Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State
18-7 (12-2MW)
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14-14 (6-8MW)
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Recap: Rams rally to beat San Diego State, 3-2
11/10/2016 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
SAN DIEGO - Colorado State came from behind for the third match in a row to win 3-2 at San Diego State on Thursday evening.
CSU (18-7, 12-2 MW) its third straight five-set match, marking the first time the Rams had played three consecutive five-set matches since 2010.
The Aztecs took Set 1, despite 5 kills in the frame by Kirstie Hillyer. The Rams briefly led at 7-6 after kills by Jasmine Hanna and Olivia Nicholson, but the Aztecs quickly retook the advantage and never trailed the rest of the set. Alexandra Psoma matched Hillyer's 5 kills in the period and the home side benefitted from 4 Rams service errors to win 25-22 to take a 1-0 match lead.
The Rams answered with a win in Set 2, tying the match at 1-1 entering the break. CSU scored the first three points of the period, and led often early. SDSU took the lead at 10-9 and the two teams proceeded to swap points back and forth for a large chunk of the set. CSU took a 20-19 lead after Hanna's fourth kill, and McKenna Thornlow tallied consecutive aces to give CSU another three point lead, forcing an Aztecs timeout. SDSU scored two points after the pause, but Cizmic's fifth kill and a combo block from Nicholson and Hillyer sealed a 25-21 Set 2 victory for the Rams.
The home team was stronger early in Set 3, and held the Rams to a .030 hitting percentage in the frame to win 25-18. The Rams registered just 9 kills as a team, while the Aztecs had 4 team blocks and were disruptive at the net the whole period. SDSU took a six point lead early, but the Rams trimmed it to just one at 15-14 following a block by Hillyer and Katie Oleksak. SDSU rebuilt its six point lead, however, and ultimately added one more to win 25-18.
CSU again responded to a set loss by storming out of the gate in the next period. The Rams took a 4-0 lead following kills by Alexandra Poletto and Hillyer and a service ace from Cassidy Denny. SDSU was seemingly unphased this time, and took a four point lead of its own at 12-8 following a 9-2 run. CSU trailed until consecutive blocks flipped a 15-16 deficit to a 17-16 lead. Thornlow's third ace of the match put CSU up 20-17 and then the Rams block again produced to extend the lead to four. Poletto gave CSU set point with an ace, and the Rams eventually took the set 25-20.
The fifth set belonged to the Rams from the very beginning. Hanna got the set started with a pair of kills, and the Rams rattled off an 8-1 run to open the final frame. CSU had four consecutive blocks at the back end of the 8-1 start, with Poletto playing a role in each one. Poletto added her second ace later in the period, and the Rams took the fifth set 15-9 to win the match.
STAT OF THE DAY…
11 - Olivia Nicholson led the Rams with 11 blocks. The total was season-high for the freshman, who eclipsed the 10-block plateau for the first time in her career. The Rams, who entered the match ranked third in the nation in blocking, tallied 18 as a team.
NOTES…
• Three Rams posted at least 8 blocks - Olivia Nicholson (11), Alexandra Poletto (8) and Kirstie Hillyer (8).
• Katie Oleksak (46 assists, 10 digs) posted her seventh double-double of the season.
• Both teams hit sub-.200 for the match, with CSU holding a slight .169-.146 edge. The Rams did finish strong, hitting .462 in the fifth set.
• CSU remained tied with Boise State atop the MW standings. Both teams hold 12-2 league records.
• Alexandra Psoma led the Aztecs with a match-high 24 kills.
NEXT…
CSU will visit Nevada on Saturday for a 2 p.m. MT matchup. The Wolf Pack are coming off a sweep of Wyoming on Thursday night. The Rams will then return home briefly before flying out to face Boise State on Wednesday.