Junior Kazmiera Imrie |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Sophomore Sandra Bandimere tallied a team-high 12 kills and Sacramento State held Saint Mary’s to a .090 hitting percentage as the Hornets defeated the Gaels, 3-0 (30-23, 30-18, 30-23), in a non-conference volleyball match Tuesday evening at Hornet Gym.Sacramento State, which also totalled 14.0 team blocks in the match, improved its record to 19-9 with the victory. The Hornets have now won six of their last eight matches while improving their mark in Hornet Gym to 8-1. Saint Mary’s dropped to 6-16 with the loss.
The Hornets’ 14 blocks were the most the team has recorded in a three-game match this season. Four Sacramento State players tallied at least five blocks comprising junior Lisa Beauchene (five), freshman Shannon Arts (six), junior Kazmiera Imrie (seven) and sophomore Emily Wilson (seven).
Beauchene was just two kills shy of a triple-double, finishing with eight kills, 30 assists and 12 digs to go along with her five blocks. Beauchene also finished with a match-high .727 hitting percentage, committing no errors in 11 total attacks. Imrie finished with nine kills and a .318 hitting percentage (9-2-22). Bandimere’s 12 kills accompanied a .375 hitting percentage (12-3-24) as the Hornets hit .299 as a team.
Three Hornets finished with double-figure digs comprising Beauchene, senior Jayme Wright (10) and freshman Mallory Hook (10). Sacramento State committed just 10 attack errors during the entire match as the team’s .299 hitting percentage was the fifth-best mark of the season.
The Gaels were led by Lindsey Bogason’s match-high 14 kills while Kaui Salzman had a team-high 11 digs. Stacey O’Connor was the only Gael to hit above .170 as she finished with a .357 hitting percentage (5-0-14).
In game one, Sacramento State used a late 6-0 run to take a commanding 28-21 lead. Saint Mary’s would get no closer than within six points of the Hornet lead the rest of the way. Sacramento State had seven team blocks in the frame while the Gaels hit .064.
In the second game, the Hornets used a 7-1 run to take a 25-14 lead and cruised the rest of the way. Sacramento State committed just two attack errors while Imrie led all players with five kills.
Saint Mary’s jumped out to a 21-18 lead in game three before the Hornets went on an 11-1 run to take a 29-22 lead. Arts served eight-consecutive points and Bandimere recorded three kills during the run.
Sacramento State plays its final two home matches of the regular season against Big Sky Conference-foes Montana (Thursday, Nov. 7) and Montana State (Saturday, Nov. 9). Both matches will begin at 7 p.m. in Hornet Gym.
