ROHNERT PARK -- Kelsey Hull and
Madelyn Densberger both recorded double-digit kills without committing an error and
Caylie Seitz had 13 with just one error as the Sonoma State volleyball team hit for a program-record .529, smashing 50 kills and erring only five times in 85 attacks to blow past visiting Cal State L.A. in three sets (25-20, 25-13, 25-19) on Saturday night at The Wolves' Den. The Seawolves have now won nine straight matches to improve to 13-4 overall and remain in sole possession of first place in the CCAA at 11-2. The Golden Eagles fell to 10-6 and 8-5 in conference play.
Nothing could stop the Sonoma State offense on Saturday, not even a Cal State L.A. team which entered the contest as the third-best blocking team in the CCAA. In fact, the Seawolves committed just one hitting error after leading 18-15 in the first set. Hull led the way and was nearly perfect, hammering 14 kills with no errors in 18 attacks for a .778 hitting percentage, Seitz hit .600 with her aforementioned 13 kills and one error in 20 swings and Densberger tallied 11 kills in 19 attempts also with no errors for a .579 clip.
Rachel Andrews (3-0-5; .600) and
Ashley Robinson (5-0-9; .556) never made a mistake, either.
The opening set of the match started out just as many expected, a back-and-forth affair that saw seven ties and four lead changes, the last occuring when SSU took a 12-11 lead. The hosts eventually took a 21-15 lead before taking the first set, 25-20. The Seawolves' second set was by far the most impressive as the hosts impressed the crowd of 643 in The Wolves' Den with 15 kills in 20 attacks and no errors for a feverish .750 clip in cruising to a 25-13 win to take the 2-0 match lead.
Cal State L.A. managed to force four ties in the third set, but Sonoma State would never relinquish the lead for the 25-19 win and the match victory. It was in the third and final frame that the Seawolves scored the most kills (20), misfiring once in 32 attacks.
Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles just couldn't overcome the hot-hitting by the Seawolves as they hit at a respectable .286 clip for the match (35 kills, 11 errors, 84 attacks). Iona Lofrano even sported a .485 hitting percentage with 17 kills and one error in 33 swings, and Loreal Carter recorded 10 with two errors in 24 attempts, but the SSU offense just continued to respond and the CSULA defense had no answer.
Sonoma State, which holds a one-game lead over second-place Cal State San Bernardino for the top spot in the CCAA standings, will play seven of its final nine regular season matches on the road, beginning with a four-match roadtrip at none other than Coussoulis Arena, the home of said Coyotes, on Thursday at 7:00 pm.
