Junior Lisa Beauchene |
CHENEY, Wash. – Junior Lisa Beauchene recorded her fourth triple-double of the season (11 kills, 17 digs and a season-high 60 assists) and senior Jayme Wright recorded five of her match-high 23 kills in game five to lead Sacramento State to a 3-2 (30-25, 30-24, 28-20, 30-32, 15-8) victory in a Big Sky Conference Volleyball Tournament semifinal match Friday evening at Reese Court. The Hornets, who received a first-round bye by virtue of their No. 2 seed, will now advance to the tournament championship match (Saturday, Nov. 23, at 7 p.m.). Sacramento State will face Eastern Washington which defeated Weber State in four games in the other semifinal. The tournament champion receives an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. Eastern Washington is the No. 1 seed and the tournament host.
Since joining the Big Sky in 1996, Sacramento State has now advanced to the tournament championship match every year but 1999. The Hornets have defeated Montana State in the semifinals each of the last three years. Sacramento State improved to 23-10 overall this season while Montana State concludes its year with a 21-10 mark.
Five Hornets tallied double-figure kills comprising Wright, Beauchene, sophomore Sandra Bandimere (16 kills), junior Kazmiera Imrie (12 kills and a team-high tying 26 digs) and sophomore Emily Wilson (15 kills). Imrie’s 26 digs were easily a career high, eclipsing her previous mark of 15. Wright added 19 digs for her 15th double-double of the season while freshman Mallory Hook had a career-high 26 digs and junior Ali Mathewson chipped in with 15 digs.
As a team, Sacramento State recorded season highs in kills (83), digs (116) and assists (67). The Hornets led the match in virtually every statistical category including kills (83-60), hitting percentage (.214-.143), assists (67-58), digs (116-111) and service aces (7-4). A total of 14 ball-handling errors were called in the match, including a season-high nine against the Hornets.
In the decisive game five, the Hornets used a 8-0 run midway through the frame to take a 12-5 lead. Montana State closed to within five points of Sacramento State’s lead (12-7), but could get no closer the rest of the way. Led by Wright, the Hornets hit .318 in the game, recording eight kills with just one error in 22 total attempts. Conversely, Montana State hit just .038 with just four kills.
Sacramento State avoided blowing a 2-0 games’ lead and a 27-23 lead in the third frame. With the aid of three Hornet attack errors, two ball-handling errors and a service error, the Bobcats were able to close out the game on an 11-3 run. Both teams hit below .100 in the frame (Montana State .059, Sacramento State .031), but the Bobcats had three fewer attack errors and took advantage of four Hornet service errors.
Three Montana State players finished with double-figure kills comprising Ana Schanze (16), Aimee Halyk (14) and LeAnn Kinvig (10). Kiki Pemueller tallied a match and career-high 28 digs.
The time of match (2:30) was the longest of the season for the Hornets. If Sacramento State would have lost the match, it would have marked the first time all season the team had blown a 2-0 games’ lead.
The Hornets, who are attempting to reach the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in the last six years (1997-2000), are now 21-2 when winning the first game of a match this season. The team’s 23 victories are the most since the 1998 squad went 26-9
