ROHNERT PARK, Calif. – The Sonoma State volleyball team won a pair of big non-conference matches this weekend, taking down Cal State San Bernardino and Westmont.  The Seawolves staved off a comeback attempt by the No. 9 Coyotes on Friday night with a big fifth set before winning the final three on Saturday night to overtake the Warriors. 
 
Friday night's match with Cal State San Bernardino was an instant classic with the two teams battling it out from the start.  The Seawolves found themselves down early in the first, trailing 18-12 before ripping off a big run to flip the score.  Kiana Richardson and Leilani Hallman led the charge with two kills and a block apiece as SSU won nine of the next ten points to lead 21-19.  After three straight by the Coyotes to regain the advantage the Seawolves notched the next four to take a 1-0 lead.  Brooklyn Jackson, Hallman and Jen Trephan all recorded kills with Trephan delivering the set winner. 
 
Sonoma State led wire-to-wire in the second set, scoring five of the first six and never looking back.  Brynna Slayton recorded back-to-back kills aces and Dylan Copeland added one of her own to help keep the Coyotes at a distance.  Hallman and Jaden Krist notched late kills and a service error by CSUSB ended the set at 25-20. 
 
San Bernardino would not go down without a fight, storming back to take the next two sets and force a deciding fifth-set.  The Seawolves regroup to start the fifth, breaking a 3-3 tie with an 8-1 run, spearheaded by Richardson.  She racked up three straight kills and added another later to make it 11-4.  The Coyotes pulled within three at 12-9 but Jackson's kill and Kaden Young's ace made it match-point.  The final point came on a perfectly placed attack by Trephan to seal the win. 
 
The Seawolves held a narrow 55-52 kill advantage for the game with the two teams nearly even in every category.  Hallman led the team with 13 kills and seven blocks while Riley Beyma had a match high 20 digs. 
 
SSU extended their winning steak to four on Saturday night against Westmont.  The Warriors opened quick with a big first set, winning 25-17 and took an early lead in the second.  Sonoma State found themselves down 13-10 before ripping off seven unanswered to lead 17-13.  Westmont fought their way back into the set and eventually regained the advantage at 23-22.  Krist tied the set with a kill before Richardson and Emily Hernandez combined on the go-ahead block.  Krist then came up big again with the set winning kill to even the match at 1-1. 
 
The third set featured some big swings as the Warriors once again worked their way into a lead.  The visitors would go ahead 19-14 before a 6-1 run by Sonoma State tied the game at 20-20.  Westmont however took the next four points and found themselves just one away from a 2-1 lead.  Richardson kept the Seawolves alive with a pair of kills and Hallman tied the set with one of her own.  SSU would stave off two more set-points before winning three straight to take it 28-26 on a kill by Krist. 
 
Sonoma State would erase all doubt in the fourth set, breaking a 10-10 tie with a 5-1 run and never looked back.  The offensive attack was clicking on cylinders in the fourth as the Seawolves racked up 17 kills and hit .560.  Richardson recorded five kills in the set with Hallman adding four and Trephan and Krist tacking on two apiece. 
 
Richardson led all players with 13 kills while Krist also reached double figures with 11.  Jackson tacked on nine and Hallman hit over .600 with eight kills on 11 attempts.  Hernandez set a career high with eight blocks and Beyma led all players with 16 digs. 
 
The Seawolves open CCAA play next week with another home contest against Cal State San Bernardino.  The Coyotes come back to The Wolves' Den on Thursday night before SSU hosts San Francisco State on Saturday afternoon.