's Katie Allen led the Pioneers with six kills.
The third set was a repeat of the opening one with the Otters taking a quick 5-1 lead. The Pioneers challenged at the 11-10 mark on an Allen kill but CSUMB responded with 7-3 run. The Otters cruised to a 25-18 victory behind a match-high .471 clip that consisted of no hitting errors. Fall and Ashen each register five kills.
CSUMB avoided a fifth set with a 25-23 win in the fourth. Tied at 20, CSUMB went on a 5-3 run with senior
Lauren Shacklock (Tehachapi/ Tehachapi HS) racking up two kills. Lashbrook tallied four kills and four blocks .
The Pioneers had three players record double-digits in kills with Kitona Offord leading with 14 and Allen adding 12. Nicole Boyle nabbed 10 kills and 14 digs.
This is a great start of the week for us with our last home matches this weekend,” Garry said. “Besides finishing strong, we have been focusing on that this is our second chance against each of these teams.”
The Otters return to action on Friday, Nov. 4, hosting Cal State Stanislaus at 7 p.m.
