LOS ANGELES - Despite dropping the first set Friday on the road, the Cal Poly Pomona volleyball team stormed back to secure a 3-1 victory against Cal State L.A.
Starting a stretch of three matches in three-straight days, the Broncos' win moves them into a tie with the Golden Eagles for seventh place in the conference standings. CPP owns an overall mark of 6-6, with both squads carrying marks of 3-5 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA).
Junior
Diana Lake turned in a solid all-around performance for the Broncos, as she racked up 14 kills, 16 digs and four service aces. Sophomore setter
Katie Colin also played well in totaling 43 assists, just four shy of her season high.
The Golden Eagles' attack came out swinging in the first set, as the hosts recorded a hitting percentage of .406 in that span with Marquis Mora leading the way with four kills. CSULA backed into a win in that frame as the two teams traded service errors in the final two points after kills from Lake and
Kristin McNeese helped the Broncos pull to within 23-21.
CPP showed its toughness in the second set as the Broncos trailed at one point 10-2. The visitors battled back though and finished the frame on a 12-5 run, with CPP displaying its depth as the team's final four kills came from four different players.
Taylr Kreutziger closed out the Broncos' dramatic win in that set with a service ace to take the 26-24 result.
The third frame ended in the same score for CPP, 26-24, and it took just as much fortitude and comeback magic for the visitors. The Broncos faced a pair of match points with the score at 24-22 in favor of CSULA but a
Jessica Doerner kill followed by three straight from McNeese gave CPP another two-point win.
With almost all of the momentum going into the fourth set, the Broncos jumped out to a 7-1 lead and held an advantage through the remainder of the match.
Karissa Lagmay joined Lake in double figures for kills with 11 on a hitting percentage of .368. Kreutziger finished the evening with five blocks to pace CPP in that category.
Up next for the Broncos will be a 7 p.m. Saturday matchup at Cal State Dominguez Hills. CPP returns home to host San Francisco State Sunday at 4:30 p.m.