POMONA, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos volleyball team went 1-1 on Friday in the SoCal Freeway Challenge, sweeping Fresno Pacific in the opening match (25-13, 25-16, 25-22) before falling to two-time defending PacWest Conference Champion Azusa Pacific in four sets (25-16, 21-25, 21-25, 18-25).
 
MATCH 1 – CSUSM 3- FPU 0 (25-13, 25-16, 25-22)
 
TOP PERFORMERS
Kassy Doering – 14 kills | .609 clip | six digs | no errors
Emily Vander Weide – 11 kills | .364 clip | five digs
Stephanie Adams – 11 kills | 12 digs | four block assists
Grecia Cordero-Barr – 19 digs | four assists
Madison Turner – 44 assists | 10 digs
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• A setter's tip for a kill by Turner on the opening serve-receive set the tone for the set, putting CSUSM up 1-0.
• As the Cal Poly Pomona's public address announcer said it, "Return to Sender", Kelli Miechowicz collected a solo block to make it 15-8.
• CSUSM secured the opening-set win with back-to-back kills by Vander Weide to make it 25-13.
• Down 5-4 in the second set, the blocking duo of Miechowicz and Adams made it 8-5 to cap off a four-point run by the Cougars.
• CSUSM rattled off four consecutive points to take a 2-0 lead in the match with a 25-16 second-set win.
• In the third frame, FPU took a 5-2 lead over the Cougars.
• A Kiora Ridgeway cross-court kill evened the set at 6-all.
• After FPU evened the third set at 14-14, Adams came out of the CSUSM timeout with a sharp cross shot to make it 15-14.
• An FPU attack error followed by a Doering kill in front of the 10-foot line put CSUSM up 20-18.
• CSUSM secured the sweep on a Miechowicz solo block to take a 25-22 third-set victory.

 
MATCH 2 – APU 3-CSUSM 1 (25-16, 21-25, 21-25, 18-25)
 
TOP PERFORMERS
Stephanie Adams – 12 kills | 10 digs | one ace
Emily Vander Weide – 10 kills | 18 digs | two blocks
Kassy Doering – 10 kills | three blocks | four digs
Grecia Cordero-Barr – 16 digs | one ace
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• A six-point run that included three APU hitting errors and a service ace by Grecia Cordero-Barr put CSUSM up 11-5. 
• CSUSM never allowed APU back in the set and closed it with a five-point run to take it at 25-16.
• After CSUSM found itself down 6-3 in the second set, the team took a timeout and responded with an Emily Vander Weide kill.
• The teams tied the set 11 times until APU scored three unanswered points for a 20-17 lead, making CSUSM take a timeout.
• APU evened the match at 1-1 with a 25-21 win in the second set.
• Down 24-19, CSUSM knocked off two points on a APU serving error and a Jessica Thomas kill to force APU to take a timeout.
• In the fourth set and down 4-1, CSUSM responded with a run that was capped by Doering stuff-blocking an APU hitter to cut the lead to 6-5
• Trailing 22-13, CSUSM charged back to make it 23-18.
• APU clinched the match with a kill by Kyra Palmbush and a block by Delaney Dunham and Palmbush.  

 
QUICK HITS

• Against FPU, Miechowicz tallied three solo blocks, all in the opening set, as CSUSM finished the match with four total.
• CSUSM spread out 15 kills over seven players in the first set against FPU with Emily Vander Weide leading the way with five.
• This marks only the second time CSUSM has recorded 50-plus kills in a three-set match during the NCAA Division II era with the previous time occurring on Sept. 10, 2016 when the Cougars tallied 56 kills against Dominican.
• APU was the 2021 PacWest Conference Preseason favorite to repeat as conference champs for the third consecutive time.
• The second match featured both teams having similar statistics with each set being determined by who made the least amount of hitting errors.
• Adams tallied her first and second double-double of her collegiate career, finishing the day with 11 kills and 12 digs in the opening match before closing the day out with 12 kills and 10 digs.

  
UP NEXT
The Cougars wrap up the SoCal Freeway Challenge tomorrow in Irvine when they face Point Loma (12 p.m.) and host Concordia University Irvine (6 p.m.).