SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – Day one of the annual Cal State San Bernardino Coyote Classic saw the Cal Poly Pomona volleyball team split two matches, winning the first against Fort Lewis 3-1 and then falling to Western New Mexico 3-1.
 
CPP 3, FLC 1
 
The Green and Gold earned their second win of the 2015 season as they bested the Skyhawks in the first, third and fourth set. Their lone losing set came after a solid fight when they fell in the second set in extra points and a score of 28-26.
 
With Alina Smith serving for CPP, the Broncos opened the first set with a 14-point spree, a lead that the Skyhawks would be unable to compete with. FLC would put together a few small runs itself, but remained unable to pull even and the first set went to the Broncos 25-17.
 
The second set showed the true tenacity of both squads as there was never more than a three-point spread between the two. The set would go into extra points and the lead would change teams eight times. A fortuitous three-point rally for the Skyhawks gave them the set in the end with a score of 28-26.
 
The final two sets fell in the Broncos' way. Set No. 3 showed another strong matchup between the two squads, but CPP prevailed winning the set 29-27.
 
Set No. 4 was the most lopsided of the match, as the Broncos put together three runs of five-or-more points. The largest spree in the set was a seven-pointer.
 
Deanna Blaine led the Broncos in the match, posting 18 kills while also tallying 20 digs. Nicoletta Stork racked up 11 kills on 24 attempts for a .417 kill percentage. Hannah Harrer posted 12 kills of her own.
 
WNMU 3, CPP 1
 
The Broncos fell to the Western New Mexico Mustangs, three sets to one. Despite the loss, this second match of the day featured a strong showing for the CPP squad.
 
In all four of the sets, the Broncos scored at least 20 points. They earned a win in the first set 25-23, while falling in the final three sets 22-25, 20-25, and 22-25 respectively.
 
Set No. 1 was a great match opener as both teams were able to consistently score and not allow the opposing team to gain too large of a lead. At any given point throughout the match, there was never more than a three-point spread.
 
In the second set, the Broncos were hot out of the gate, doubling the WNMU scores at 14-7. After the Green and Gold held the lead, the designated visitors, the Mustangs, steadily worked their way back and were able to tie the game at 22-22. They ended the set with a five-point streak and took set two 25-22.
 
The third set, early on, was anybody's game. The scoreboard saw a tie at five different points. However, after 6-6, the Mustangs started to consistently add to their lead and ended up winning the set 25-20.
 
The fourth and final set proved a rollercoaster in terms of scoring. Both teams fought hard as the 10 occasions of a tie score and six different lead changes show. Unfortunately for the Green and Gold, the final lead change was fortuitous for the Mustangs. A kill ended things for the WNMU squad and gave them a score of 25-22.
 
In the second match of the tournament, three Broncos reached double-digit kills. They were led by Nicoletta Stork at 15, followed by Blaine at 12 and Kristen Hamlin at 10.
 
Four members of the Broncos team also tallied double-digit digs. Senior Zoe Herrera led the way at 20, followed by Blaine at 13, Samantha Figueroa at 11, and Lauren Miller at 10.
 
Cal Poly Pomona will finish off the tournament with matches against New Mexico Highlands and Westminster. The first match for CPP will be against Highlands and will take place at 10 a.m. After a short break, the Green and Gold will be back for a 2:30 p.m. start against Westminster.