Cal State Fullerton

NEW ORLEANS — The Cal State Fullerton volleyball team closed nonconference play in a 3-1 loss to Idaho (23-25, 25-21, 16-25, 12-25) Saturday at the Pelican Invitational. The Titans moved to 5-8 overall and 1-2 at the tournament. 

Marisa Nakata led the Titans offensively, tallying 13 kills and two service aces. The sophomore increased her career total to 198 kills. Sofia Shine added 11 kills, while Parys Taylor added 10. Sibley Oster recorded 34 assists, serving as the primary setter against the Vandals. As a team, the Titans tallied 44 kills with a .156 hitting percentage. 

Fullerton dropped a close opening set, 25-23, which featured nine ties and four lead changes. As a team, the Titans posted a .235 hitting percentage compared with Idaho's .300. The Vandals and Titans traded nine straight kills, putting Fullerton in an 11-9 deficit. Consecutive attacking errors by Idaho tied the set at 11-11, but Idaho returned to a two-point lead with a pair of kills. The Titans found their first lead of the set, 15-14, on an Idaho error after Nakata evened the set with a kill. Taylor used a pair of kills to tie the set for the seventh time and push Fullerton to a 19-17 lead. Idaho posted a crucial block, denying Nakata on the attack for a 23-22 lead. Nakata recorded a kill to delay Idaho's set point, but the Vandals answered with a kill to secure a 1-0 match lead. 

The Titans secured a 25-21 win in the second set. Mia Feldhaus used a service ace to tie the set at 4-4. Errors by Idaho guided the Titans to a 4-0 scoring run that featured one kill from Shine for an 11-6 lead. Shine added back-to-back kills to extend Fullerton's lead to 12-8. Taylor gave the Titans a 15-14 lead with a kill before the teams battled to an 18-18 tie. Oster pushed the Titans to a 20-18 lead with a service ace, resulting in Idaho calling a timeout. Emilia Graham recorded a solo block before adding a kill for a 22-19 advantage, while Taylor and an Idaho attack error aided the Titans in evening the match at 1-1. 

Idaho controlled the third set from start to finish, securing a 25-16 victory. The Vandals set the tone early after opening the set on a 5-0 run that was later disrupted by Graham's third kill of the match. Idaho pushed to a 23-12 lead before Taylor sandwiched Nakata with two kills to cut the team's deficit to 23-15. Nakata and Graham recorded a block assist, but the Titans could not defend the Vandals from retaking a 2-1 match lead. 

Fullerton took the set's first point on a kill by Arianna Ellis, but quickly surrendered the lead to a 7-0 scoring run by Idaho. Nakata recorded two kills and a service ace to cut Idaho's lead in half, 8-4, while Shine added a kill to trail 9-5. Oster and Graham continued trimming Fullerton's deficit with a block assist, but the Vandals responded with a lengthy run to lead 15-7. The Vandals jumped to a 24-10 lead, while a kill from Hass and a service ace from Nakata kept the Titans alive. Idaho closed the set and match on a Fullerton attack error. 

The Titans open Big West play on the road against UC San Diego and UC Irvine. Fullerton will visit the Tritons on Sept. 25 at 6:00 p.m. and the Anteaters on Sept. 26 at 5:00 p.m. 

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