Golden West dominated on Friday, 0-3, leaving Fullerton College in the dust. Although Fullerton had a good defense, the team fell to Golden West’s strong serves.
With the first set at 22-22, the teams played a game of tag as the Hornets chased the Rustlers to take the set.
Golden West upped their score 25-24, but it didn’t stay that way for long as Fullerton’s Bri Stotmore brought the two teams into another tie.
There was a lot of action throughout the set, including a card towards Fullerton’s Coach Kevin Hughes after arguing with the officials when Golden West scored a point, ending the first set at 27-25.
“They attacked the ball and it didn’t touch anybody,” said Hughes, “It hit the net so it should have been four-contact and Golden West certainly doesn’t need the help, they’re a very good team. We thought it was a four-contact violation, but the officials did not agree with me.”
Golden West scores the first point of the second set, which is immediately followed by Fullerton’s Klaudia Bustillo.
Later on in the second set, a combination of Stotmore’s spikes and Savannah Hernandez’s blocks, the Hornets took a 12-7 lead against the Rustlers.
The Rustlers brought back their game and with it the score, 24-19. With the ball in the Hornets’ court, they spiked the ball out of bounds and gave Golden West the point they needed to take the second set.
With Golden West leading the third set 11-3 and the ball in their court, Emalee Alton spiked the ball out of bounds and gave the Hornets their last point of the match and ending 25-4.
“I think we did really good in the first set,” said Stotmore. “And I think if we just pushed a little sooner, and that call wasn’t made, I think we would have been able to win that set and have that momentum flow into the other sets, and maybe we could have had a different energy.”
