ROHNERT PARK, Calif. - The Cal Poly Pomona volleyball team put together a strong effort in the third game Saturday but ultimately couldn't extend the match beyond the minimum number of sets, as nationally-ranked Sonoma State dealt the Broncos a 3-0 setback.
CPP wraps up the season with an overall mark above .500, at 14-13. The Broncos finished the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) slate at 11-11, putting them in a four-way tie for fifth place in the conference standings.
The four CPP seniors -
Courtney Alberi,
Karissa Lagmay,
Ashley Marshman and
Kristin McNeese - played in their final collegiate match Saturday in Rohnert Park.
The Seawolves' defense held the Broncos' attack to a hitting percentage of .063 through the match, while SSU racked up 12 blocks and 54 digs. Although no CPP player tallied more than five kills Saturday, McNeese stood out with 13 digs and
Katie Colin contributed 18 assists out of the setting role.
In the first game, the Broncos managed to take an early 7-6 lead off a McNeese kill. The host SSU squad rallied for 10 of the next 12 points though, a run that featured three-straight kills by Kelsey Hull and put the Seawolves ahead 16-9. Despite a few late kills from CPP's Marshman, SSU took the first set by a score of 25-14.
The Seawolves rolled out to an 8-0 advantage in the second game before a
Lauren Jones kill finally stopped the run and got the Broncos on the board. Two of the three final kills in the frame for CPP came from Alberi but SSU continued to build up its lead and finished with a 25-11 result.
Out of the intermission, the Broncos and Seawolves played a close third game. SSU reached double digits first, gaining a 10-6 margin on a kill from Regan Richert. CPP countered with two points, one off a Lagmay kill and the next coming from a double block for
Jamie Kidd and Alberi.
The Broncos continued to stay close with SSU and even trimmed down the lead to 21-20 after another kill by Alberi. The Seawolves rallied for four of the final five points though to take the game 25-21 and conclude the Saturday sweep.
Although CPP was left out of the most recent NCAA West Region rankings, the Broncos hold identical marks with the team in the 10th position - Cal State L.A. Not far off from sliding into the postseason picture, CPP will return 11 of its 15 letterwinners for the 2012 season.
