Nov. 20, 2010
Northridge, Calif. - Key performances from seniors Erin Saddler and Cami Croteau lifted Cal State Fullerton to a 3-1 Big West Conference volleyball match over Cal State Northridge Saturday night in The Matadome.
The Titans wrap up their 2010 regular season schedule with a 20-25, 27-25, 25-23, 25-23, win a night after clinching the Big West Conference championship and the automatic berth to the NCAA postseason. Fullerton improves to a school record 26-5 overall and 14-2 in league play and extends their program-best winning streak to nine matches. The Titans have won 22 of their last 24 matches dating back to Sept. 11.
Cal State Northridge, the team that helped the Titans in clinching a night early by knocking off Long Beach State on Friday, falls to 13-19, 5-11.
The match was neck and neck the entire night. It was just the 9th time this season the Titans have had to play more than three sets and was just the fifth time this season the Titans had to bounce back after going down 0-1.
Saddler led a group of four Titan hitters that finished with double digits in kills posting a match-high 19 in 62 swings. She was helped by Kayla Neto (12 kills), Leah Maurer (10 kills) and Jennifer Edmond (10 kills) as the Titan offense hit a combined .157. Northridge countered with 27 combined kills from Natalie Allen and Lynda Morales.
A night after Croteau became the Big West's dig queen with her 2,133rd career dig, she broke two more school records by scooping up a match-high 38 attack attempts, breaking Vanessa Vella's 2006 single-match record and setting the new single-season record with her 583rd dig of the year. Croteau was one of five Titans with 10-or-more digs. Saddler completed her ninth double-double of the year with 11 digs, and Andrea Ragan notched her 8th double-double with a 48-assist, 16-dig performance. Gabrielle Dewberry and Genie Francisco also logged 10 apiece.
On the Matador side, Cindy Ortiz rivaled Croteau, picking up a team-high 36 digs.
Morales and Sam Orlandini were a force at the net for Northridge combining for 14 block assists between them. Fullerton's leading blockers, Maurer and Neto, combined for five block assists.
The Titans now will be idle until their first round match in the NCAA playoffs from Dec. 2-5. They will find out who they match up against and where they will be headed on Nov. 28 on ESPN News between noon and 12:30 p.m.