FULLERTON, Calif. – Cal State Fullerton women's volleyball defeated UC Riverside in straight sets (25-20, 25-17, 25-21) on Friday night, snapping a six-match losing streak. The Titans improved to 8-17 overall and 3-10 in Big West play. 

Fina Tuinauvai led the Titans with 11 kills on .526 hitting, setting career highs in kills, assists (2), points (11), and digs (1). As a team, Fullerton tallied 45 kills on .370 hitting, marking their second-best hitting percentage of the season. 

Tuinauvai came out swinging, tying the first set at 3-3 with three straight kills. Marisa Nakata followed with back-to-back kills to give the Titans a 5-3 advantage before UC Riverside used a 4-0 run to edge the Titans ahead, 16-15. A kill by Lira Pukl Verdel evened the set at 16-16, and a back-and-forth rally brought the score to 20-20. Fullerton controlled the remainder of the frame, taking the final five points on kills from Zariah Crosby and Ketesia Hall, plus two service aces by Devin Hicks, to win 25-20 and take a 1-0 match lead. 
 

Titans take the first set 25-20 finished off by back-to-back aces from Hicks!#TusksUp pic.twitter.com/nas87571LJ

— Titans Volleyball (@Fullerton_WVB) November 8, 2025

Momentum stayed on the Titans' side in the second set as they opened with a 4-0 lead behind kills from Nakata, Tuinauvai, and Kahea Carvalho. Four straight errors allowed the Highlanders to tie it at 5-5 before Nakata smashed a kill to reclaim the lead. The teams traded points through six more ties until UC Riverside errors helped the Titans pull ahead, 15-12. Fullerton closed the second set on a 6-0 run, highlighted by a Tuinauvai kill and three consecutive service aces by Hannah Hass, to take the set 25-17. 

With a 2-0 match lead, the Titans fell behind early in the third set, 4-1, before Hall and Nakata helped even the score at 5-5. A Pukl Verdel kill gave Fullerton a 7-5 edge, and the Titans built a 10-point lead (24-14). The Highlanders went on a 7-0 run that cut Fullerton's deficit to 24-21, but Tuinauvai sealed the sweep with her 11th kill of the match. The 3-0 victory marked Fullerton's first straight-set win since Oct. 11 against Cal State Bakersfield. 
 

GAME. SET. MATCH.#TusksUp pic.twitter.com/XjJL1pOqpZ

— Titans Volleyball (@Fullerton_WVB) November 8, 2025

The Titans return to Titan Gym on Saturday for a 2 p.m. matchup against UC Davis. 

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