CS Northridge Overcomes Sluggish Start to Beat Loyola : College volleyball: Matador women drop first game but rebound to sweep next three in nonconference match.

Keeping focused on the bottom line helped Cal State Northridge overcome a dreadful start and defeat Loyola Marymount, 6-15, 15-7, 15-8, 15-12, Tuesday night in a nonconference women’s volleyball match at Loyola’s Gersten Pavilion.

No matter how bad things get, CSUN Coach Walt Ker told his team, just make sure to leave the gym with three games tucked in your pocket.

The win was Northridge’s fourth in a row and helped the Matadors, 6-4 overall, begin a demanding week on an auspicious note. The Matadors conclude their three-match week by playing host to perennial power USC on Friday.

“(Ker) always says there’s no time limit on the game,” Northridge middle blocker Nancy Nicholls said in reference to Loyola’s victory in the first game that featured a noticeable breakdown in the Northridge defense. “You’ve got five games to win it.”

On this night, the Matadors would only need four games as the team used a consistent passing attack and some rejuvenated defense to increase Northridge’s series lead over LMU to 8-4.

“I think I’m as happy with this win as I’ve been with any we’ve had (this year),” Ker said. “(Loyola) came out like a million bucks and made us look pretty bad. But the kids responded tremendously to that.”

Indeed. Among the kids who played a big role in the victory were freshmen Missy Clements (match-high 15 kills) and Ana Kristich (11 kills). Senior outside hitter Patty Fitzsimmons added 12 kills and a team-high 11 digs for Northridge, which had a hitting percentage of just .183 but held Loyola to a .170 percentage.

Outside hitters Joli Eberhart (13 kills, 19 digs), Deanna Doolittle (11 kills, 21 digs) and Stacy Trapp (10 kills) paced the Lions (8-6).

“(Northridge) is a good team but we should have beat them,” Doolittle said. “After the first game, it kind of went downhill the rest of the way. We kept making mistakes.”

Northridge’s ability to respond to temporary breakdowns was evident again in the fourth game as the Matadors overcame a 12-9 deficit to win the match.

The Matadors opened an 8-4 advantage in the final game only to watch Eberhart put on a hitting display. But with setter Alison Wool (45 set assists) directing the show, Northridge scored the final six points with match point coming on a Fitzsimmons block.

Northridge defensive specialist Karen Scholl also enjoyed a productive match with nine kills, 11 digs and some key passes off serves. In the first game, Northridge simply could not get untracked. With the score tied, 2-2, Loyola went on a 8-1 run behind the hitting of Doolittle and Tahlia Wagner to nearly put the game away.

But the erratic start didn’t last for Northridge as Wool, a 5-foot-9 redshirt sophomore, used consecutive service aces to give Northridge an 11-6 advantage in the second game. Nicholls, who could not swing her arm freely on kill attempts because of a pulled abdominal muscle, made her presence noticed at the net in the third game, thwarting the Loyola hitters.

“It was our passing that eventually took them out of their game,” Nicholls said. Northridge will play host to Seton Hall on Thursday night before facing USC on Friday evening.