Oregon Outlasts Northridge

Walt Ker didn’t mean to be greedy, yet as soon as his Cal State Northridge women’s volleyball team clinched a berth in the championship bracket of the J.M.N. Premiere tournament, he wanted more.

“We still haven’t uncorked a great match, I’m waiting for that to happen,” Ker said Friday afternoon, several hours before his team took on undefeated Oregon.

The Ducks (9-0), ranked 17th by Volleyball Monthly magazine, provided the competition Ker’s team needed to make a breakthrough and CSUN (5-3) responded with an impressive effort before falling in five games, 14-16, 15-7, 9-15, 15-13, 15-4, at Cal State Fullerton’s Titan Gym.

In the pivotal fourth game, CSUN rallied from a 10-4 deficit to tie the score, 11-11. The Matadors also tied it at 12 and 13, but the Ducks pulled out a 15-13 win, forcing a fifth game.

Oregon rode the wave of momentum to take a 8-0 lead en route to a 15-4 triumph in the decisive game, played under rally scoring in which points are scored regardless of which team is serving.

“That was our best match of the year with the exception of the last 19 points,” said Ker, whose team played without left-side hitter Nancy Nicholls, who was at her sister’s wedding.

“It was really see-saw,” said Oregon Coach Gerry Gregory. “They played a great match. So many times they came up with great defensive saves. So many balls I thought were down, they got.”

Kathleen Dixon led CSUN with 19 digs, Shelly Swalec had 17 and Patricia Fitzsimmons dug out 15. Fitzsimmons also scored a team-high 17 kills.

Earlier, in the day, CSUN swept Baylor to qualify for the championship bracket.

Northridge jumped out to a 10-1 lead on the Bears en route to a 15-8 first-game win, but after that, things didn’t come easily.

In the second game, the Matadors squandered a 13-8 lead, but held on for a 16-14 triumph.

The Bears took a 10-8 lead in the third game before CSUN rallied for a 15-10 win. With Fitzsimmons serving, CSUN scored seven straight to close it out.

“The first game wasn’t too bad; the next two I think we coasted,” said Ker. “The kids didn’t play with a high degree of enthusiasm or motivation.”

Right-side hitter Swalec was one of a few exceptions. She led the Matadors with 10 kills and a .562 attack percentage.

CSUN will play Loyola Marymount today at 10 a.m. in the loser’s side of the championship bracket.