BOX SCORE: Northwest Nazarene 3, Sonoma State 2

HONOLULU, Hawai'i- Ally Sather recorded a match-high 18 kills and Keala Peterson hammered 11, but the Sonoma State volleyball team began its 2011 campaign with a narrow five-set loss (20-25, 25-15, 21-25, 25-15, 11-15) to Northwest Nazarene on the first day of the three-day Hilton Waikiki Beach Invitational in Honolulu. It was the first match for both teams; the Seawolves fall to 0-1 while the Crusaders go to 1-0.

For most of the first set, it was extremely close as both teams never led by more than three points until a kill by Northwest Nazarene's Carly Dranginis put the Crusaders up 20-16. Sonoma State got to within two points on a pair of occasions, but NNU scored the set's final three points on two SSU attack errors and a service ace to win 25-20. The Seawolves hit negatively in their first set of the season (-.032) with eight kills and nine errors in 31 attacks.

After another back and forth start to the second set in which Sonoma State led by two points at 17-15, it was the Seawolves that began pulling away, scoring eight straight points, including four kills and two assisted blocks by Sather, to cruise to the second set victory. SSU was more efficient on the attack, hitting .265 with 12 kills and just three errors.

The third set played out to be just as close as the first, but after five tie scores and one lead change, it was Northwest Nazarene that squeaked out the 25-21 win to lead the match two sets to one.

Needing a win in the fourth set to stay alive in the match, Sonoma State jumped out to a large 14-4 advantage and never looked back. The Seawolves, who hit at a blazing .364 clip with a match-high 17 kills, forced the deciding fifth set with another dominating 25-15 win.

Northwest Nazarene got off to a quick start, scoring the first four points in the fifth set, forcing a Sonoma State time out. The set would remain close and the Seawolves would eventually scratch to within a point at 12-11, but the Crusaders would earn the final three points to earn the fifth set win to clinch the match victory.

Sather, who is eighth on the all-time kills list in SSU history, hit .217 on Thursday evening with the aforementioned 18 kills and eight errors on 46 attempts. Peterson hit at a .139 clip with 11 kills and six errors (36 attempts). Hayley Ross handed out a match-high 45 assists and Taylor Krenwinkel led the backline with 18 digs. Sonoma State had more kills than Northwest Nazarene (54-48), but the Crusaders combined for 12 total blocks at the net, compared to the Seawolves' seven and a half rejections.

Michelle Terpstra and Kaitlyn Tuholski had 11 kills apiece for Northwest Nazarene while Reisa Fessler added 10. Kailey Trautmann led all defenders with 27 digs.

Sonoma State will take on host Hawai'i Pacific on Friday night at St. Andrews Priory in Honolulu. First serve is set for 10 p.m. Pacific Time.