With the victory, Sacramento State won its fifth match in a row while improving to 5-1 this season. The Hornets’ record matches their best start after six contests in the last eight years (the 2002 squad also began the season 5-1). Sacramento State has yet to lose a tournament match this season (4-0), but will have its record tested tomorrow (Saturday, Sept. 11) as it faces Notre Dame (11:30 a.m.) and Fresno State (4:30 p.m.) in the second round of the tournament.

The Hornets, who had swept four-straight opponents prior to tonight, saw their streak of 14-consecutive victorious games come to an end after the Mustangs won game three. With the loss, Cal Poly dropped to 1-3 and has lost each of its last three matches.

Junior Shannon Arts added 12 kills and a team-high .308 hitting percentage as the Hornets won the match despite hitting .167. Five Hornets had double figures in digs comprised of Bandimere, Gamst, junior Mallory Hook (19) and sophomores Atlee Hubbard (14) and Kristin Lutes (13). Senior Emily Wilson had nine kills while Hubbard added eight kills and a team-best three blocks.

The Hornets limited the Mustangs to a .139 hitting percentage, as no team has hit above .184 against Sacramento State this season. The Hornets also recorded 19 more digs than Cal Poly (94-75) and took advantage of 13 Mustang service errors.

Cal Poly was led by Margaret Donoghue (12 kills), Nicole Bertotti (11 kills) and Kristin Jackson (25 digs).

In the first game, the Hornets took their first lead of the frame at 19-18 and never looked back. After trailing, 15-13, Sacramento State closed the game on a 17-11 run as Bandimere led all players with seven kills. Arts had six kills without an error in eight attempts (.750) as the Hornets hit .259 in the game to go along with 29 digs.

In game two, the Hornets used an 18-6 run to erase a 4-4 tie and take a commanding 22-10 lead. During the run, the Hornets scored seven unanswered points, including six-straight points on Mallory Hook’s serve. The Hornets limited Cal Poly to a .030 hitting percentage as the Mustangs had nine kills and eight errors in 33 total attacks. Bandimere again led the team in kills with five.

In the third frame, Cal Poly ran off eight unanswered points as part of a 14-3 run to take a commanding 20-13 lead. The Hornets would get no closer than within four points of Cal Poly’s lead the rest of the way. The Mustangs were led by Kayla Mulder’s six kills without an error in nine attempts (.667) during the game.

In the fourth game, Sacramento State used a 7-0 run to take a 15-11 lead. From that point, the Hornets never trailed the rest of the way as consecutive kills from sophomore Shannon Roland ended the game (30-27) and the contest.

In the tournament’s other match earlier today, Notre Dame defeated Fresno State, 3-2 (30-21, 27-30, 30-20, 31-33, 15-12).

NOTES -- Tonight’s match against Cal Poly marked the first time the two teams have met since 1995 (a 3-0 Sacramento State victory)...the contest also marked the first time that junior outside hitter Natalie Melcher returned to Cal Poly since transferring from the school prior to the 2002 season...with 22 kills, Bandimere needs just 69 more kills to crack into Sacramento State’s career top 10.