Sept. 21, 2006

Box Score

STOCKTON, Calif. - The Pacific women's volleyball team suffered a four-game loss to Cal State Fullerton in the Big West Conference opener for both teams on Thursday, Sept. 21, at the Alex G. Spanos Center.

The loss dropped the Tigers to 2-10 on the season and 0-1 in the Big West Conference, while Cal State Fullerton moved to 12-1 overall and 1-0 in conference play.

Game scores for the match were: 25-30, 30-28, 24-30, 26-30.

The Tigers were dealt a big blow in pre-match pass and serve as Pacific's starting setter freshman Dancyne Kama (Hilo, Hawaii) was injured and unable to play in the match. Kama suffered an ankle injury and her status for Saturday's match is uncertain.

Game one was a seesaw battle that featured seven ties and two lead changes. Through the opening 30 points, neither team led by more than two points. The Titans, however, broke through in the latter stages of the game. Holding a 21-20 advantage, Cal State Fullerton got back-to-back kills from Breanna Trudeau and Danielle Hitzeman to build a 23-20 edge and force a Pacific timeout. The Tigers pulled within two points on three occaisions down the stretch but could not break through, dropping game one 30-25.

Pacific answered back in game two with a 30-28 win as the Tigers held Cal State Fullerton to a .189 hitting percentage, forcing seven errors and just 17 kills on 53 swings. Once again the game was back and forth as there were 13 ties and eight lead changes. The turning point in game two came with the Tigers trailing 28-25. Pacific changed the lineup by inserting freshman Valerie Sourbeer (Valley Center, Calif.). Sourbeer ignited the Tigers as she had three kills in the final seven points. Valerie's first kill pulled the Tigers within two at 28-26. One the next point, freshmen Masha Vaysburg (Livermore, Calif.) and Meagan MimMack (Upland, Calif.) teammed on a thunderous block to pull Pacific within a point at 28-27. Sourbeer then delivered back-to-back kills to give Pacific a 29-28 lead. Pacific sealed game two as Vaysburg and MimMack nabbed another block of Cal State Fullerton's Trudeau.

Following the break the Titans regrouped and posted their best hitting percentage of the match in game three as Cal State Fullerton out hit Pacific, .385 to .163 to take the third game, 30-24.

After Pacific built a quick 7-5 lead early in game four, the Titans turned the tide of the match qith seven straight points to take a 12-7 lead. The Tigers fought back to pull within a point at 22-21, but just missed overtaking Cal State Fullerton, dropping game four, 30-26.

Sophomore Alexa Anderson (Los Gatos, Calif.) led the Tigers' offense with 17 kills, while junior Johanna Hilbers (Omaha, Neb.) and Sourbeer each finished with nine kills. Junior Julie Magud (Stockton, Calif.) paced the Tigers defensively with 28 digs. Magud's 28 digs moved her into sixth place in Pacific history with 1,117 career digs.

Cal State Fullerton got 19 kills from Trudeau, while Vanessa Vella nabbed 35 digs to lead the defensive effort.

Pacific returns to the court on Saturday, Sept. 23 as the Tigers host UC Riverside at 7 p.m in the Alex G. Spanos Center. The Highlanders enter the match at 1-11 on the season and 0-1 in Big West play.