Thursday, September 20
Riverside, Calif.
7:00 PM
California Baptist University
3
vs
2
NM State
1
2
3
4
5
F
NM State
23
23
25
25
11
2
California Baptist
25
25
19
20
15
3
Photo by: Reagan Lee
Lancers Knock Off WAC Favorite NM State
9/20/2018 11:07:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – California Baptist University's first-ever Western Athletic Conference match made for an unforgettable one, as the Lancers defeated NM State, the reigning regular-season champion and preseason favorite, in five sets on Thursday.
Versatility and solid blocking set CBU up for victory, as it won the first two sets and then prevailed in the fifth for the dramatic 25-23, 25-23, 19-25, 20-25, 15-11 win in the Van Dyne Gym. The Lancers start the WAC season with a 10-3, 1-0 in conference record, while the Aggies begin 10-4, 0-1.
"We have been looking forward to this one for a while, to have the top team in your conference as your first match in the WAC," Coach Branden Higa said. "We were looking forward to seeing where we're at in the conference because you just don't know until you play some of these teams. We wanted to get a measure of where we were."
Sydney Marks and Yagoda Jedrzejczak were instrumental in the Lancers posting a 15-9 advantage in blocks, which are the ninth-most in an NCAA-era match (2013-18) at CBU.
"Our blockers stepped up big," said Higa, whose team had nine blocks in the final two sets. "Sydney and Yagoda both made great adjustments and competed well against their middles, and that was huge. It was pretty cool to see our block come alive like that. We had a lot of people step up when they needed to."
Marks put down eight blocks and seven kills, while Jedrzejczak had four kills and seven blocks, including two crucial stuffs in the fifth set.
"It was crazy coming in, seeing the crowd and realizing this is our WAC debut," Jedrzejczak said. "We really wanted to make a stand as the newbies, and to make a statement against such a good team on our first night is incredible."
CBU continues WAC action against The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on Saturday at 7 p.m. in Riverside. It will be tough to top the excitement from Thursday, though.
Three Lancers recorded double-doubles in the win. Natalie Zimmerer was a force with 52 assists, 11 digs, three aces, three blocks and two kills.
"Nat led us through those two sets really, really well," Higa said. "She did a few thing she's normally not asked to do. She provided great defense, energy, stayed consistent and made great choices. We hit over .400 in that fifth set, she just dished and kept us in there the whole match."
Outside hitters Tesa Oaks and Summer Avery were all over the place, as well. Oaks logged 19 kills and 13 digs and Avery had 14 kills, 12 digs and four blocks to notch double-doubles of their own.
"I think that's what our team is based on," Higa said of his team's versatility. "We are pretty balanced offensively and we just have players that can play the game. It's not just the pins, not just the setters or the middles. We have a lot of pretty smart volleyball players, and that can win you matches when you don't have a hole to attack."
CBU's impressive performances did not stop there. Nicole Abreu also had a team-high 15 digs, seven assists and two aces, and true freshman Megan Sester had a career-high 17 kills, four blocks and four digs.
While NM State took all the momentum into the fifth set and took an early 5-3 lead in the final game, everyone was cool, calm and collected in CBU's huddle.
"Every competition is a celebration, a celebration of what you did that week, that season and over the summer," Higa said. "The fifth set is the biggest celebration of it all because it is exciting and everything hinges on a play or two."
Consecutive kills from Sester and Marks sparked a 3-0 run that gave the Lancers a 6-4 edge in the fifth. The Aggies then scored three-straight points themselves to take a 9-7 advantage, but back-to-back kills from Oaks and a Zimmerer ace led CBU to a 10-10 tie and prompted a NM State timeout.
The visitors scored first out of the timeout to take an 11-10 lead, but ran into a brick wall from there. CBU stole all the momentum with consecutive team blocks from Jedrzejczak and Avery.
"There's a hunger that really builds in you and once you get that first one, that hunger multiplies," Jedrzejczak said of those blocks. "I remember making our move, realizing our arms were in the right spot -- we were closed, we were pressed and we were there."
The Aggies called timeout, but the damage was already done. Sester killed the next two points and another block from Jedrzejczak and Sester sealed the win.
"They were ready to go out and compete," Higa said of the fifth set. "I think that says a lot because going up 2-0 and then dropping two sets, a lot of teams would fold but we didn't and I knew we wouldn't."
CBU started the match in impressive form, with a 7-2 run, but NMSU battled back to a 20-20 tie in the first set. The Lancers scored the next three points in a row, thanks to a combo block from Marks and Zimmerer and consecutives Oaks kills. The Aggies leveled the score again at 23-23, but another kill from Oaks and an Aggie attack error won the game for CBU, 25-23.
A 6-2 run helped put the Lancers in front, 18-15, in set two. Sester sparked that rally with two kills and a block, but NM State scrapped back to a 19-19 tie. A Sester kill and Oaks ace helped CBU score three straight for a 22-19 lead, but the Aggies got back within a point. A thunderous Sester kill helped the Lancers just avoid overtime again, 25-23.
Versatility and solid blocking set CBU up for victory, as it won the first two sets and then prevailed in the fifth for the dramatic 25-23, 25-23, 19-25, 20-25, 15-11 win in the Van Dyne Gym. The Lancers start the WAC season with a 10-3, 1-0 in conference record, while the Aggies begin 10-4, 0-1.
"We have been looking forward to this one for a while, to have the top team in your conference as your first match in the WAC," Coach Branden Higa said. "We were looking forward to seeing where we're at in the conference because you just don't know until you play some of these teams. We wanted to get a measure of where we were."
Sydney Marks and Yagoda Jedrzejczak were instrumental in the Lancers posting a 15-9 advantage in blocks, which are the ninth-most in an NCAA-era match (2013-18) at CBU.
"Our blockers stepped up big," said Higa, whose team had nine blocks in the final two sets. "Sydney and Yagoda both made great adjustments and competed well against their middles, and that was huge. It was pretty cool to see our block come alive like that. We had a lot of people step up when they needed to."
Marks put down eight blocks and seven kills, while Jedrzejczak had four kills and seven blocks, including two crucial stuffs in the fifth set.
"It was crazy coming in, seeing the crowd and realizing this is our WAC debut," Jedrzejczak said. "We really wanted to make a stand as the newbies, and to make a statement against such a good team on our first night is incredible."
CBU continues WAC action against The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on Saturday at 7 p.m. in Riverside. It will be tough to top the excitement from Thursday, though.
Three Lancers recorded double-doubles in the win. Natalie Zimmerer was a force with 52 assists, 11 digs, three aces, three blocks and two kills.
"Nat led us through those two sets really, really well," Higa said. "She did a few thing she's normally not asked to do. She provided great defense, energy, stayed consistent and made great choices. We hit over .400 in that fifth set, she just dished and kept us in there the whole match."
Outside hitters Tesa Oaks and Summer Avery were all over the place, as well. Oaks logged 19 kills and 13 digs and Avery had 14 kills, 12 digs and four blocks to notch double-doubles of their own.
"I think that's what our team is based on," Higa said of his team's versatility. "We are pretty balanced offensively and we just have players that can play the game. It's not just the pins, not just the setters or the middles. We have a lot of pretty smart volleyball players, and that can win you matches when you don't have a hole to attack."
CBU's impressive performances did not stop there. Nicole Abreu also had a team-high 15 digs, seven assists and two aces, and true freshman Megan Sester had a career-high 17 kills, four blocks and four digs.
While NM State took all the momentum into the fifth set and took an early 5-3 lead in the final game, everyone was cool, calm and collected in CBU's huddle.
"Every competition is a celebration, a celebration of what you did that week, that season and over the summer," Higa said. "The fifth set is the biggest celebration of it all because it is exciting and everything hinges on a play or two."
Consecutive kills from Sester and Marks sparked a 3-0 run that gave the Lancers a 6-4 edge in the fifth. The Aggies then scored three-straight points themselves to take a 9-7 advantage, but back-to-back kills from Oaks and a Zimmerer ace led CBU to a 10-10 tie and prompted a NM State timeout.
The visitors scored first out of the timeout to take an 11-10 lead, but ran into a brick wall from there. CBU stole all the momentum with consecutive team blocks from Jedrzejczak and Avery.
"There's a hunger that really builds in you and once you get that first one, that hunger multiplies," Jedrzejczak said of those blocks. "I remember making our move, realizing our arms were in the right spot -- we were closed, we were pressed and we were there."
The Aggies called timeout, but the damage was already done. Sester killed the next two points and another block from Jedrzejczak and Sester sealed the win.
"They were ready to go out and compete," Higa said of the fifth set. "I think that says a lot because going up 2-0 and then dropping two sets, a lot of teams would fold but we didn't and I knew we wouldn't."
CBU started the match in impressive form, with a 7-2 run, but NMSU battled back to a 20-20 tie in the first set. The Lancers scored the next three points in a row, thanks to a combo block from Marks and Zimmerer and consecutives Oaks kills. The Aggies leveled the score again at 23-23, but another kill from Oaks and an Aggie attack error won the game for CBU, 25-23.
A 6-2 run helped put the Lancers in front, 18-15, in set two. Sester sparked that rally with two kills and a block, but NM State scrapped back to a 19-19 tie. A Sester kill and Oaks ace helped CBU score three straight for a 22-19 lead, but the Aggies got back within a point. A thunderous Sester kill helped the Lancers just avoid overtime again, 25-23.
🏐| Can't get enough of @CBUvolleyball's win over preseason @WACsports favorite NM State tonight? Relive it with these highlights! #LanceUp pic.twitter.com/HJykTjDGk6
— CBU Lancers (@CBULancers) September 21, 2018
Team Stats
NMSU
CBU
Kills
67
63
Errors
27
23
Attempts
170
169
Hitting %
.235
.237
Points
79.0
86.0
Assists
63
60
Aces
3
8
Blocks
9.0
15.0
Game Leaders
Kills
17
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
14
Aces
1
Blocks
4
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
8
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
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