Northridge Falls Flat in Opener

A bright, shining way to begin the 1992 season it was not.

A disappointing replay of last season it was for the Cal State Northridge women’s volleyball team.

The Matadors were swept by Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, 15-11, 15-13, 15-6, Tuesday night in an opener at Matador Gymnasium, and one of the problems that plagued them last year--poor passing--was the culprit again.

“We did a terrible job of passing all night,” said Northridge Coach Walt Ker, whose team was 16-18 last season. “We didn’t have a single player who passed as well as usual.”

The Matadors’ hitting percentage, a paltry .062, summed up just how poorly they passed.

“It wasn’t like they dominated us,” Ker said. “They played a typical Cal Poly-type game, very consistent about keeping the ball in play, and waiting for us to make a mistake.”

The Mustangs usually did not have to wait long. Northridge committed one error after another, as a series of plays early in the third game exemplified.

Trailing, 3-2, San Luis Obispo ran off six consecutive points with Joy Osborne serving. The first point came when Northridge’s Nancy Nicholls (11 kills) hit long and the second when the Matadors mishandled a spike. The Mustangs earned their next two points on a kill by Meygan Androvich and on Lael Perlstrom’s solo block of a Shelly Swalec spike.

Northridge then gift-wrapped another pair of points for San Luis Obispo. First, Missy Clements drove a ball into the net, then she hit a ball wide down the right side.

Perlstrom, an All-Northwest region selection last year, had match-high totals of 17 kills and 13 digs, but no other Mustang player had more than eight kills, further evidence of Northridge’s sloppy play.

“The biggest question I had coming in here was our competitiveness,” Ker said. “And tonight, we did not compete very well.

Northridge appeared to have the second game well in hand, leading, 12-5, but the Matadors were unable to put San Luis Obispo away.

The Mustangs narrowed their deficit to 13-9, and after a timeout by Northridge added two more points on a stuff block and a mishandled serve.

San Luis Obispo eventually took a 14-13 lead on a kill by Perlstrom, and after an exchange of sideouts, the Mustangs clinched the game when Northridge’s Heather Anderson drove the ball into the net.

“Every one of our girls is going to have to step up and go to bat in the next match,” Ker said. “This team is much better than it showed tonight.”