Box Score On the new program's second-ever day of competition, Cal State San Marcos volleyball was poised to pull a shocking upset of #19 Oklahoma Baptist at the Azusa Pacific Cougar Classic on Friday, but fell to the Bison 2-3 (25-20, 25-21, 18-25, 18-25, 12-15).
CSUSM drops to 2-1 on the year. Oklahoma Baptist improves to 3-1.
Facing their toughest test so far this young season, the Cougars came out firing against the #19-ranked team. Tied 7-7 in the first set, CSUSM won 11 of the next 14 points to take a commanding 19-10 lead. The Cougars would close out the first set 25-20, with Nichole May recording the 25th point with an ace.
They would carry that momentum into the second set, taking the lead at 8-7 and never surrendering. OBU closed it to 21-20 late in the game, but back-to-back kills by Lindsey Mitchell and a crucial kill from setter Alyssa Foster helped seal the set for the Cougars, 25-21.
But it would be all Bison from there on out. OBU struck back in the third set, jumping out to a 6-1 lead and never looking back, taking it 25-18. They would take the fourth set by that same score, pulling away with the score tied 17-17.
That would set up a fifth and decisive set. CSUSM went down 1-6 early, battled back to 12-13, but ultimately fell 12-15, giving OBU the 3-2 match victory. Playing their third match in two days with a shortened player rotation, the CSUSM players may simply have ran out of gas.
Foster recorded a game-high 52 assists. Taylor DeGraaf debuted with a game-best 18 kills, with Erin Talafus and Lindsey Mitchell posting 11 and 10 kills, respectively.
The Cougars will be back in action almost immediately when they take on Master's College tonight as the Cougar Classic continues.
