Just when it seemed that one team was going to run away with the game, relentless efforts from the other side played a major role in stopping it.
SF State went toe to toe with Cal Poly Pomona and gave themselves a chance to win in each sets but managed to only come out with one out of four. With the loss, the Gators are now 9-8 in the CCAA and fell out of a tie breaker with the Broncos for fifth place in the standing.
It was a back in forth game between both teams, with each sets decided by two and three points. There were a total of 21 tied scores and nine leads changes.
According to setter, Catherine Feathers, the little mistakes hurt the team.
“It came down to a couple simple points, here and there that came out in the end,” Feathers said. “We could have pull through in a couple of different plays, but we didn’t. We just need to figure out how to extend rallies and finish.”
Despite the loss, the Gators are proud of how they performed as a team.
Outside hitter, Taylor Brownlee believes her team will build on this game. “We just got stronger as a team tonight. I think we’re mentally ready for tomorrow night’s game too,” Brownlee said.
Head coach Jill Muhe added that she sees a lot of positives in the defeat. “We did a lot of good things, we did really well out there, we passed phenomenal and our defense rally were incredible. We take those positives away from this game,” Muhe said.
With another game coming up in less than 24 hours, Muhe believes her team will be ready and mentally prepared.
“We will rest and recover and can’t wait to play again tomorrow,” Muhe said.
Brownlee led the team in kills against the Broncos with 13, outside hitter Jaclyn Clark, added 12 and Feathers recorded a game high with 41 assists–capping off a stellar all-around performance.
Brownlee noted that health is key for her to continue her strong performance.
“I think staying healthy is at the top of my priority list and it takes everyone trying to contribute,” Brownlee said.
The defeat drop the Gators two games below .500 with the overall record of 11-13 but are still in good position for the CCAA tournament. They are currently sixth place in the conference standings, which would qualify them for the tournament. The top eight teams in the conference make it in the tournament and the Gators have three games remaining, with two out of their next three at home.
With the last of their back-to-back home games of the season, the Gators hope to maintain their tournament position tomorrow night against Cal State Monterey Bay.
