ROHNERT PARK -- Down 2-1 in the match, the Sonoma State volleyball team clawed back to force a decisive fifth set, but ran out of gas late in falling 3-2 (23-25, 25-20, 25-11, 23-25, 15-11) to seventh-ranked Cal State San Bernardino on Saturday night at The Wolves' Den.  The Seawolves fall to 4-4 overall and 2-2 in the CCAA while the Coyotes, who lost in five sets at San Francisco State a night earlier, improve to 6-2 (3-1 CCAA). 

Sonoma threw everything they could at CSU San Bernardino, but ultimately couldn't overcome 34 hitting errors, many of which were the result of the 18.0 total blocks by the Coyotes front line.  Kelsey Hull had a team-high 18 kills with eight errors in 49 attacks (.204), Caylie Seitz added 16 kills, but with 10 errors in 50 swings (.120) and Madelyn Densberger smoked 13 kills on 39 attempts with four errors (.231).  Five Seawolves recorded double-digit digs, led by the 19 from Kaitlyn Connolly.

The match featured 31 ties and 12 lead changes, most of which occured in the first two sets.  In the first set, Cal State San Bernardino took a 22-21 lead on a service ace by Kirsten Edgemon, but Sonoma State rallied for four of the next five points in the set to capture the first-set win.  The second set was a see-saw battle and neither team led by more than two points until the Coyotes took a 21-18 lead before scoring four of the final five points in the set themselves to even the match at one set apiece.

The third set was all CSUSB as the visitors jumped out to an 11-3 lead and never looked back en route to an easy 25-11 win to lead 2-1 in the match.  In the fourth, SSU responded and controlled much of the set, eventually forcing set point at 24-17 on a service ace by Courtney Seda, but the Coyotes recorded six unanswered points and got to within 24-23 before a kill from Seitz forced the fifth set.

While the Seawolves rode their momentum to take a 7-4 lead, the Coyotes never backed down, turning the three-point deficit into a three-point lead at 12-9, a lead they would never relinquish to survive the host Seawolves with a match-clinching 15-11 win.

As a team, Sonoma hit .157 with 65 kills in 198 attacks, erring 34 times, much thanks to the aforementioned 18.0 blocks, five each from Tori May and Brenna McIntosh.  Alexandra Torline led the offensive for CSU San Bernardino, hammering 19 kills with just three errors in 51 attacks for a .314 clip.  The Coyotes hit .241 as a team (58k-17e-170a).

Sonoma State continues its five-match homestand on Friday when it hosts UC San Diego at The Wolves' Den.  First serve is set for 7:00 pm.