SEASIDE, Calif. – Friday night's volleyball match between Cal State San Marcos and Cal State Monterey Bay had a bit of déjà vu from last year's showdown as the Cougars rallied to force a fifth set. But this time around, CSUSM was the team to come out on top with a 15-11 fifth-set win after scores of 25-27, 15-25, 25-16, 25-19.
 
With the win, CSUSM improves to 9-4 overall and 2-2 in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) action. The Otters fall to 7-5, 2-3 in conference play.
 
"Tonight's match was a battle between two very solid teams," said CSUSM head coach Andrea Leonard. "Our team was tested on a lot of levels and I am so incredibly proud of our resiliency and determination. To win on the road in this conference is difficult, but to come back and win in five was amazing.
 
"Defensively, it may have been our best match yet with both our blocking and composed floor defense allowing us to succeed!"
 
Freshmen Madi Anderson tallied her third double-double with 16 kills and 16 digs. Fellow classmate Maddy Newcombe matched her 16 kills to finish with a .316 clip and just missed out on a double-double, finishing with nine digs. Freshman Eliana Williams put together a .556 attack percentage after going 6-for-9 with one error. Junior Samantha Flores surpassed 20-dig mark for the sixth time this season, registering 21 digs. Sophomore Lauren Lee and freshman Aleese Wheaton added 12 digs apiece. Sophomore Faith Fortune nabbed six blocks in the contest. 
 
The Cougars and Otters had similar stats in every category except for digs where CSUSM won the battle 85-69.
 
CSUSM concludes their four-match road trip on Saturday, Oct. 1 when the Cougars travel to Hayward to take on Cal State East Bay at 7 p.m.