FULLERTON, Calif. – Bre Moreland landed a career-high 24 kills as Cal State Fullerton erased an early deficit to defeat Cal Poly, 3-1 (13-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-21), on Friday night at Titan Gym.
For the first time in 2012, the Titans (15-13, 9-6 Big West) were able to overcome dropping the first set of a match, recovering to snatch wins from the Mustangs (3-24, 2-13 Big West) in the following three frames.
Moreland added 11 digs for a double-double, and attacked at a clip of .327, also setting a new career best for the junior from Mission Viejo, Calif.
Senior Kayla Neto added 15 kills and 16 digs for the Titans, as sophomore setter Julie Consani directed the offense with a match-high 42 assists. Moreland, Neto and senior Brenna Cygan also dropped in two aces apiece.
Holly Franks led Cal Poly with 16 kills, while Molly Pon added 11 kills. Megan McConnell was the third Mustang in double figures, chipping in a double-double with 10 kills and 11 digs.
In the first set, the game was even at 6-6 before Cal Poly used a 14-3 run to take 20-9 advantage. Pon led the Mustangs with four kills in the set, while Franks' serve allowed Cal Poly to rally off four straight points during the run. The Titans hit at a clip of -.150 in the frame, committing 13 attack errors.
The Titans recovered in the second set as Moreland led the offense with six kills and Fullerton attacked at a rate of .310 as CSF led from start to finish.
Fullerton was able to take the match lead, 2-1, landing 17 kills in set three led by Moreland (7) and Neto (6). The Titans attacked at a rate of .275, while also dropping in three service aces.
The fourth and final set featured eight ties scores and six lead changes. The Titans took the lead for good at 21-20 courtesy of a Cal Poly service error. Moreland and Neto then combined for three kills, while match point was forced with a Mustang attack error.
The Titans return to action at 7:00 p.m., Saturday at Titan Gym, hosting UC Santa Barbara. Prior to the match, Fullerton will honor it senior class.
Notes: For the first time in 2012, Fullerton won a match despite losing the first set (1-9)…Bre Moreland's 24 kills were a new a career high…Moreland's .327 attacking percentage was also a new career best…Moreland added 11 kills to mark her 19th double-double of 2012…Kayla Neto also has produced 19 double-doubles in 2012, including 16 in a row…Cal Poly and Cal State Fullerton end the season series 1-1.