ROHNERT PARK, Calif. – The Sonoma State volleyball picked up a key victory on Saturday afternoon, taking down San Francisco State 3-1 in a wild match.  The Seawolves came into the day tied for 5^th place in the CCAA with the Gators.  The win moved their conference record to 9-5 and overall to 16-6.
 
This match was back-and-forth from the start with neither team leading by more than six at any point.  In the first SSU jumped out early with the first three points but SFSU quickly pulled even and the game stayed tight at a 14-14 tie.  The Seawolves would win five of the next six points to lead 19-15 and eventually held game point at 24-21.  The Gators fired back with four straight points to force their own game point but Sonoma State tied the score at 25-25.  SSU held off two more game points but the Gatos took the final two points to win the first set 29-27.
 
The Seawolves controlled throughout most of the second set, leading early and taking a 19-13 advantage after back-to-back kills by Jessie Hobbs and Kiana Richardson.  However, once again the Gators would not go away, ripping off a 7-2 run to pull within one at 21-20.  They would eventually even the score at 24-24 and force the game to extra points again.  This time it was Sonoma State who won the final two, using another kill by Hobbs and an ace by Jaden Krist to even the match with a 26-24 win. 
 
The third set picked right up where the last left off with the Seawolves scoring the first four points.  SFSU worked their way back into the set with a run of their own and the two teams played to a tie score ten times with the last coming at 19-19.  Krist and Richardson broke the tie with back-to-back kills to push Sonoma State ahead.  Richardson tacked on another kill and Jen Trephan's solo block on match-point put the Seawolves just one set away from the win. 
 
Sonoma State saved their best attack for the last set, recording 15 kills and just one error to hit over .400 in the fourth.  The Seawolves found themselves down by four halfway through, trailing 13-9 before they made their run.  Richardson picked up three straight SSU points with kills to pull the game within one at 15-14.  Trephan and Leilani Hallman then combined for a block and Brynna Slayton delivered two straight aces as the five-point spurt put the Seawolves on top.  The two teams then traded 12 straight points from there to make it a 23-21 game.  Hallman added the 24^th point on a kill and two plays later Trephan once again registered the winner, this time with a kill. 
 
The Seawolves and Gators both reached double figures in kills in every set with the visitors holding a 60-59 advantage for the match.  Sonoma State racked up 12 blocks and 10 aces while the Gators combined for just nine total. 
 
Richardson led the Seawolves with a season high 17 kills while Hobbs finished with 15 kills and a .583 hitting percentage.  Hallman added 11 kills and five blocks with Trephan notching 7 kills, 27 assists, 14 digs and five blocks.  Kaden Young recorded a career best 29 digs and Krist tacked on a match best four aces. 
 
Sonoma State improved to 10-1 at home on the season with their final two home matching coming next week.  The Seawolves will take on Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State San Bernardino on Thursday and Saturday respectively.