CSUN Women Overcome Letdown, USD

On the verge of sweeping the University of San Diego in a women’s nonconference volleyball match Tuesday at Matador Gymnasium, Cal State Northridge instead settled for a tough four-game victory.

Northridge defeated San Diego, 15-10, 15-9, 13-15, 15-13, but the Matadors (9-4) had to withstand a furious rally in game four after building a 9-0 lead.

The Matadors lost game three after leading, 7-4.

“I don’t know what happened exactly,� junior outside hitter Dawn Krenik said of the Matadors’ near-collapse in game four. “We seemed to be in control. It wasn’t like we were saying, “Oh, my gosh, they’re dominating the match.’ But I kept looking up at the scoreboard and they kept coming back. . . . This is a match we should have won in three games. We need to learn to do that against teams like this.�

Nikki Wallace and Jennifer Lofftus sparked the comeback by San Diego (7-5).

Wallace, a 5-foot-11 junior middle blocker from Antelope Valley College, had a match-high 24 kills, and Lofftus was one of three Toreros with 10.

Northridge roared to a 9-0 lead in game four with Krenik serving, but the Toreros narrowed their deficit to 10-8, before tying the score, 12-12, on Wallace’s solo block of a Nancy Nicholls kill attempt.

After exchanging sideouts, Northridge took a 13-12 lead when San Diego’s Jennifer Wrightson drove the ball into the net on a kill attempt, and the Matadors went ahead, 14-12, when Nicholls and Shelly Swalec executed a textbook double block on Wrightson.

San Diego narrowed its deficit to one point, and after a sideout, Northridge won the match when Liz Gunsaulus hit long on a kill attempt.

“This was a good learning experience for us,� Northridge Coach Walt Ker said. “I would like to have seen us win in three games, but we broke down a little bit on passing. . . . It was still a good match for us to identify some things we need to work on in the future.�

Nicholls, a senior, had a team-high 15 kills, and sophomore Ana Kristich added 14. Sophomore Heather Anderson had a match-high 23 digs for the Matadors, and Krenik and Nicholls each added 18.

Krenik, who had three service aces to tie the all-time Matador record of 105, had several spectacular digs in the first two games, during which Northridge trailed only once.

“On defense, she always plays great,� Ker said of Krenik. “She’s our human highlight film.�

Northridge, which defeated 25th-ranked Fresno State in four games last Friday, will meet 11th-ranked Brigham Young in the San Diego tournament Friday.