Coyotes' Impressive Season Comes to a Close in NCAA West Regional Final
Box score |
Match highlights
BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes battled to the very last point in the five-setter at Western Washington before succumbing to the Vikings in the NCAA Division II Volleyball Championship West Regional Final on Saturday at Carver Gym.
The Coyotes close the year with an impressive 28-3 mark on the season and a CCAA Championship banner for the third-straight year. Two of Cal State San Bernardino’s three matches on the season came at the hands of Western Washington, both five-set affairs.
Cal State San Bernardino was paced by CCAA Player of the Year Alexis Cardoza’s 24 kills and 14 digs, with Sascha Dominique adding 20 kills on .545 hitting and five blocks. Jalyn Hayes also reached double-digit scoring ending with 15.5 points with 12 kills and seven assisted blocks, including the denial to send the match to a decisive fifth set. Senior and CCAA Setter of the Year Jayann DeHoog capped her collegiate career with 62 assists and a team-high 23 digs.
Cal State San Bernardino leapt out to an early lead in the match, taking the first frame by a score of 25-23. The Coyotes opened with the early lead, but Western Washington turned the tables midway through the set with a 16-10 advantage after a Cardoza attack went long. Cal State San Bernardino clawed back to an 18-16 lead after back-to-back aces for Dominique forced a Vikings timeout. Asia Clarke’s first kill of the night served as a final point in the frame to set the home team on their heels as the Coyotes jumped out to the early lead in the match.
Western Washington rebounded by building another sizable lead to open the second set, scoring six consecutive winners to go up 10-4 on Gabby Gunterman’s kill. San Bernardino again chipped away at the lead and came back to within 23-22 after a Western Washington attack went long. Western Washington’s Kayleigh Harper took charge from there, finishing with kills on the final two rallies to tie the match.
The third set was much tighter with neither building a lead of more than three points. The Vikings led 21-20 before extending the advantage to 24-21 after a Gunterman slam brought the crowd of 1,641 fans to their feet. The Coyotes stayed in it, collecting a kill from Dominique to come back with two points before Harper once again closed it out for the Vikings.
The fourth saw Cal State San Bernardino out to the quick start after Cardoza’s blast set the score at 4-1 in the early goings of the action. As was the case all night long, the margin stayed close, and the Vikings pulled within two after a Hayes tip fell short to put the score at 23-21. Cardoza scored the point after a Coyote timeout, and Hayes and Asia Clarke combined for the block to give Cal State San Bernardino the 25-21 set win and force a decisive fifth.
Despite dropping the fourth, the home crowd gave the Vikings just the boost they needed in the closing frame, as Western Washington saw themselves up 4-1 after Harper yet again blasted the ball the point. Abby Phelps grew the Western Washington lead to 7-3 after getting the point off the touch and Michaela Hall made it a five-point lead after putting a free ball down to the court for the point. The Coyotes managed to stave off match point on three tries, pulling the frame to within two before Phelps powered down her final point on her home floor to give the Vikings the trophy and send the squad to the NCAA quarterfinal round in Pittsburgh.