VOLLEYBALL DROPS ANOTHER NAIL BITER, THIS TIME TO OREGON STATE
9/7/2007
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Oregon State posted seven team blocks, including five from Bree Knitter, on the way to a 3-2 (30-19, 27-30, 30-28, 19-30, 15-9) victory over Sacramento State in the first round of the Sacramento State Volleyball Invitational Friday evening at the Hornets Nest.
Sacramento State dropped to 0-1 at the tournament and 6-3 overall this season. Each of the Hornets’ three losses have now come in five games, including heartbreakers on the road at Missouri State and Ole Miss (both NCAA Tournament teams a year ago). The loss also snapped a 15-match home winning streak for the Hornets dating back to last year.
Oregon State, which swept 10th-ranked Hawai’i on the road two weeks ago, improved to 4-3 overall and 1-0 at the tournament. Both the Hornets and Beavers return to action for two more matches tomorrow, with Sacramento State taking on Manhattan at 12:30 p.m. and Cal State Northridge at 7:30 p.m. In the tournament’s other match today, Cal State Northridge defeated Manhattan, 3-2 (28-30, 28-30, 30-23, 30-27, 15-9).
Oregon State jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the fifth game and never trailed. After the Hornets chopped a 10-5 deficit to 12-9, back-to-back-to-back combo blocks by the Beavers put away the game and match.
Oregon State finished with 17.0 team blocks, including 10 from Knitter, seven from Rachel Rourke and six from Jill Sawatzky. Rouke also had a team-high 20 kills.
Sacramento State, which was limited to a season-low .136 hitting percentage, was led by senior Jennifer Ferguson’s career-high tying 21 kill and 20 digs. Senior Missie Stidham added 16 kills, five aces, three blocks and a match-high 28 digs. Senior Lindsay Haupt had 14 kills and three blocks to round out the Hornets with double figures in kills.
The Hornets’ defense had 13.0 team blocks, including eight from senior Michelle Franz, and 82 digs, but it was not enough against an Oregon State team that had four players standing six feet or taller, including the 6-5 Rourke and 6-3 Lexie Rathgeber (11 kills, four blocks).
The Hornets let a 26-23 lead in the third game slip away as the Beavers closed the frame on a 7-2 run. With the score tied at 28-28, a Hornet service error followed by an attack error gave Oregon State the final two points for the 30-28 win.
Joining Stidham and Ferguson with double figures in digs for Sacramento State was freshman Chelsea Goodsell (16). Sophomore Desiree Hoyum finished with seven kills, a team-high .357 hitting percentage and three blocks, and setter Rose Burke added 53 assists and three blocks.
SACRAMENTO STATE INVITATIONAL
RECORDS HEADING INTO SATURDAY
Oregon State: 1-0
Cal State Northridge: 1-0
Sacramento State: 0-1
Manhattan: 0-1
FRIDAY’S RESULTS
Cal State Northridge 3, Manhattan 2 (28-30, 28-30, 30-23, 30-27, 15-9)
Oregon State 3, Sacramento State 2 (30-19, 27-30, 30-28, 19-30, 15-9)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Oregon State posted seven team blocks, including five from Bree Knitter, on the way to a 3-2 (30-19, 27-30, 30-28, 19-30, 15-9) victory over Sacramento State in the first round of the Sacramento State Volleyball Invitational Friday evening at the Hornets Nest.
