After spending nine of the last 11 matches on the road, the second-ranked UCSD women’s volleyball team stumbled down the homestretch. After a tough loss last week, UCSD’s second consecutive loss came at the hands of Cal State Los Angeles, which swept the Tritons, 3-0, on Oct. 22 before UCSD regrouped to beat Cal State Dominguez Hills in three straight games on Oct. 24.
On the road: The Triton women’s volleyball team lost their second match in a row to Cal State L.A. on Oct. 22 but bounced back and swept CSUDH on Oct. 24.
The Tritons are now 18-4 overall and 12-3 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. This latest loss cost UCSD a chance to control its own destiny in the race for the conference title as the Tritons trail the nation’s top team ‹ Cal State San Bernardino ‹ by two games in the loss column leading into their much-anticipated Oct. 31 clash at RIMAC Arena.
The Sept. 19 matchup between UCSD and the Golden Eagles of Cal State L.A. proved surprisingly easy for the Tritons as they needed just 85 minutes to take care of business. The rematch at Cal State L.A.’s Eagles Nest proved to be anything but a repeat.
Game one was close throughout, but the Golden Eagles reeled off runs at key times to keep the Tritons at bay. UCSD called a timeout, down 25-20 late in game one. After the Tritons closed the gap to three points, Cal State L.A. pulled away and grabbed the 30-23 victory.
Undaunted, UCSD responded well in game two and another tight game ensued. There were 12 ties throughout the game and the teams traded points all the way to the end. With the Tritons holding a one-point lead at 29-28, the Golden Eagles’ Dione McCrea put down a kill to level the match at 29 apiece. UCSD then surrendered an ace to Cal State L.A., which did not waste its opportunity. The Golden Eagles closed the game with a block for the 31-29 win and a 2-0 lead.
Game three offered none of the drama of the previous two games as UCSD was hammered into submission by a Cal State L.A. team that was determined to finish the match as quickly as possible. The Golden Eagles hit an otherworldly .636 for the game with 15 kills and one error on 22 attempts. The Tritons, on the other hand, hit -.031 as a team with nine kills and 10 errors on 32 total attacks. Cal State L.A. won easily, 30-14, to complete the sweep.
The UCSD players were understandably upset by the way they finished the match.
“”We played like we’ve never played before,”” said junior setter Teresa Ohta. “”We haven’t played that badly since I’ve been here.””
Ohta led the Tritons with 41 assists, outside hitter Stacy Dunsmore picked up a team-high 12 digs and outside hitter Lindsay Crandell added 13 kills for UCSD.
Through the Tritons’ long stretches on the road, several players have expressed frustration at the stresses building due to missed class time, but Ohta insists that was not an important factor in UCSD’s recent struggles.
“”A lot of people have had to take quizzes or tests on the road or are just studying all the time,”” she said. “”But it’s always been my attitude that you don’t think about all that stuff once you go in the gym.””
After the difficult loss to Cal State L.A., UCSD returned to the court two evenings later on Oct. 24 to face Cal State Dominguez Hills. Against the Toros, the Tritons found a way to express their frustrations in a positive manner.
After trailing early in the game, UCSD put together a 9-4 run to establish a cushion that they held for the remainder of the game, grabbing the 30-26 win. Game two was a laugher as the Tritons routed Cal State Dominguez Hills, 30-12. The third game held more of the same as UCSD rolled, 30-16.
The return of one of the Tritons’ strongest players served to inspire UCSD and to help finish the road trip well.
“”In the second game, Bonnie [Wilson] got a chance to play and she had so much energy balled up from the past couple weeks,”” Ohta said. “”That energy was contagious.””
Seeing her first significant action since she was sidelined by a stress fracture in her foot, Wilson contributed five kills on 11 attempts during the final two games. Middle blocker Kendra Canape led the team with 11 kills on the evening while hitting .667. Canape also shared the team-high in blocks with opposite Ashley Peterson as each player accumulated six. Another solid double-digit kill night for Dunsmore with 11, 35 assists for Ohta, and a team-leading eight digs by opposite Lauren Mills pushed the Tritons to victory.
Having put a stretch of difficult matches behind them, UCSD will return home on Oct. 30 without reprieve. The Tritons will face an always-tough Cal Poly Pomona squad in a rare Thursday night match before the long-awaited battle with Cal State San Bernardino on Oct. 31. Both matches begin at 7 p.m at RIMAC.
