CBU Starts Strong In Loss

Saturday, September 8

USAF Academy, Colo.

2:00 PM

California Baptist University

7-3

Valparaiso

9-2

California Baptist

Valparaiso

Photo by: Andrew Shortall

CBU Starts Strong In Loss

9/8/2018 4:44:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Andrew Shortall, Asst. Sports Information Director

USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – California Baptist University received several standout individual performances, but fell to an impressive Valparaiso team in four sets (21-25, 25-10, 25-22, 25-12) to end the Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic on Saturday afternoon at Air Force.

The Lancers dropped to 7-3 this season, despite winning the first set for the ninth time in 10 matches this year, while the Crusaders improved to 9-2. CBU will make its home debut next, as La Sierra visits the Van Dyne Gym on Tuesday at 5 p.m.

Nicole Abreu tallied a match-high 17 digs in the loss, while Natalie Zimmerer and Tesa Oaks both nearly secured double-doubles. Oaks logged 12 kills and nine digs and Zimmerer finished with 37 assists, nine digs and three blocks.

Middle blockers Sydney Marks and Yagoda Jedrzejczak both had seven kills and four and three blocks, respectively. They were big reasons why CBU enjoyed a 7-5 advantage in blocks in the match.

Marks and Abreu were both named to the Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic All-Tournament Team for their performances over all three matches this week. Marks has now been named to every all-tournament team this year, while Abreu has picked up her second nod in a row.

Both teams kept set one close, but CBU broke a 13-13 tie with a 6-2 run. Summer Avery started it off with a kill and an ace, while kills from Zimmerer, Sester and Marks added to it to give the Lancers a 19-15 lead. Valparaiso managed to cut its deficit down to two twice, but kills from Jedrzejczak and Marks helped the Lancers extend their lead back out to four, 23-19. A Sester spike then secured the 25-21 victory.

Valparaiso claimed a 25-10 win in set two to tie the match, but the Lancers responded by making a 5-1 run to start set three. Jedrzejczak had two blocks in that span, while Oaks added an ace. Later on, two kills from Oaks and one each from Marks and Jedrzejczak fueled a 5-2 CBU run for a 13-11 edge.

The Crusaders bounced right back with five unanswered points, and then held a late 22-20 lead. A kill from Oaks and attack error tied the score at 22-22 for CBU, but Valparaiso notched three-straight kills for the 25-22 win. Valparaiso rode that momentum to a 25-12 win in set four to grab the victory.