With only eight regular season games left, the women’s volleyball team pulled off an improbable comeback upset over league rival Cal State San Bernardino to move closer to a spot in the NCAA Pacific Regional, which begins on Nov. 17.
The No. 16 Tritons (15-4 overall, 7-3 California Collegiate Athletic Association) dropped the first two games against the No. 11 Coyotes and were on the brink of elimination when they turned the tables and won the next three games for a 3-2 match victory.
The Tritons were forced into a comeback situation after losing the first game by a score of 31-33. UCSD came back from a 10-17 deficit to tie the game at 18 points apiece. The lead changed hand many times, but the Tritons ended up with a two-point advantage late in the game, 28-26. The Coyotes looked past their deficit and scored the next three points for a 28-29 lead. Cal State San Bernardino could not convert its game-point opportunity, forcing the game into overtime. The teams plit the first two overtime points, creating a 31-31 tie. Coyote sophomore Katie Hatch notched one of her 10 kills to give her team a second chance at game point. This time, however, a UCSD error gave the Coyotes the point, the game and the 0-1 lead.
In game two, the Coyotes jumped out to another early lead, but the Tritons fought back to within one, 20-21. Once again, the Coyotes stepped up their game when the Tritons were hot on their heels, this time scoring three straight for a 20-24 lead. The lead lasted and the Coyotes wound up winners in game two, 24-30.
Down two games to none, the Tritons were on the verge of losing their third-straight game to ranked opponents. Earlier in the year, the Tritons fell to then-No. 16 Cal State Los Angeles, then-No. 18 Cal Poly Pomona and to the Coyotes when they were ranked second. This time, however, would be different, as the Tritons started what would be their biggest comeback of the year.
The comeback began with a 7-1 run and a 14-6 lead to open game three. Cal State San Bernardino made it as close as 19-15, but the Tritons maintained their must-win attitude and scored three straight points to regain a more comfortable 22-15 lead. The Tritons had no problem closing out the game, with junior Kristin Halvorsen’s ace giving them the 30-20 win.
Despite the easy win in game three, the Tritons still needed to pull off two more victories in as many games to complete the comeback. They started the task by going up 7-2 and then 20-10 in game four. With a sizable advantage in attack percentage, .295-.200, the Tritons rolled to their second-straight 30-20 victory and forced a decisive game five.
The Coyotes took a 0-2 lead in the last game before UCSD took advantage of two attack errors and junior Nicole Courtney’s kill to steal the lead, 3-2. Cal State San Bernardino managed to tie it up at four apiece, but the Coyotes tallied another two attack errors and UCSD freshman Rebecca Bailey notched a kill to give the Tritons a 7-4 lead. The Coyotes got back to within one point after two UCSD attack errors made it 8-7. The Tritons finally earned a sizable lead, 12-9, after a kill from sophomore Amber Ries and a Coyote attack error. The Coyotes then got back-to-back kills from Lisa Dogonyaro to make it 12-11, but the Tritons countered with a point off a Coyote error to make it 13-11. Freshman Kimberly Carpenter’s kill gave the Tritons a game-point opportunity, which they promptly converted on the Coyotes’ seventh attack error of the final game to a 15-11 win in game five and a 3-2 win in the match.
The Tritons, now riding the momentum from the comeback, will depart on a two-game road trip, starting against Sonoma State on Oct. 21. From there, they will leave for Cal State Monterey Bay to face the Otters on Oct. 22.
