Weekly Hornet

Issue date: 9/26/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Jonathon Don

The Lady Hornets had the opportunity to take it to the team that eliminated them in the first round of the 2006 playoffs, and they took every advantage to do so.

Fullerton, who
captured the Orange Empire Conference title last year, crushed Cuesta in three straight sets (30-28, 30-22, 30-26) last Wednesday, and handed them their first loss.

The Cougars came out ready to play and matched the Lady Hornets point for point early in the first set of the match. Cuesta took the initiative with four straight points to push in
front 16-20.

It appeared as though the Cougars were going to take the set, and the momentum, but Fullerton (6-1) would not be denied.
Even when Cuesta had pushed the lead to 22-27, the Lady Hornets did not panic; they took nine points in a row to take the set.

Outside hitter Crisi Nihipali answered the call
with 3 consecutive kills to end the set. She finished the match with a team leading 21 kills, for a hitting percentage of .340, and 22 digs.

"I wanted to beat them, because we lost [to Cuesta] in the playoffs last year," Nihipali said. "We have a lot of leaders on our team, and that's really helpful. As long as we win
the game, that's all that matters to me."

To begin the second set, Cuesta setter Ali White aced a serve.
Nihipali came right back in the next serve and evened it up with a kill. The volleys were again intense, and long in duration.
Cougar outside hitter Julie Coelho put her team up 3-6 with a kill, and Cuesta established a 4-8 advantage during the next three serves.

The Lady Hornets again fought back and evened the score at 8-8 with a tip by setter Katie Adams. Adams had 1 kill and 18 digs herself, while tallying 55 assists.

The Cougars tried to pull away once more, but after 2 points Fullerton again evened it up with two kills back to back by libero Brooke Raynor and Nihipali. Raynor put up 5 kills
and 23 digs to lead Fullerton.

Fullerton put 8 points on the board while Cuesta managed only one. Fullerton did not look back. They dominated and controlled much of the second set and put the Cougars down
again 30-22.

"I think that [Fullerton] was able to limit how effective we are offensively," said Cuesta Head Coach Roche Nystrom. "We hadn't really been challenged until tonight. They have a

Continued...

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