My cousin(a UCLA die-hard) called me up and gave me the good news about CSUN's last night's victory. He said the Matadors look better and was quite impressed for a team that is mostly freshmen/sophomores. The go to players that he liked watching were HARMONY BURDINE(oh) and DARLA DONALDSON(mh) - told him those two were very consistent last year.
For CSUN to play at SDSU's Petersen Gym is almost like a home match/scrimmage for them - the gym is exactly like the Matadome and the colors and uniforms is the same as CSUN. The difference is that Petersen Gym has air condition and the Matadome doesn't.
Anyway I hope CSUN is doing well against USD Torerros right now.
Good job Matadors.
=========================
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Sophomore Harmony Burdine knocked down a team-high 16 kills while Kelley Hanson and Angela Hupp each added 12 kills as Cal State Northridge claimed a season-opening 31-29, 30-24, 27-30, 30-28 win at San Diego State.
With the win, Northridge is 1-0 on the season while the Aztecs are 0-1.
Burdine led the way with 16 kills, hitting a solid .361 on the night. Hanson (.172) and Hupp (.290) also reached double figures in kills as did Darla Donaldson with 11 kills (.250). The Matadors, using a two setter lineup, got 33 kills from Kayla Wright and 18 from Hupp. Wright completed the double-double by adding 13 digs and Burdine and Hupp also notched double-double's by adding 13 and 11 digs respectively. Libero Amy Hultner posted a team-high 16 digs in the win.
For San Diego State, Stephanie Darnall posted a match-high 19 kills while Melanie Greene added 14 kills and Audra Dent chipped in 10. The Aztecs also utilized two setters as Kristen Castillo notched 25 assists and Leah Lathrop posted 24 helpers. Aztec libero Aime Cordeiro dug a match-high 30 balls in the loss.
After taking game one 31-29, the Matadors hit .389 (17-3-36) in taking game two 3024. Northridge struggled to hit .122 (11-6-41) in game three's 30-27 loss, but responded to hit an impressive .486 (20-2-37) in the fourth and deciding game.
Cal State Northride plays match two and three of the SDSU Invitational on Saturday as the Matadors take on 20th-ranked San Diego at 12:30 p.m. and Hofstra at 4:30 p.m.
- GO MATADORS -
Volleyball Opens With 3-1 Loss To Cal State Northridge
Darnall, Cordeiro lead SDSU effort during opening round of Aztec Invitational
Aug. 25, 2006
Final Stats
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State began its 2006 volleyball campaign with a 3-1 (29-31, 30-24, 27-30, 30-28) loss to Cal State Northridge in the opening round of the Aztec Invitational in Peterson Gym Friday night. It was the season opener for both sides and saw SDSU lose its season opener for the first time in three years.
Aztec freshman newcomer Stephanie Darnall led all players with 19 kills while seniors Melanie Greene and Audra Dent tallied 14 and 10 respectively. Aztecs Leah Lathrop and Kristen Castillo shared duties at the setter position., each playing two games. Castillo totaled 25 assists while Lathrop was one behind at 24.
All-MWC libero Aime Cordeiro took up where she left off a year ago with a 30-dig performance in her season debut. It was the third game of her three-year Aztec career in which she had amassed 30 or more digs. Only former SDSU standout Jackie Mendez had more, with four 30-dig efforts.
For Cal State Northridge, four players finished in double figures in kills led by Harmony Burdine with 16. Both Burdine (13 digs) and teammate Angela Hupp (12 kills, 11 digs) recorded double doubles.
The Aztec struggled offensively through the first two games before finding their rhythm in the third contest. On the night, SDSU hit just .164 as a team while the Matadors forged a .290 attack percentage.
San Diego State got off to a quick start in the opening game, running out to an 8-1 lead as Melanie Greene opened the contest with a kill, then served five straight points. However, the visitors fought their way back into the game, eventually knotting the score at 19-19. The Matadors led 29-26, but SDSU rattled of three straight points to send the game to extra time, but an Aztec service error and subsequent SDSU hitting error gave CSUN the 31-20 win. Greene and Audra Dent tallied five kills apiece while the Matadors' Harmony Burdine and Anglea Hupp had four apiece. SDSU struggled on attack, hitting just .029 for the match.
The second game was a back-and-forth affair. San Diego State's biggest lead came at 18-15, but Northridge won six straight points to take control of the contest. A pair of kills by Darla Donaldson, one each from Kelley Hanson and Amy Hultner plus a pair of Aztec attack errors gave the Matadors a lead they would not relinquish. SDSU freshman Stephanie Darnall led all players in the game with six kills, but CSUN won nine of the final 13 points to wrap up the game.
In game three, the Matadors took an early lead and held a 16-11 advantage before the Aztecs made their move. After pulling to within a point at 16-15, the teams traded points until, at 24-24, SDSU ran off five straight points and won the game (30-27) on a kill by Darnall, her team-leading seventh of the game.
San Diego State jumped out to a 16-9 lead in the fourth game, only to see it slowly dwindle as the Matadors pulled to within a point at 24-23. The Aztecs maintained a one- or two-point lead until CSUN evened the score at 27-27. After each side scored a point, Northridge closed out the game and match on a kill by Hanson and a combination block by Darla Donaldson and Hilary Brinkman.
In the first Aztec Invitational match of the day on Friday, the University of San Diego defeated Hofstra, 3-0 (30-27, 30-21, 30-26).
The Aztecs continue action early Saturday morning when they face Hofstra at 10:00 a.m. in Peterson Gym. They close out the tournament that evening with a match against cross-town rival University of San Diego.
San Diego State University Athletics Women's Volleyball
Looks like they beat SDSU 3-1. Nice job CSUN.
