CSU Bakersfield
Chelsea Hardin Records 16 Kills in Five Set Loss
9/25/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The Cal Poly volleyball team dropped a heartbreaking five set loss on the road to CSU Bakersfield on Tuesday. The Mustangs had two match points in the fourth set, but could not close out the match and suffered their 13th loss in 14 matches. CSUB improved to 7-7. Set scores went 25-23, 16-25, 22-25, 26-24 and 15-10.
The Mustangs return to the court on Saturday when the team will host Central Coast rival UC Santa Barbara at 7 pm in Mott Gym.
Junior Chelsea Hardin led the team with 16 kills on 31 swings (.323) with fellow junior Holly Franks adding 11 kills and Megan McConnell 10. Senior Molly Pon added nine kills. McConnell led the team with 17 digs to tally a double-double with Maddie Kuber adding 11 and Nicole Kessler 10.
Debora Araujo led all players with 27 kills while Shanyna Guitare and Molly O'Hagan added 14 and 11 kills respectively.
The Mustangs outhit CSUB, .288 to .237, and outblocked the Roadrunners, 13-9, but CSUB served up 11 aces compared to the Mustangs two.
In the first set the Mustangs edged out to a 7-3 lead on a kill by Kuber, but CSUB came back to tie the set at 9-9. The teams traded points until Cal Poly held a 20-18 lead only to have CSUB tie the set at 22-22 and go on to win the set 25-23.
CSUB opened the second set grabbing a 6-2 lead, but the Mustangs came right back and took the lead, 7-6, on a kill by Franks. Cal Poly would go on a 7-0 to hold a 9-6 lead. Cal Poly kept the pressure on and took a four point advantage (16-12) on a kill by Pon. A kill by Franks gave the Mustangs a 21-14 lead and would go on to close the set and even the match, 25-16.
The third set opened with the teams trading points with neither team gaining anything but a two point advantage. Cal Poly held a 13-11 advantage on a service ace by Kate Walters and held a 22-18 lead on a kill by Hardin. Cal Poly would go on and take the set 25-22.
In the fourth set the Mustangs gained a two point advantage (6-4) on a kill by Marianne Gera, but CSUB would tie the set at 10-10. The Mustangs had a 16-13 lead on a kill by Hardin and continued to hold a lead (19-18) on a kill by Gera. Cal Poly held a 24-22 lead on a kill by Hardin, but CSUB would battle back to even the match at two sets apiece on four straight points, 26-24.
In the fifth and deciding set, CSUB grabbed a controlling 8-4 lead with the teams flipping ends of the court. The Mustangs fought back and battle to tie the set at 10-10 on an attack error by CSUB, but the Roadrunners would score five straight point to take the set and the match, 15-10.
