Sept. 16, 2016
Final Stats - Long Beach State Match
Final Stats - Cal State Fullerton Match
San Diego, Calif.-- Playing back-to-back five-set matches, the San José State volleyball team dug and blocked their way to a split at the USD/SDSU Invitational Friday, falling in the opening match to Long Beach State, 3-2 (22-25, 25-22, 25-18, 23-25, 15-12), but rallying to defeat Cal State Fullerton, 3-2 (25-17, 22-25, 25-12, 19-25, 15-11).
In the win over the Titans, two Spartans etched themselves into the blocking and digging school record books. Nandyala Gama recorded 13 block assists, one shy of tying the San José State records for block assists in a match and total blocks in a match. She is also the Spartan in school history to record 13 blocks in a match.
Luiza Andrade also had a career-day in the second match. She recorded 37 digs, the fifth-highest total in school history and is the only player at SJSU to record 37 digs in a match. Andrade had this performance after recording her first collegiate double-double in the earlier match against Long Beach State where she had 11 assists and 13 digs.
With the five-set win over Cal State Fullerton, four Spartans recorded double-digit kills, led by Gama with 14, followed by Hana Tresnáková at 13, Thaliana Grajeda at 10 and Summer Avery at 10. Three Spartans had double-doubles - Gama (14 kills, 13 blocks), Tresnáková (13 kills, 10 digs) and Breann Robinson (42 assists, 15 digs).
The Spartans had a season-high 19 blocks including 36 block assists, one shy of the school record. Robinson recorded a career-best eight block assists, while Grajeda and Avery each had five blocks.
In the first match of the day, the Spartans won the first set against Long Beach State, 25-22, behind five kills from Gama. The 49ers then won the next two sets, 25-22 and 25-18, before the Spartans rallied in the fourth set, 25-23. SJSU opened up an early 8-4 lead, but Long Beach State rallied back to take a 10-9 lead. The Spartans once again took a 17-13 lead, but the 49ers came back to tie the score and led 21-18. San José State took the lead for good at 22-21 on a Tresnáková kill and won the set on a kill by Grajeda.
The fifth set featured five lead changes and seven ties. Neither team led by more than three points. San José State led 8-7, but the 49ers used a 3-0 run to go ahead 10-8 and never relinquished the lead en route to the 15-12 win.
Grajeda led the team in kills with 14 and added two blocks, while Tresnáková added 12 kills and three blocks. Gama led the team with five blocks and had 10 kills. Andrade recorded her first collegiate double-double with 11 assists and 13 digs.
San José State is now 7-4 on the season and plays one match on Saturday at the Invitational against UC Santa Barbara beginning at 1:30 p.m. Live stats and live scoring links are available at www.sjsuspartans.com.
USD/SDSU Invitational
San Diego, Calif.
Long Beach State def. San José State - 3-2 (22-25, 25-22, 25-18, 23-25, 15-12)
Kills - LBS - Nele Barber 18, Ashley Murray 13; SJSU - Thaliana Grajeda 14, Hana Tresnáková 12, Nandyala Gama 10.
Records - Long Beach State 6-5; San José State 6-4.
San José State def. Cal State Fullerton - 3-2 (25-17, 22-25, 25-12, 19-25, 15-11).
Kills - SJSU - Nandyala Gama 14; CSF - Shimen Fayad 14.
Records - Cal State Fullerton 5-7; San José State 7-4.
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