California Baptist University
Cal State Northridge
On the Brink
1/9/2014 4:34:00 AM | Men's Volleyball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. --- Despite a powerful offensive debut in California Baptist University's season opener, the Lancers couldn't strike while the iron was hot and fell 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-19) to Cal State Northridge Wednesday night.
The loss drops the Lancers to 0-2 overall, 0-1 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. On the other side of the net, CSUN improves to 1-1 on the season and 1-0 in conference action.
As a team, the Lancers finished the match with a .250 attack percentage, led by Johannes Brink's 10 kills on the night. Kristopher Johnson followed with eight kills off a .462 hitting clip.
The Matadors sailed through to end the match with a .444 hitting clip, led by Sam Holt and Jakub Ciesla with 19 and 13 kills, respectively.
CSUN opened the first set with a 6-3 run to take an early lead and managed to keep the Lancers at bay for the remainder of the set.
Down 19-13 late in the set, CBU scored back-to-back points off a Brink kill and block from Rocky DeLyon and Amir Lugo-Rodriguez, looking to battle out of the six-point hole.
The Matadors built back their lead to 22-17, but DeLyon and Jonathan Tuttle put away a pair of kills to put the set back within three points. It would be the closest the Lancers would get, however, as CSUN closed out the set with a 25-21 victory.
Set two started in a similar fashion as each team exchanged points to start the set before the Matadors went on a four-point run to jump ahead 6-2.
Trailing by four, the Lancers responded with three-straight points off two Matador errors and a block from Brett Anderson and Johnson to put the score within reach at 7-6.
CSUN went back out in front by three, but CBU was not ready to roll over yet, battling within one point once again. Despite getting close, the Lancers couldn't seem to break through and surrendered a 3-0 run to allow the Matadors to take a 17-13 advantage.
The host squad extended its lead to seven points at 23-16 before the Lancers fired up to score four consecutive points off three Matador errors and a kill from Brink. Before momentum could shift completely into CBU's court, however, CSUN ended the second set 25-21 to put pressure on the Lancers to take set three.
In a much-needed set three victory, CBU found itself in combat from the get-go as neither team could grab more than a two-point lead in the first half of the set.
CBU took its first lead off an ace from Brink to go in front 8-7. The Matadors answered back, but Giovanni Llinás Rosa drilled through a CSUN wall to go back in front 9-8.
The Matadors caught fire and went on a 5-0 run to put the Lancers in a 21-17 hole and held strong to finish the set 25-19, claiming the match in the process.
Looking to shake off the loss, CBU faces top-ranked Long Beach State tomorrow night at home at 7 p.m.
