Cal State Fullerton women’s volleyball had a chance to respond in front of its home crowd on Saturday after being swept by Long Beach State the night before. The Titans showed more fight in the second set, but they could not keep pace with The Beach for long enough to avenge Friday’s result.
CSUF fell in straight sets for the second consecutive day, losing 25-13, 25-22, 25-15 at Titan Gym. The loss dropped the Titans to 6-17 overall and 1-9 in Big West play.
Friday’s meeting in Long Beach State offered little relief for CSUF, which struggled to match the hosts’ efficiency in a 25-19, 25-13, 25-13 defeat. The Beach finished with 46 kills and a .327 hitting percentage, while the Titans recorded 27 kills and hit .093. Zariah Crosby led CSUF at the net with six kills and three blocks.
Saturday’s rematch looked like a continuation of the last game to start. Long Beach State took an early lead, and the Titans had trouble slowing its offense once it found a rhythm. CSUF stayed within one point early on in the opening set, with freshman Bella Risling and junior Kaia Herweg each contributing kills, but an eight-point run from The Beach broke the set open. The Titans eventually fell to a familiar score of 25-13.
The second set was the closest CSUF came to shifting the afternoon’s momentum. Risling helped the Titans jump out to a 3-0 lead, and the teams traded points through the middle of the set. Junior Emilia Graham’s kill tied it at 14-14, keeping CSUF within reach as the crowd watched the Titans try to hang on against a Long Beach State squad that controlled much of the series.
Risling continued to find openings in Long Beach State’s defense, and senior Jaiden Mojica added a service ace as the Titans made one last push to keep the set alive at 24-21. The Beach finally put the comeback to an end after one last attack error, taking a commanding 2-0 lead.
Long Beach State pulled away once again in the third set. After CSUF tied the set 8-8 on a kill by sophomore Hannah Hass, The Beach scored eight consecutive points to create separation. Freshman Parys Taylor later recorded back-to-back kills, and Long Beach State errors helped the Titans cut the gap to 20-13. It would ultimately be too little, too late, as the visitors finished off the sweep at 25-15.
Risling led CSUF with eight kills, while freshman Sibley Oster recorded 25 assists. The Titans finished with 31 kills and a .097 hitting percentage, utterly outmatched by Long Beach State’s 46 kills and .308 mark.
CSUF will return to Titan Gym next week for a pair of Big West matches, hosting Cal State Northridge on Oct. 31 at 6 p.m. before a Halloween matchup against Cal State Bakersfield at 2 p.m.