VOLLEYBALL SUFFERS ANOTHER HEARTBREAKING FIVE-SET LOSS WHILE FALLING TO SANTA CLARA
9/5/2009
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Katherine Douglas and Krista Kelley combined for 11 kills and a .611 hitting percentage (11-0-18) in the decisive fifth set to lead Santa Clara to a 3-2 victory (23-25, 25-20, 18-25, 25-19, 18-16) over the Hornets in the third and final round of the Sacramento State Volleyball Invitational late Saturday evening at Colberg Court.
With the victory, Santa Clara (4-2 overall) wins the tournament crown by virtue of its perfect 3-0 record over the last two days. The Hornets, who squandered four match points in tonight’s loss, finished the tournament with an 0-3 record with each loss coming in five sets. In fact, Sacramento State (2-4 overall) has now dropped four straight five-set matches dating back to last weekend, and could just as easily be 6-0 instead of 2-4.
After a kill from freshman Janelle Currey gave the Hornets a 14-12 lead in the fifth set, Sacramento State shot itself in the foot with an untimely service error (14-13), and the Broncos followed that with a combo block on an Anna Schoener swing that tied things at 14-14. Kills by Currey gave the Hornets the lead at 15-14 and eventually 16-15, but Sacramento State could not put the match away. The Broncos scored the final three points of the match on consecutive combo blocks of Desiree Hoyum, and a kill from Douglas to end the match.
During the tournament, the Hornets had a combined seven match points in their 3-2 losses to Cal State Bakersfield, UC Riverside and Santa Clara, but could not come up with a clinching point in any of those opportunities. Santa Clara finished the tournament 3-0, followed by Cal State Bakersfield (2-1), UC Riverside (1-2) and Sacramento State (0-3).
Currey was named all-tournament for the second straight week for Sacramento State as the freshman from Rocklin finished the tourney with averages of 3.73 kills and 3.60 digs per set while hitting .257. The most consistent player on the Hornets’ roster during the first two weeks of the season, Currey continues to impress. Tonight, against a Santa Clara team that was ranked 25th in the preseason poll, she finished with a match-high 25 kills to go along with 19 digs, three blocks and a .404 hitting percentage (25-4-52). Currey has now recorded at least 13 kills in every match this season, has four straight double-doubles and leads the team with nine aces.
Joining Currey in double-figure kills for the Hornets were Hoyum (20 kills, 14 digs) and junior Maddison Thivierge (14 kills, team-high six blocks and a .500 hitting percentage). Currey and Hoyum combined for 45 of the Hornets’ 72 kills, and 33 of the team’s 61 digs.
For Santa Clara, Kelley finished with 22 kills, 12 digs and a .378 hitting percentage, Douglas had 16 kills and 13 digs, Tanya Schmidt added a match-best seven blocks and Emily Burke had 27 assists and 12 digs. Kelley was named the tournament MVP while Douglas and Burke were also named to the all-tournament squad for Santa Clara.
Sacramento State will host another tournament next weekend as the team welcomes Alabama, Fresno State and San Francisco to Colberg Court for the Hornet Invitational. For tournament information, click here.
SACRAMENTO STATE INVITATIONAL RECAP
FINAL RECORDS
Santa Clara 3-0
Cal State Bakersfield 2-1
UC Riverside 1-2
Sacramento State 0-3
FRIDAY’S RESULTS
Santa Clara 3, UC Riverside 0 (25-21, 25-16, 25-15)
Cal State Bakersfield 3, Sacramento State 2 (17-25, 16-25, 28-26, 25-22, 18-16)
SATURDAY’S RESULTS
Santa Clara 3, Cal State Bakersfield 1 (18-25, 25-19, 25-17, 25-11)
UC Riverside 3, Sacramento State 2 (25-21, 30-28, 20-25, 21-25, 15-11)
Cal State Bakersfield 3, UC Riverside 1 (25-17, 25-17, 22-25, 25-19)
Santa Clara 3, Sacramento State 2 (23-25, 25-20, 18-25, 25-19, 18-16)
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Krista Kelley - Santa Clara (MVP)
Katherine Douglas - Santa Clara
Emily Burke - Santa Clara
Alysia Baker - Cal State Bakersfield
Barbie Unfried - Cal State Bakersfield
Kelley Quinn - UC Riverside
Janelle Currey - Sacramento State
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Katherine Douglas and Krista Kelley combined for 11 kills and a .611 hitting percentage (11-0-18) in the decisive fifth set to lead Santa Clara to a 3-2 victory (23-25, 25-20, 18-25, 25-19, 18-16) over the Hornets in the third and final round of the Sacramento State Volleyball Invitational late Saturday evening at Colberg Court.
