CSUN Nets Its 1st Volleyball Series Sweep of Pepperdine

Cal State Northridge bid farewell, at least for now, to the Pepperdine volleyball team Saturday night.

Sort of a Wave goodby.

The host Matadors defeated Pepperdine, 14-16, 15-6, 17-16, 15-11, sweeping the regular-season series for the first time, and moved two full matches ahead of the Waves in the Western Intercollegiate Volleyball Assn. DeGroot Division standings.

Northridge (10-6 overall), which trails UCLA by 2 1/2 matches in the DeGroot Division, is 6-4 in division play, while third-place Pepperdine fell to 4-6. The top three teams in the division, along with the top three from the Wilson Division, will advance to the conference tournament April 25-28.

“The win gives us a lot of cushion in terms of finishing in the top three,” Northridge Coach John Price said.

The Matadors have six conference matches remaining, as well as four division matches against opponents that had a combined 3-21 WIVA record before Saturday.

Northridge swept the Waves in three games at Pepperdine earlier this season, and both teams seemed highly motivated as the Saturday night match got under way.

The first game was close all the way, neither team leading by more than three points. Pepperdine, behind 6-foot-6 freshman Tom Sorenson, moved to a 10-7 lead, but CSUN fought back to tie the game, 14-14, when freshman Coley Kyman stuffed Geoff Hart’s spike attempt.

Pepperdine went ahead, 15-14, when CSUN’s Raphael Tulino hit wide, then won on the third game point as the Matadors’ Neil Coffman hit long.

It was one of the few mistakes Coffman made all night as he recorded a match-high 30 kills.

Northridge trailed, 4-2, in the second game before going on a 10-2 run and opening a 14-4 advantage. Coffman led the charge with seven kills in the game.

Ken Lynch’s kill down the middle was game point at 15-6.

Game three was another nail-biter, tied at 12 and at 14 before spilling into overtime. Lynch hit wide to give the Waves a 16-15 edge, but Hart hit wide cross-court to even the score again.

Lynch won the game moments later with a hard smash through a pair of blockers.

Northridge assumed control of game four at the midway point and led, 14-11, when Sorenson’s smash went long. The Matadors won the match when Coffman and Tulino teamed to stuff Brian Merrick’s hit.

Kyman had 23 kills for Northridge, and Tulino added 21. Lynch and Mark Root each added 14 kills for Northridge.