Coyotes get revenge on San Diego
By Michelle Gardner
Staff Writer
SAN BERNARDINO - There is nothing like a big rivalry game with
everything on the line to cure what ails a team.
The No. 2 Cal State San Bernardino volleyball team came in to
Saturday's match against UC San Diego reeling after a 3-0 loss to Cal
Poly Pomona Wednesday. But the Coyotes regrouped and steamrolled
their arch-rival 3-0 (27-25, 25-13, 25-16) at Coussoulis Arena.
Of course it helped that the match was for first place in the CCAA
and most likely the top spot in the West Region. The Coyotes (21-3,
13-3) now have a one game lead over No. 15 San Diego (18-5, 12-4) and
Cal Poly Pomona (15-6, 12-4) with Cal State Los Angeles (18-5, 11-5) in striking distance
with four matches left.
``We have always had at least a share of the lead and that is
something in the bloodbath that is the conference,'' Coyotes coach
Kim Cherniss said. ``We watched the Cal Poly match over on Thursday
and addressed some things we did wrong and worked specifically on
them. It paid off.''
Only the first game was a battle. It was tied 14 times, the last at
25-all. But a kill by Samantha Middleborn gave the Coyotes a game
point and they converted with Jane Chafeh knocking home the winner.
Cal State was in control the last two games. The second was even at
11 but the Coyotes took a command with a 10-point run that included
two kills by Middleborn and two service aces by Kelcie Tolan. Up
24-3, Cal State converted its first game point with Jessica Granados
lining a winner off a blocker.
The Coyotes surged out to a 14-11 lead in the third game, but tallied
11 of the next 12 points with four different players factoring in
that run. Cal State wrapped up the match on their first try when Sara
Rice blocked a tip by Cara Simonsen.
The Coyotes hit a lofty .337 for the match with Granados notching 15
kills. Rice contributed seven with Ashtin Hall and Middleborn
collecting six each. Cherniss singled out junior setter Sara Hoffman
who added to her conference-leading assist total with 37.
``We gave her a very definite assignment on who we wanted to go to
and where in certain situations and she was absolutely on-point,''
Cherniss said. ``And sometimes that's difficult to do when you're
running around out there and the pace is hectic.''
``It didn't matter who it was. We came out determined to dominate,''
Hoffman said. ``We tried to play every ball like it was our last
point.''
Cal State held San Diego to a .153 hitting percentage. It won the
battle of digs 42-27 with Meghan Haas celebrating her 21st birthday
with a team-high 16. Granados added nine.
The win avenged a 3-2 Coyotes loss at San Diego earlier this season.
The Coyotes will be on the road next weekend for matches at Sonoma
State and Humboldt State.
Staff Writer
SAN BERNARDINO - There is nothing like a big rivalry game with
everything on the line to cure what ails a team.
The No. 2 Cal State San Bernardino volleyball team came in to
Saturday's match against UC San Diego reeling after a 3-0 loss to Cal
Poly Pomona Wednesday. But the Coyotes regrouped and steamrolled
their arch-rival 3-0 (27-25, 25-13, 25-16) at Coussoulis Arena.
Of course it helped that the match was for first place in the CCAA
and most likely the top spot in the West Region. The Coyotes (21-3,
13-3) now have a one game lead over No. 15 San Diego (18-5, 12-4) and
Cal Poly Pomona (15-6, 12-4) with Cal State Los Angeles (18-5, 11-5) in striking distance
with four matches left.
``We have always had at least a share of the lead and that is
something in the bloodbath that is the conference,'' Coyotes coach
Kim Cherniss said. ``We watched the Cal Poly match over on Thursday
and addressed some things we did wrong and worked specifically on
them. It paid off.''
Only the first game was a battle. It was tied 14 times, the last at
25-all. But a kill by Samantha Middleborn gave the Coyotes a game
point and they converted with Jane Chafeh knocking home the winner.
Cal State was in control the last two games. The second was even at
11 but the Coyotes took a command with a 10-point run that included
two kills by Middleborn and two service aces by Kelcie Tolan. Up
24-3, Cal State converted its first game point with Jessica Granados
lining a winner off a blocker.
The Coyotes surged out to a 14-11 lead in the third game, but tallied
11 of the next 12 points with four different players factoring in
that run. Cal State wrapped up the match on their first try when Sara
Rice blocked a tip by Cara Simonsen.
The Coyotes hit a lofty .337 for the match with Granados notching 15
kills. Rice contributed seven with Ashtin Hall and Middleborn
collecting six each. Cherniss singled out junior setter Sara Hoffman
who added to her conference-leading assist total with 37.
``We gave her a very definite assignment on who we wanted to go to
and where in certain situations and she was absolutely on-point,''
Cherniss said. ``And sometimes that's difficult to do when you're
running around out there and the pace is hectic.''
``It didn't matter who it was. We came out determined to dominate,''
Hoffman said. ``We tried to play every ball like it was our last
point.''
Cal State held San Diego to a .153 hitting percentage. It won the
battle of digs 42-27 with Meghan Haas celebrating her 21st birthday
with a team-high 16. Granados added nine.
The win avenged a 3-2 Coyotes loss at San Diego earlier this season.
The Coyotes will be on the road next weekend for matches at Sonoma
State and Humboldt State.
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