Northridge Win Streak Ends at 47 : Riverside Hands Matadors CCAA Loss

Walt Ker said last week that a loss to UC Riverside 2 weeks ago in the Premiere Tournament at the Air Force Academy served as a good motivational tool for his Cal State Northridge women’s volleyball team.

Which means that CSUN should really be motivated this weekend.

Northridge, which owned a 47-match California Collegiate Athletic Assn. winning streak and a 1-game lead in the conference standings going into Tuesday night’s play, returned from Riverside with neither as the Highlanders won a two-hour marathon, 15-8, 14-16, 18-16, 15-6.

Victories in the teams’ final conference matches Friday would force a rematch this weekend in a playoff to determine the conference representative in the NCAA Division II West regional tournament. The time and site of that playoff has yet to be determined.

For the time being, Riverside and Northridge are equals atop the CCAA standings with 11-1 records. And Tuesday night, the teams were just that close.

CSUN (27-10 overall) played better than the score of the fourth game indicated and had a chance to win the third.

But after leading, 12-9, and, 13-11, in the third game, the Lady Matadors, ranked fifth in the nation, were unable to close out the game.

“We missed way too many serves,” Ker said. “You just can’t do that kind of thing, especially when you play a team this good.”

UC Riverside, ranked fourth in the nation, improved to 22-3.

Of the streak, Ker said: “What’s a lot more significant is my players learned from this. We’re looking ahead. A conference win we had last year or a win this year mean nothing now.

“Our primary focus will be and continues to be postseason play. If we take this match and become a better team in postseason, then I did a good job, the team did a good job and this match is insignificant.”

Riverside Coach Sue Gozansky also was philosophical: “To win that many matches in a row . . . well, it had to end sometime.”