Northridge Hangs On to Eliminate Santa Barbara

Cal State Northridge volleyball Coach John Price basked in victory last week after the Matadors upset San Diego State--but it was only for a few minutes. He was already thinking about Wednesday night’s match against UC Santa Barbara.

Price, who said he wanted UC Santa Barbara more than San Diego State, didn’t have to wait long to get his wish.

The Matadors, who are out of contention for a California Intercollegiate Volleyball Assn. playoff, eliminated the Gauchos with a 15-12, 15-12, 13-15, 13-15, 16-14 victory.

The Matadors started six seniors in their final home match of the season and gave them a going away present with the victory that evoked memories of last year’s match when the Matadors upset Santa Barbara in five games.

CSUN is 6-13 in CIVA and 17-18 overall; Santa Barbara is 9-10 in CIVA 18-12 overall.

Although CSUN entered the match as the underdog, the team played with confidence from the outset.

“The team was confident,” Price said. “From the beginning, they felt they were the better team.”

The Matadors established early leads in the first two games and fought back Santa Barbara runs to win both. But CSUN failed to protect leads in the third and fourth games. Entering the fifth, it appeared that Cinderella had lost her slipper.

Reminiscent of last season’s victory, the match featured numerous lead changes in the final game. The Gauchos took a 14-11 lead and served for the match several times, but the Matadors were anything but finished.

Ed DeGrasse played one of his best matches of the year, keeping the Matadors alive in the final game. Tom Ribarich set well in relief of Mark Stein, who sprained his ankle earlier in the match. But what proved instrumental was Ribarich’s jump serve that kept the Gaucho passers off balance throughout the match.

CSUN tied the game at 14 on a Gaucho error and two DeGrasse blocks. Northridge went out with style when DeGrasse and Ribarich each had jump-serve aces to conclude the match, just as last year’s match had ended.

Price said the upset victory, CSUN’s second in two weeks, was the result of defense.

“It’s really kept us in the matches,” Price said. “We’ve become a lot more consistent. I knew we’d be this good at the beginning of the season. This game will definitely help us carry a winning attitude.”

Northridge played well throughout the match, but the best offensive and defensive efforts came in the first two games.

CSUN jumped out to a 10-3 lead in the first game behind the hitting of DeGrasse and Scott Juhl. After leading 14-6, CSUN stalled temporarily, committing three unforced errors, allowing the Gauchos back into the game, 14-12. But Santa Barbara’s David Rottman, who led the Gauchos throughout the match, hit the last ball long for CSUN’s game point.

Northridge took control early in the second game, leading 10-5 and 12-9, but UCSB tied it at 12 when Juhl was blocked for a point. Ribarich went back to serve. Captain Mike Bird and Chuck English each had a kill for two points, and Juhl and Bird blocked two-time All-American Jared Huffman for game point.