Northridge Settles Volleyball Rivalry With UC Riverside

It’s a bitter rivalry. Both UC Riverside and Cal State Northridge are nationally ranked in women’s volleyball. But which team is best?

Tuesday night CSUN supplied the best answer, sweeping Riverside, 15-8, 15-6, 15-6.

“We win because we hate to lose,” said All-American Heather Hafner. “We have people who are willing to throw their bodies all over the court to win.”

The Highlanders, ranked No. 3 in NCAA Division II, were falling all over the court. And 13th-ranked CSUN was enjoying itself.

“The rivalry between these two teams goes back forever,” CSUN Coach Walt Ker said. “Shelli (Mosby) and Heather can remember when they took the national title from us in 1982. They still have a bitter taste in their mouths from that.”

Mosby agrees.

“Riverside is not exactly one of my favorite teams,” the All-American setter said, looking at the final score. “This was fun.”

Hafner began the fun early in the first game when she led the Lady Matadors in a three-point run. Riverside could not defend against Hafner’s six torpedo-like kills fired from the left side of the Matador court.

“I wasn’t thinking of anything except getting the ball down,” Hafner said.

She continued her attack in the second game with the help of Mosby’s precision setting.

CSUN’s Anna Garcia and Karen Lontka contributed to the win with 13 and 11 kills in the match, respectively.

Riverside opened up the third game with a 1-0 lead, but it was short-lived. Nearly every time Hafner or Anna slammed a ball, it went through four Highlander arms.