By Juan Garcia
Reporter
The CSU Bakersfield volleyball team opened the Roadrunner Classic with a straight set win against UC Riverside (5-7) Friday and would later conclude the Classic with a 3-1 loss against UC Irvine (5-9).
CSUB would start its match with UCR with an early 10-1 lead. It would win that set 25-15. CSUB would play to eleven ties in the second set, until Roadrunners would pull ahead with three consecutive points to hold onto the lead and win it, 25-23.
The third and final set would include 17 ties and 8 changes of team in the lead.
With the score tied up at 23, the Highlanders would take the lead with a kill but due to an illegal substitution for the Highlanders, the point would be taken and given to the Roadrunners putting them at a 24-23 advantage.
UCR freshman Mickayla Sherman with a kill to tie the match and a service ace by sophomore Chelsey Doyle would return the lead to Riverside. A kill followed by two back-to-back aces would tie then secure the lead and finish the set for the Roadrunners, 27-25.
“We gained a little bit of confidence after watching Riverside this afternoon,” said CSUB director of volleyball Giovana Melo on gorunners.com.. “So we knew if we came out strong we would be in a good situation.”
The Roadrunners would later be edged by UC Irvine 3-1 in the final match of the Roadrunner Classic Saturday, Sept. 17.
The first set was the only win for the Roadrunners, which featured 13 ties and 7 lead changes.
A hitting error from Anteaters’ sophomore Idara Akpakpa gave the Roadrunners the victory, 26-24.
“The first match we came out strong and played as a team,” said senior outside hitter Carol Grasso “I feel like after the first one we just let it go and we weren’t as communicative.”
Melo added to the feeling of the first set.
“The only game that I thought that we played well was the first game that we won,” said Melo. “We weren’t the team that we were in the last two games we played.”
CSUB looked strong in the first half of the set holding onto its lead. UCI slowly found its footing and won the second set, 25-23.
CSUB attempted to take the lead but lost the second set.
UCI won the match 3-1 over CSUB with a 25-18 win in the third set.
The Anteaters would continue their charge into the fourth set by further controlling the Roadrunners and limiting their hitting to zero percent and took the match 25-13.
CSUB will open the Western Athletic Conference Friday, Sept. 23 as it hosts Grand Canyon at 7 p.m.
