RUNNING ON EMPTY

Thursday, November 12

Riverside

7 p.m.

California Baptist University

Cal State San Bernardino

11/13/2009 6:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — The battle for the Inland Empire lived up to its billing once again and set a record along the way. No. 2 California Baptist University and NCAA Division II No. 2 Cal State San Bernardino went the full five sets with the Coyotes coming out the victors, 3-2 (25-20, 19-25, 25-18, 23-25, 18-16).

For the first time in school history the Lancers (25-5) were stretched to the max for their third straight match. It was also the first time this season that the Coyotes (27-1) have been pushed to five sets. Their lone loss was only in four sets.

Momentum swung like a pendulum going back and forth in each set, including a final set that had the Van Dyne Gym on the edge of its seat.

The Coyotes broke open the first set by using a 6-0 run to break a 6-6 tie. The Lancers brought it within four at 14-10, but San Bernardino took its biggest lead of the set, at 19-11, with a 5-1 run. CBU cut it to a four-point lead with a 7-1 run and trailed just 23-20, but the Coyotes scored the final two points to take a 1-0 lead in the match.

The Lancers jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the second set and led 8-3 before San Bernardino used a 7-2 run to tie at 10. After another tie at 11-11, CBU scored three straight and never trailed again. The closest the Coyotes came was at 15-14, but a kill and an ace from Ingrid Carmona and an error from Jane Chafeh put CBU up 18-14. CBU took its biggest leads of the set at 22-16 and 24-18 before Carmona closed out the set with a kill to tie the match at 1-1.

In the third set it was all San Bernardino after they used to 5-0 run to lead 9-5, after trailing 5-4. The Lancers came no closer than two at 11-9 and 16-14. The Coyotes closed out the set with a 9-4 run.

CBU needed three straight points, after falling behind 23-22, to score the win in the fourth set and force a fifth. After 13 ties to open the set, CBU finally looked like it was breaking away when Colleen Sweeney broke a 15-15 tie with a kill. Fei Shi added a kill and Danielle Sargant chipped in with an ace to put the Lancers up 18-15. The Coyotes answered with a 6-2 run to take a 21-20 lead, but CBU fired back to tie the set at 21 and 22. After the Coyotes took a 23-22 lead, a San Bernardino service error tied it at 23 and a Bree Rauschenbach ace and a Shi kill closed out the set and sent the Lancers to yet again another fifth set.

It looked like an open and close case for the Coyotes, and that playing their 15th set in a matter of six days had finally caught up to the Lancers, as San Bernardino led 9-3 early in the set. CBU gained new life off of two Coyote errors and rode the back of Carmona who had four kills in a 10-4 run as the Lancers tied the set at 13. Chafeh gained match point with a kill, but Shi answered to tie it at 14. San Bernardino had match point again at 15-14, but Rauschenbach and Carmona ripped back-to-back kills to give match point to CBU for the first time at 16-15. Despite being inches away, the Coyotes put the match on ice with three straight points to grab the win.

It was the second straight win for the Coyotes in the head-to-head rivalry and the first time that the Lancers dropped a match in Van Dyne to their Inland Empire foe since 1998.

Chafeh posted a match-high 29 kills as Shi had 21 kills and Carmona had a career-high 20. Sargant also had a career-high with 43 assists. Shi notched her career-high 15th double-double with 11 digs. That also marks the third straight match she has compiled a double-double.

The Lancers now will close out the regular season at home, Saturday, against Hope International at 7:30 p.m. It will be the final regular season home game for seniors Shi and Noelle Dyk.