CSUN Women Pass a Big Test at Riverside

Walt Ker kept his message simple and direct as he addressed the Cal State Northridge women’s volleyball team before the fifth game of its titanic match at UC Riverside Friday night.

“You knew the match was going to be like this,” the CSUN coach said. “You knew it was going to be two great teams playing against each other. Let’s find out who the greater team is.”

When they found out about 30 minutes later, the CSUN players rejoiced.

The top-ranked Lady Matadors, who were four points away from steamrolling Riverside in three straight games only to see their serving and passing skills desert them, rallied to overtake the No. 2-ranked Highlanders, 15-9, 16-14, 11-15, 9-15, 15-9, before a crowd of about 1,500. Northridge was up 11-10 in the third game when Riverside scored five unanswered points.

The victory was CSUN’s 21st straight in California Collegiate Athletic Assn. play and its 41st in its last 42 conference matches.

CSUN hasn’t lost a conference match since Nov. 6, 1984, when it was upset at Cal State Bakersfield.

CSUN improved its 1986 records to 22-4 overall and 6-0 in the CCAA, putting the Lady Matadors a half-game ahead of Riverside, which is 6-1.

The Lady Matadors have won seven straight against Riverside since the Highlanders beat them to win the NCAA Division II championship in 1982.

None of the 11 players on Riverside’s roster has ever beaten Northridge.

“Damn, I’m getting tired of losing to them,” Riverside Coach Sue Gozansky said afterward.

The Highlanders seemed on the verge of ending the drought before the partisan crowd, but Northridge settled down in the fifth game.

Setter Angela Brinton, uncharacteristically inconsistent through the first four games, led the way as CSUN steadily pulled away.

“I’ve seen her sharper,” Ker said of Brinton’s play in the first four games. “She didn’t set the outside as well as I’ve seen.

“But she was tremendous in the fifth game. I asked her to make some adjustments, which I don’t want to talk about.”

Ker doesn’t want to tip his hand to the Highlanders, whom he expects to meet again for the conference championship on Nov. 18 at Northridge and again in the NCAA regionals.

He was especially pleased with the victory in that it was accomplished after the Lady Matadors had been throttled in the fourth game.

CSUN jumped ahead in the fifth game, 5-2, was caught at 5-5, but never trailed.

The match ended on the last of 19 kills by junior Anna Garcia.

“Anna’s front-row play was outstanding,” Ker said. “She was really, really on.”

Ker also praised the all-around play of Chris Tedeschi, the passing of Franci Bowman and the stick-to-itiveness of 6-4 Sue Darcey, who led the Lady Matadors with 21 kills, but had 10 attacking errors.

He said the victory should have great psychological impact on his team “in terms of telling the girls they are tough competitors.”

Gozansky said her team stopped communicating at the end, and said that may have been the result of a weak schedule.

“We have not played any tough matches like this,” she said, “and we aren’t really sure how to beat a good team like Northridge.”

If CSUN has its way, they’ll never learn.