Head Coach Jody Garry has been at the helm for the most successful seasons in Otter volleyball history. She needs one win to break the school record (15) set by her 2010 squad.
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SEASIDE, Calif. — It wasn't an oil painting, but the finished product looked like a Renoir as the Cal State Monterey Bay volleyball team matched the school record for wins in a season by defeating Cal State Dominguez Hills 25–20, 25–23, 18–25, 25–15 Friday night in The Kelp Bed.
CSUMB improved to 15–9 overall (9–7 CCAA) and matched the 2010 squad in victories. The Otters have six matches remaining to grab the record–breaker.
But Otter sights are set higher as they remain very much in the hunt for a berth in the NCAA Division II Pacific Regional. Cal State L.A., one of the other teams that scrum, visits Seaside Saturday tied with CSUMB for fourth place in the CCAA.
The Otters struggled to find a rhythm offensively against Dominguez Hills, but strong serve and net games helped them compensate. Five different Otters served aces, led by
Victoria Clardy (Westminster/Marina HS) with two, while CSUMB's 10 total team blocks rank No. 10 all–time in 4–set matches at CSUMB.
Julia Ashen (North Salinas HS) led the way there with four total, including two solo blocks.
A pair of Ashen kills broke an 11–11 tie and helped the Otters ease away in the first set. While the final score of the second set looked closer, CSUMB never trailed after taking a 9–8 lead.
The Toros took control early in the third set and led by as many as 10 points at 23–13. But the Otters seized back some of the momentum by winning five of the last seven points. While they didn't save the set, the roll they started carried over into the fourth set.
A pair of kills by
DJ Gresham-Ryder (Sacramento/Chavez HS) and a pair of Ashen blocks led the Otters to an early 9–4 lead in the fourth. Dominguez Hills never got closer than two points again, with the Otters scoring four of the final five points to seal the win.
Ashen led CSUMB with 14 kills to climb within 11 of her own school record for kills in one season of 426 set in 2012. Clardy and
Jessica Malcolm (Lodi HS) each had nine kills while freshman
Skyler Allen (Riverside Poly HS), who seems to have won the right side job, played a nice match of her own, adding six kills and two blocks.
Alijah Gunsaulus led CSUDH (8–16) with 14 kills while Korryne Kelley chipped in a match–high 18 digs.
GO OTTERS!
