VOLLEYBALL OPENS FRESNO STATE INVITATIONAL WITH VICTORY OVER CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD

9/17/2010

FRESNO, Calif. -- Sacramento State junior Kelsey Elston had seven kills and a match-high .462 hitting percentage, and sophomore Janelle Currey added nine kills, three aces and 11 digs to help the Hornets to a three-set sweep of Cal State Bakersfield (25-16, 25-22, 25-21) in the first round of the Fresno State Volleyball Invitational Friday evening at the Save Mart Center.

The match was the first for both teams at the two-day tournament. Sacramento State, which improved to 7-6 overall, returns to action tomorrow for two more matches against tournament host Fresno State (noon) and seventh-ranked USC (5 p.m.). The Hornets have now won five of their last eight matches, including Tuesday’s 3-2 win over rival UC Davis.

The victory for the Hornets also avenged a pair of 3-2 losses to Cal State Bakersfield that have taken place over the last two years. In addition, the win snapped a five-match losing streak to the Roadrunners which dated back to 1990. The Hornets now own a 15-6 record in the all-time series between the two teams.

Currey (9), Elston (7) and freshman Kayla Beal (7) combined for 23 of the Hornets’ 28 kills. Sacramento State hit just .132 (28-14-106) as a team, but limited the Roadrunners to a .083 mark (32-23-109). Despite the match lasting just three sets, Sacramento State had 9.0 team blocks, including three each from Currey, Beal and freshman Ashley Newcomb. Elston and sophomore Olivia Moss both added a pair of blocks.

After posting a .308 hitting percentage, including the match-clinching kill against UC Davis, Elston’s .462 hitting percentage (7-1-13) tonight was a season best. Beal, who has been nursing an abdominal injury the last two weeks, started for the first time since Sept. 10 and responded with a strong match that included seven kills in 16 attacks (.250 hitting percentage).

Currey (nine kills, 11 digs) finished one kill shy of her team-best 10th double-double. Junior libero Breanne Menees led the Hornets with 12 digs, and has now tallied at least 12 digs in every match this year. Freshman Katie Aprile had 13 assists and nine digs, and junior Anna Schoener added two kills, a .400 hitting percentage, 10 assists and a solo block.

For Cal State Bakersfield (0-13), Lindy DeGeare led all players with 10 kills while Haleigh Haratyk added a match-high 20 digs.