The University of Redlands volleyball team returned home to Currier Gym for a non-conference showdown against Cal State San Marcos on Tuesday night. After facing a two-set deficit, the Bulldogs rallied to take the third stanza and then forced an extended effort in the fourth frame. However, their comeback effort fell just short in the Maroon and Gray's third outing of the 2013 season, 17-25, 15-25, 25-21, 28-30.
The teams traded scores through the first few points of the opening set, tying the count at six apiece. But San Marcos found its offensive rhythm with kills coming from all sides of the court and eventually pulled away for the win.
The Cougar offense remained hot through the second stanza, registering its best output at .367, to take a two-set advantage.
Nonetheless, the Bulldogs refused to go down quietly, clawing their way back into the third frame. Redlands broke a five-all tie with back-to-back kills by sophomore outside hitter Ashton Martin (Redlands, CA) and maintained a distance of at least one point through a 17-16 lead.
At this juncture, freshman defensive specialist Jazzy Kealoha (Honolulu, HI) entered to serve and blasted an ace for the Maroon and Gray. She rattled off five more points as the Cougars struggled to respond to her tough serving. In addition, sophomore middle blocker Marisa Gile (Yucaipa, CA) knocked down one of her 11 kills and combined efforts with senior setter Alisha Cornick (Hollister, CA) for a big-time block.
Leading 22-16, the Bulldogs withstood a short-term rally by the Cougars, before senior outside hitter Morgan Buckner (San Rafael, CA) unleashed consecutive kills for the third-set victory.
Redlands continued to shine in the fourth set, stringing together solid offensive pieces with stellar defensive comebacks.
After the Cougars garnered an early five-point lead, the Maroon and Gray answered with a 6-2 run to make it 11-10. During this spurt, Buckner and freshman middle blocker Allison Jensen (Redlands, CA) put together two kills apiece.
The teams continued to trade punches with short-lived momentum changes that resulted in a knotted score at 23. An additional five ties occurred, before CSUSM's Kelli McLin found hardwood for the winning point, which resulted in a tough two-point defeat for the Bulldogs.
Redlands put together its best hitting percentage of the match during the fourth set, knocking down 13 kills at a .237 clip.
Overall, Buckner led the Maroon and Gray with 14 kills on the night, with Gile backing her with 11.
Cornick distributed 38 assists, while Buckner headed up a trio of double-digit dig performers with sophomore libero Courtney Johnson (Dana Point, CA) and sophomore defensive specialist Karly Burningham (Sonoma, CA).
Finally, Jensen, Cornick, and Gile each provided two or more block assists en route to the team's total of six blocks.
Cal State San Marcos (9-2) gained 20 kills and 17 digs from Alyssa Hubbard.
The Bulldogs (1-2) look forward to competing at Cal Lutheran University's Posada Royale Fall Invite, beginning on Friday with a 5 p.m. match against Schreiner University (TX).