California Baptist University
3-9,0-1Big West
Sacramento State
6-6,1-0Big West
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Baptist | 12 | 18 | 23 | 0 |
| Sacramento St. | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
CBU Drops Big West Conference Opener on the Road in Sacramento
9/24/2026 8:46:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
SACRAMENTO, CA--- The California Baptist University volleyball team dropped its inaugural Big West Conference match on the road to the Sacramento State Hornets in straight sets.
The Lancers were delighted to get the services of Nalanie Neal after the star freshman missed the previous six matches with a foot injury, and she made her presence felt early with three early kills for the Lancers. CBU kept pace with the Hornets in the early going of the opening set, but an 8-0 Sacramento State's run would cause Trevor Johnson to burn two timeouts and would ultimately lead to a 25-12 set loss for the Lancers.
The Lancers fell behind early in set two, but a 3-0 run from Emery Dejong would bring them back into it with the outside hitter scoring a kill and a pair of aces. The Hornets would follow that up with a 5-0 run to force a Lancer timeout. CBU would slice the lead down to six, but that would be the closest it got as the Hornets took a 2-0 set lead with the 25-18 victory.
The third set was the best of the evening as the Lancers would execute a critical 6-1 run in the middle of the set to take a two-point lead at 17-15. CBU would respond a little later with a 3-0 run to retake the lead from the Hornets at 22-21. After some back-and-forth, the set would be tied at 23, but the Hornets would score the final two points to claim the set and the match.
"Tough loss for us tonight. I love the way we competed at the end of sets two and three. Looking forward to playing again on Saturday and trying to get a little bit better day by day," reflected Head Coach Trevor Johnson.
In her return to the lineup, Neal would tie for the team lead with nine kills and nine digs. Avery Barber would lead the way with 14 assists off the bench, while Filippa Botcher would score the three kills on four attacks.
NEXT: The Lancers will remain on the road for a conference contest at Utah Valley in Orem on Saturday, September 26, at 12 PM PT.
