CSUB takes another heartbreaking fifth-set loss against UC Irvine to close the season
Nov. 27—The Cal State Bakersfield volleyball team won a narrow first set over UC Irvine, but every comeback attempt the Roadrunners made in the second game seemed to fall just short.
When the Roadrunners finally got within one point at 22-21, then at 23-22 on a Binder kill, they were called for a rotation violation at the worst possible moment. Gifted a set-point opportunity, UCI middle blocker Onye Ofoegbu finished the game off in short order.
CSUB responded quickly with a steady third-set performance and held a 2-1 lead. But the Anteaters took control in the fourth and fifth sets for a 3-2 win — 24-26, 25-22, 22-25, 25-17, 15-8 — on the Roadrunners' senior night, and those last points of the second game loomed large.
The Roadrunners fell to 0-6 in five-set matches on the season, and concluded the season at 7-25 overall, a significant downturn in their second year in the Big West Conference.
On a night designated for honoring six departing Roadrunners, it was a true freshman, Naomi Chankoumi, who shone the brightest with a team-high 14 kills in her first career start. Ofoegbu, however, led all players with 16.
Seniors Hana Makonova and Hayley McCluskey were also in double digits for CSUB, while UCI's Joy Umeh equaled Chankoumi with 14.
CSUB fell behind by as many as four points early in the first set but used an Ava Palm kill to tie the game at 16-16, benefited from an Ofoegbu attack error on a free ball over the net and then seized a 20-18 lead on a pair of Chankoumi kills.
But after a UCI timeout, the Anteaters reeled off three straight points, forcing Melo to stop the game herself. CSUB came out firing on offense after the break but had to stave off a set point at 24-23 following a Lizzie Binder attack error. The Roadrunners responded with even more vigor. Ava Palm sent one to the floor to even the score, Ofeogbu was charged with another error trying to tip the ball over and Emma Erteltova pulled off a solo block — one of her five blocks on the night — to give CSUB the first game.
In the second frame, the Roadrunners had much less luck trying to take the lead. After gifting the Anteaters a 13-8 lead with five early attack errors, CSUB cut its deficit back to two points by rallying on five separate occasions, aided by stellar defense at the net from Erteltova again. But the rotation violation aided UCI in closing out the game.
The third set presented something of a role reversal, with UCI coming out sloppy and providing CSUB five of its first seven points on errors. The Anteaters were the better team offensively for much of the game and took their first lead at 18-17 on kills by Ellen Veargason and Umeh, but CSUB came alive with five straight points with Paige Calvin serving, including an ace by the senior libero and a pair of McCluskey kills. After a dicey final stretch, the Roadrunners finished the set off 25-22 on a McCluskey ace.
A stop-start, ugly fourth frame was delayed by two unsuccessful CSUB challenges. Ofoegbu continued to torment the Roadrunner defense and helped the Anteaters build an early 13-7 lead. CSUB had a stretch of four straight points, aided by a pair of Makonova block assists that moved her into third place in the Roadrunner record books, but UCI pulled away after the second replay review.
The Anteaters continued their momentum with ease into the fifth set and went on an early 7-2 run aided by a pair of Indy DeSmet aces. Aided by a string of late attack errors, UCI maintained that margin and closed with a Kendra MacDonald kill to take the match.
Reporter Henry Greenstein can be reached at 661-395-7374. Follow him on Twitter: @HenryGreenstein.
