By: Marilyn Anye (@AnyeMarilyn) – Spear Reporter – Redshirt junior middle blocker Aniyah Hall (19) and redshirt senior right-side hitter Lolohea Fonua (3) go up for a block against the Golden Bears on Sunday at Spartan Gym. (Photo by Marilyn Anye – Spear photographer)
San Jose State women’s volleyball (5-5, 0-0 MW) fell 3-1 to the University of California, Berkeley (10-1, 0-0 ACC) Sunday afternoon at Spartan Gym after two back-and-forth sets, giving a difficult finish for the Spartans.
The Spartans stayed within reach for the first two sets, which were each decided by two points. They held a 23-20 advantage in the opener before the Golden Bears came over and scored six of the final seven points, taking the set 26-24.
The Spartans managed to respond in the second set by getting rid of the 19-14 deficit and tying the score 21-21 with a service ace from graduate student outside hitter Zuzana Kosíková.
Sophomore right-side hitter Tatiana Robinson followed with a late kill before senior setter Fatimah Hall secured the 25-23 win with an ace.
SJSU head coach Todd Kress said the difference came down to the Spartans’ execution in the closing points of each set.
“We got a little tentative, but in the second set we stayed aggressive,” Kress said. “We kept it on them, and we did the things that we needed to do.”
Kosíková led SJSU with 13 kills and added 10 digs for her third double-double of the season. Hall also recorded a double-double with 14 assists and 15 digs, marking her fourth of the season and 18th of her SJSU career.
However, despite splitting the first two sets, the Spartans weren’t able to maintain the same level of energy in the final two sets. The Golden Bears made a way for separation with 25-16 and 25-9 wins to close out the match.
Kress said the massive shift between the first two sets and the final two was something he had never witnessed in a match.
“I’ve not been in a match like that that was so back and forth the first two sets, and then set three and set four are so lopsided,” Kress said. “That’s 100% on us.”
Cal held the advantage at the net and service line, with 16 blocks and 13 aces compared with the Spartans’ seven blocks and six aces. The Golden Bears also hit with .270 for the match, while the Spartans closed at .145.
Several of Cal’s scoring runs happened during the final two sets, which included a six-point run in the third set that turned a 5-5 tie into an 11-5 advantage. In the fourth set, Cal used multiple scoring runs to build on its lead before closing out the match 25-9.
Kress also highlighted that the communication he saw during those stretches lacked the drive needed to stop the runs. He even emphasized the importance of needing a stronger presence on the court when opponents begin putting together scoring runs.
“We can’t allow teams to go on five, six-point runs,” Kress said. “We need an anchor out on the court that, when we do go into the huddle, demands more from everybody on the court as well as themselves.”
Despite the loss, Kress said the opening sets showed what the Spartans are made of when they consistently show their level of play.
“We showed a version of ourselves of what we can be if we decide to do that consistently and keep the faith and belief up consistently as well,” Kress said.
SJSU will open conference play against Air Force at 5 p.m. Thursday at Falcon Court East Gym in USAFA, Colo.
