Matadors Take Loyola Marymount to Five Games, but Lose the Match

The momentum and enthusiasm that the Cal State Northridge volleyball team enjoyed early in the season is gone.

Instead, it has been replaced with embarrassment as Loyola Marymount completed a season sweep, defeating the Matadors 15-9, 10-15, 15-11, 2-15, 15-11 in a match at Northridge.

Northridge had owned Loyola before this season; the Lions had not beaten Northridge on the Matadors home court since 1984.

Loyola had gone nearly six years without defeating Northridge until Thursday’s match at Loyola.

“We used to be a pretty good team,” Matador coach John Price said. Northridge dropped to 4-4, 4-3 in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play. Northridge rallied to tie the match at two games apiece when it defeated Loyola 15-2 in the fourth game.

In the deciding game, which was played in rally scoring, the Matadors lost the cohesiveness they had displayed in the fourth game.

Loyola, (5-6, 2-5) was led by Paul Severns, who had 29 kills.