Box Score

SIOUX CITY, Iowa— The Cal State San Marcos women's volleyball team took the first two sets against No. 21 Viterbo (Wis.), but fell to the V-Hawks Thursday evening 25-23, 25-22, 18-25, 20-25, 7-15 at the Tyson Event Center in the final match of pool play at the NAIA National Championships.
 
With the victory, Viterbo went 3-0 in pool play and claimed one of the two spots from Pool F into single elimination bracket play. The Cougars dropped to 1-2 in their pool, putting them in a three-way tie with No. 6 The Master's and No. 7 Indiana Wesleyan.
 
CSUSM then faced The Master's—who they defeated 3-0 on Tuesday— in a one-set tiebreak to determine who advanced to bracket play. The Cougars were unable to repeat their success against one of the top seeds in the tournament, and were eliminated from the NAIA National Tournament after a successful run in just their second season as a program.
 
Cal State San Marcos started out strong Thursday, taking the first two sets and needing just one more to clinch a berth into the next round. Andi Vordermann's clutch kill at 24-23 put the Cougars ahead early 1-0, and Taylor DeGraaf closed out the second set with a slam to give CSUSM a 2-0 edge.
 
Viterbo got off to quick starts in each of the next two sets and never relinquished their leads to even the score a 2-2 and send the match to a decisive fifth set.
 
San Marcos got off to a slow start giving up the first five points, but closed the gap to an 8-6 deficit before Viterbo eventually claimed the set and the match.
 
A.I.I. Player of the Year Taylor DeGraaf recorded a double-double with 11 digs and a team-high 20 kills in the match, while freshman Andi Vordermann finished with 12 kills. Sophomore Kelli McLin also was a big factor offensively for the Cougars, tallying three blocks and seven kills with a .545 hitting percentage. Alyssa Foster— the A.I.I. Setter of the Year— had a game-high 46 assists and also contributed 11 digs, four kills, four blocks, and two service aces.
 
The match marked the final appearance for three seniors in the first graduating class in program history. All-Conference selections and co-captains Nichole May and Brittany Thompson each played well for the Cougars. May led the team with 17 digs in her final match, while Thompson added three kills, eight digs, and three blocks. Fellow senior Lindsey Mitchell chipped in four kills and three digs.

“It was a great run for these ladies, and there's no better place to finish the season than in the National Championships,” said head coach Andrea Leonard. “We fought hard every step of the way and represented CSUSM proudly.”
 
Cal State San Marcos finishes the season at 30-15 overall, and reached the national tournament for the second straight year after winning their second consecutive A.I.I. Conference Championship. The Cougars went 6-2 in postseason play, and were just a few points away from finishing among the top-12 programs in the NAIA.