TURLOCK, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos volleyball team dropped a five-set heartbreaker (12-25, 25-20, 23-25, 25-22, 9-15) to Stanislaus State in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) on Saturday afternoon at Ed & Bertha Fitzpatrick Arena.
 
The Cougars' offense cooled off dramatically after hitting a season-best .327 in last night's win at Chico State, posting a .164 clip against the Warriors.
 
CSUSM drops to 6-19 overall and 3-13 in CCAA action. Stanislaus State improves to 13-8, 7-8 CCAA.
 
"We competed hard today after a quick turnaround," said head coach Andrea Leonard. "We were poised to be successful and proved ourselves in every point, however, we also struggled to be decisive in long rally moments or finishing a play which Stanislaus took advantage of. Our middles and the right side play of Lauren Lee were instrumental as well as the leadership of (Taylor) DeGraaf and (Jordan) Banich. This was a mental defeat for us in which we will be more prepared next time. We are learning what it takes to be consistent in every aspect of the game."
 
Senior Taylor DeGraaf collected her sixth double-double of the season with 13 kills and 15 digs. Freshman Cheyanne Patin put together a .500 clip with 10 kills on 20 attempts and no errors. Freshman Faith Fortune tallied seven blocks as the Cougars out-blocked the Warriors 11-5. 
 
The Cougars opened the match with a slow start, dropping the first frame 25-12. The second set was a different story as CSUSM jumped out to a 20-10 lead and held on for a 25-20 win.
 
After the break, both teams fought hard and CSUSM took a 22-21 lead on an hitting error by Blair Ehrlich. Unfortunately, Ehrlich put down three kills to give the Warriors a 2-1 lead in the match with a 25-23 win.
 
However, with their backs against the wall, the Cougars fought back to take a 13-6 lead in the fourth frame to keep the match alive. Stanislaus State charged back to even the match at 22-22. Three consecutive CSUSM points that included two DeGraaf kills and a block by Patin and Lee gave the Cougars the set at 25-22 and forced a fifth set.
 
CSUSM fell behind early in the fifth frame and just couldn't catch the Warriors, eventually falling 15-9.
 
Four Warriors reached double-digits in kills with Ehrlich leading the way with 22 in addition to her 15 digs.
 
The Cougars return home for a match-up against Cal State L.A. on Tuesday, Nov. 3. First serve is slated for 7 p.m.