Box Score ESCONDIDO, Calif.—The No. 25 Cal State San Marcos volleyball team won a tight and spirited match in front of a vivacious crowd Tuesday on Professor Appreciation Night, coming up clutch in the third and fourth sets to defeat the La Sierra Golden Eagles 23-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-23.

Though their sixth consecutive win didn't come easy, the Cougars avoided a win-or-take all fifth set by coming up with points when it mattered.

Taylor DeGraaf led all players with game highs of 18 kills and 14 digs, while Rachel Hadley and Alyssa Foster each added a double-double of their own in a match that featured several long rallies. Hadley tallied 10 kills and 10 digs, while Foster set up the Cougar attack with a game best 47 assists and 12 digs.

The Cougars also recorded 12 blocks at the net, tied for the second most in school history. Erin Talafus and Markisha Henderson-Diaz each asserted themselves as a force to be reckoned with, as Talafus hit .409 and tallied 10 kills and six block assists, while Henderson-Diaz hit .571 and picked up nine kills and six block assists. Kristen Taylor also nearly doubled her career total in blocks, racking up six block assists.

CSUSM hit at least .256 and .270 in the first two sets, but struggled offensively in the third, hitting just .050 with nine errors. Fortunately, the Cougar defense was able to keep them in the set, and Brittani Esposito fought through injury to record three straight service aces to give the Cougars a slight advantage.

The key points of the match though were late in the third and fourth sets, where the Cougars closed out the Golden Eagles. After a service ace put La Sierra up 23-21 in the third set, Talafus and Henderson-Diaz each recorded a kill to knot the score at 23. With heavy pressure from the middle blockers, CSUSM was able to force errors on the final two points of the set to take a 2-1 advantage.

Similarly, the Cougars trailed again 23-22 in the fourth set, but came through with the final three points after a timeout when it mattered most. This time, outside hitters Hadley and DeGraaf came up with the big kills, and CSUSM closed out the match with a block by Kristen Taylor and Henderson-Diaz that sent the already chanting student section into a frenzy.

CSUSM improved to 19-7 with the win, while La Sierra dropped to 11-6. The Cougars will put their winning streak to the test Thursday as they hit the road to face No. 1 Concordia in Irvine as they look to avenge a close loss played last month.