Sept. 15, 2009
Final Stats
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Senior outside hitter Desiree Hoyum scored two kills and a block assist for the final three points of the fifth set to lift Sacramento State to a 25-21, 25-22, 23-25, 19-25, 15-10 win over UC Davis in Causeway Classic women's volleyball action at Colberg Court Tuesday night.
The Aggies slip to 7-4 for the season. The Hornets even their record at 5-5, playing in their seventh five-set match of the year.
Senior libero Avreeta Singh picked up 27 digs to lead all players in a match that saw 197 combined digs. Sophomore Katie Denny figured on eight of UC Davis' 18 team blocks, while junior Melanie Adams and senior setter Carson Lowden each tallied six stuffs. Freshman Allison Whitson paced the Aggies offensively with 16 kills.
Hoyum finished the match with 20 kills and 20 digs, one of three Sac State players to crack 20 digs in the match. Junior middle Maddison Thivierge hit 11-1-31 for a .323 hitting average, including four in the final set.
Sacramento State pulled away late in each of its first- and second-set wins to take a 2-0 match lead. In the first set, Hoyum's tip pushed the Hornets to a 20-19 lead, then a service error re-tied the frame at 20-20. However, UC Davis missed on two attempts down the line to fall behind by two, then a ball-handling error put Sac State up by a 23-30 edge. Freshman Janelle Currey's cross-court kill ended a long rally to set up set point. The Aggies managed just seven kills in the opener, hitting a flat .000 for the entire set.
In the second set, the Aggies again committed hitting errors on three straight serves, lifting the Hornets to a 21-18 lead down the stretch. Currey again sparked a strong finish for Sac State, delivering a successful tool at 23-20 then combining with junior Maddison Thiverge for the set-winning block. Hoyum led Sac State with five kills in the second set, matching her total in the opener.
UC Davis battled back to even the match at two sets apiece, first recovering from a 16-12 deficit in the third behind timely hitting and serving from the left-handed Adams. She posted a pair of side-out kills to hold the score at 20-20 and 21-21, then served up three straight points for the win. Whitson and Denny recorded back-to-back kills, then Lowden had a solo block against Currey.
In the fourth, Lowden delivered three block assists and a kill down the final stretch to help the Aggies pull away from a close 17-16 advantage. Varney recovered from a slow start offensively to post three kills in the fourth, while Singh scooped up 10 digs to help UC Davis tie the match and force the rubber set.
Both teams battled closely in the fifth until Hoyum and Thivierge navigated their way through the Aggie net defense with five kills in a 6-1 finish. Hoyum teamed with Kelsey Elston for a block to establish match point then put down her 20th kill for the winner.
UC Davis returns to tournament action at the Saint Louis Billiken Invitational on Friday and Saturday.
