SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The Fresno State volleyball team opened the Santa Clara Invitational with a four-set victory over the Southern Utah Thunderbirds on Friday.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Fresno State struggled to establish control in the first set, hitting with a low attack percentage of .057. Despite early errors from Southern Utah, Fresno State was unable to maintain momentum. Key players like Ella Rud and Addison Haluska contributed kills, but the Bulldog's service and attack errors allowed Southern Utah to pull ahead. Fresno State tried to rally but ultimately dropped the set 21-25.
Fresno State bounced back strongly in the second set, improving their hitting efficiency to .225. They made fewer errors and got solid contributions from Haluska and Kasey Purry. The Bulldogs also capitalized on Southern Utah's mistakes, including several service errors, to win the set comfortably 25-17, evening the match.
The third set was tightly contested. Fresno State showed resilience with key kills from Haluska and Purry. Despite Southern Utah pushing Fresno State to the edge, the Bulldogs edged out the set 25-23, gaining a crucial 2-1 lead in the match.
The Bulldogs played their best volleyball in the final set, hitting a strong .409. They controlled the tempo and minimized errors, while the defensive efforts, including multiple blocks from Purry and Brooke Cowie ,kept Southern Utah at bay. Fresno State closed out the match with a dominant 25-16 win to secure the 3-1 victory.
NOTES:
Fresno State out-hit Southern Utah .225 to .188.
Addison Hauska led the team with 16 kills, followed by Ella Rud with 10.
Brooke Cowie (4 assists & 15 digs) and Ella Rud (10 kills & 14 digs) earned double-doubles in the match.
UP NEXT
The Bulldogs will face host Santa Clara tomorrow at 6 p.m. PT at the Leavey Center.