VOLLEYBALL OPENS TOURNAMENT WITH FIVE-SET LOSS TO UTSA
9/3/2010
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Despite a match-best 20 kills from sophomore outside hitter Janelle Currey, Sacramento State fell to UTSA, 3-2 (25-15, 25-18, 23-25, 21-25, 15-4), in the first round of the eighth-annual Sacramento State Volleyball Invitational late Friday evening at Colberg Court.
The Hornets found themselves down two sets to none, and 20-18 in the third before rallying to force a fifth set. Of the five matches Sacramento State (2-3) has played this season, four have gone to the fifth frame with the Hornets winning two of those matches and losing two. The team is in the midst of a season-long five-match homestand that will see Sacramento State wrap up the tournament tomorrow against both Elon (12:30 p.m.) and Cal State Northridge (7:30 p.m.).
In today’s other match, Cal State Northridge downed Elon, 3-2 (25-27, 25-22, 20-25, 25-23, 15-12). The tournament wraps up tomorrow with four more matches. For complete tournament information, click here.
In the fifth set, UTSA (2-3) jumped out to a 10-0 lead and never looked back. The Roadrunners’ Katie Milam served nine of those points before the run mercifully ended with a Currey kill. UTSA hit .455 (6-1-11) during the frame while the Hornets struggled to a negative percentage (3-7-16).
"We played good defense and put pressure on UTSA in the third and fourth sets, and I was really happy with the way we were playing," Sacramento State head coach Ruben Volta said. "The fifth set did not start the way we would have liked and we couldn't dig ourselves out of the rut. Credit UTSA, they passed well and their middle hitters do a very nice job of attacking the ball."
UTSA held an advantage over Sacramento State in nearly every statistical category, including kills (63-50), hitting percentage (.276-.144), assists (57-48) and digs (72-70). Both teams finished with four aces and 11.0 team blocks.
Currey, freshman rightside hitter Kayla Beal (10) and junior outside hitter Eryn Kirby (9) combined for 39 of the Hornets’ 50 kills. Currey also had 19 digs as the team co-captain has now recorded a double-double in all five matches this season. In addition, she has led the team in kills in every match. Beal hit a team-best .280 (10-3-25) while tacking on six digs and four blocks.
Sacramento State junior libero Breanne Menees finished with a match-best 20 digs, and has now recorded at least 20 digs in four of the team’s five matches this season. Junior setter Anna Schoener added three kills, 18 assists and five blocks, junior Kelsey Elston led all players with three aces and seven blocks, freshman Katie Aprile had 22 assists and five digs, and sophomore Sydney Kordic finished with 10 digs.
For UTSA, Kendra Rowland posted a team-best 16 kills with three of those coming in the fifth set. Briana Mason (14) and Brittney Malloy (12) rounded out the Roadrunners with double figures in kills. Kelsey Jewasko had a team-high 14 digs and Elise Huskey chipped in eight kills and 11 digs.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Despite a match-best 20 kills from sophomore outside hitter 
