CS Northridge, on Verge of Upsetting USC, Falters

Cal State Northridge has shown repeatedly that it can play with Top 20 competition in its inaugural Division I season, but the Matadors demonstrated again Tuesday night that they are still this close to upsetting the nation’s powerhouse teams.

Against 15th-ranked and four-time national champion Southern Cal, visiting CSUN came within two points of winning the match, but the Trojans forced a fifth game and prevailed, 12-15, 15-10, 7-15, 19-17, 15-10.

“We had them and then they slipped by us,” said Northridge setter Beth Welch, who had 44 assists and seven aces. “We’re on the edge. We just need a little push to get us off the edge and on top. We are coming so close.”

In Coach Walt Ker’s mind it was the little things that made the difference.

“One more serve in-bounds, one less bad pass . . . better communication,” Ker said. “I had two thoughts for my team--one, that it was the best match of the year, and two, that the little things, passing and serving could have allowed us to walk away with a 3-1 win.”

Instead, CSUN dropped to 0-3 against Top 20 teams, 9-5 overall. USC extended its win streak to five and improved to 5-3 behind the the play of 6-foot-2 All-American candidate Lonise Norfleet, who had 27 kills, nine in the second game.

“I think the difference was the play of Lonise. She just had a career match,” USC Coach Lisa Love said. “Although I shouldn’t say that because that’s the way she’s played all year.”

Of all the Matadors, Welch knew what to expect from Norfleet--they were roommates at the U.S. Olympic Festival--and USC, a team she played against the past three years while at Washington State.

CSUN’s confidence stemmed from winning the first and third games and maintaining momentum at the beginning of the fourth game as first server Welch reeled off three aces in a row and Patricia Fitzsimmons put a spike down for a 4-0 advantage. But USC came back on four kills by Norfleet, an ace by Megan McCallister and a CSUN error to gain a 6-4 advantage.

The match seesawed from there with USC scoring three in a row to take a 14-13 lead. But CSUN tied the score, 14-14, and a long Norfleet hit brought the Matadors to match point.

USC took the lead on two kills by Katie Haller, but Kathleen Dixon forced a 16-16 tie with a kill. Two sideouts later, a USC error again made it match point for CSUN, 17-16, but a kill by Norfleet gave USC the sideout. A hitting error by reserve Jill Trehearne tied the score, 17-17, and Trehearne’s block a moment later earned CSUN the sideout.

But CSUN lost its advantage on a kill by McCallister and the Trojans scored the final points on a block and an ace by freshman Missy McCaw for a 19-17 win that forced a fifth game.

USC never trailed in the decisive game.