Toros Volleyball Takes Two on Day Two of UC San Diego Classic
August 25, 2006

Complete Box Score
vs. Mesa State         vs. Bryant

La Jolla, CA -- After a disappointing start to open the 2006 season, the Cal State Dominguez Hills volleyball squad took its collective frustration out on Mesa State (30-20, 32-30, 33-35, 25-30, 16-14) and Bryant University (30-25, 30-25, 34-32) this afternoon, taking both matches on day two of the UC San Diego Triton Classic and evening its record at 2-2 four games into the young season.

In the opener, junior Tiffany Bull (Lake Los Angeles, CA/Antelope Valley College) would get the Toros going, serving five straight points to give CSUDH a quick 5-0 lead. The Mavericks would claw back to make a game of it at 20-18, but multiple errors and monstrous kills by freshman sensation Penina Suddeth (Hesperia, CA/Hesperia HS) and junior Sophia Lopes (Los Angeles, CA/Santa Monica College) would enable CSUDH to cruise to the 30-20 game one win.

Mesa State jumped out early in game two until the Toros finally caught the Mavericks at 30-30 down the stretch, using a MSU ball handling error and put-away by Lopes to take the game and a subsequent 2-0 lead.

After the Mavericks stormed back in games 3 and 4, the Toros regrouped in the finale by taking a 9-2 lead, only to have Mesa State answer with an 11-4 run to tie the game at 13-13. Junior transfer TaMesha Jefferson (Lancaster, CA/Antelope Valley College), however, would not let the Toros' first victory of the 2006 season escape, as her hammer sealed the 16-14 game five win, giving new Toros head coach Randy Cline his first victory in Cardinal & Gold.

Suddeth led CSUDH with 17 kills and 10 digs while hitting .293 and recording six block assists. Lopes and Jefferson would also be in double figures with 15 and 13 kills, respectively, while Nicole Hoffman (Clovis, CA/Fresno CC) chipped in eight kills on 17 attempts without an error, good for a .471 hitting percentage. Defensively, libero Maria Miranda (Lakewood, CA/Cerritos CC) and Jenise Espindola (Lake View Terrace, CA/Pierce College) would be huge in the back row, adding 21 and 12 digs, while Bull tallied 49 assists and 17 digs in the win.

With their first victory under their collective belts, the Toros stormed out of the gate in the nightcap against Bryant, taking an 11-4 lead on a BU attack error. CSUDH would build its lead to as much as 18-8 before seeing its advantage dwindle to 19-17, but the Toros would ride two kills by Timary More (Torrance, CA/El Camino College) and successive BU errors to take game one 30-25.

After CSUDH took the next game by the identical score, BU seemed ready to elevate its play by taking its first lead of the match at 15-14 since scoring the match's first point in game one, and increasing it to 19-15 on a kill by Jess Cegarra. CSUDH, however, would not let BU run away with the game, using a Hoffman kill and four BU errors to trim the deficit to 21-20. After BU put together a small run, CSUDH would answer, finally knotting game three at 26-26 on a BU attack error.

The two teams would split the next 12 points until a Lopes putaway and BU attack error gave the Toros the 34-32 decision, and a modest two-match win streak. Suddeth, Lopes and More tallied team-high honors with 10 kills apiece, while Espindola's 14 digs led a trio of stellar defensive efforts. BU was led by Cegarra's match-high 15 kills and Maureen Atkins' 20 digs, but could not match the Toros' effort at the net as CSUDH managed a 13.5 to 6.0 blocking advantage.

The Toros conclude the UCSD Classic tomorrow afternoon against Western Oregon University, before returning home to host Armstrong Atlantic State University on Tuesday, August 29, for its 2006 home opener, with first serve scheduled for 7:30 pm in the Torodome.