The ‘Dogs attempted to stop a spike against Hawaii,
who is in first-place in the WAC during last week’s game.
Alicia Acevedo / The Collegian
Fresno State will be making the trip to the postseason after all this season with its performance on Saturday night against Western Athletic Conference rival San Jose State.
With the win, the ‘Dogs clinched the fifth seed in the upcoming Western Athletic Conference Tournament afterbarely missing the cut last year.
The Bulldogs lost the opening set to the Spartans 20-25, but sophomore Lauren Albertson’s career-high 15 kills helped the ‘Dogs rally back as they took the next three sets 25-22, 25-21 and 25-13, respectively. The middle blocker talked about the win against one of the conference foes.
“This was an important win for us as a team,” Albertson said. “Just knowing that we can beat a team like that shows we are capable of beating anyone when we play our game.”
Fellow sophomore libero Korrin Wild also had 15 kills along with 12 digs to record her fifth double-double of the season.
Senior middle blocker Brianna Clarke added 11 kills and four blocks against the Spartans. Her efforts increased her career blocks total to 415, moving her into a tie for third place all time. After the big win, Clarke recalled on how last season went for the ‘Dogs.
“Last season we were edged out [of the tournament], but this season we’re more determined to stay dedicated to the gameplan,” Clarke said.
That dedication has paid off for Fresno State since they will be making the trip to Las Vegas for the WAC Tournament after last year’s failure to qualify for the postseason.
Head coach Lauren Netherby-Sewell is in her fourth season as the face of the program and has led the ‘Dogs to three wins of the current four-game home stand.
A lot has changed in a year and this win was the remedy that Netherby-Sewell felt was a must after last season.
“We were extremely disappointed last year,” Netherby-Sewell said. “So this team and staff are really eager to get back to the WAC Tournament and do some damage there.”
The Bulldogs have four remaining WAC games to perfect their bite to match their bark before the tournament begins on Nov. 21 in Las Vegas.
Fresno State is currently 11-12 overall and 5-5 in the WAC. It will travel to face the second place New Mexico State and Louisiana Tech this week for their final road trip of the regular season.
Following the final road trip, the ‘Dogs will complete their regular-season schedule against third-place Idaho and fourth-place Utah State. Netherby-Sewell recognizes the tough upcoming WAC schedule, but has seen the improvement in this year’s team to last years.
“We’re getting better physically and our consistency in practices is leveling out,” Netherby-Sewell said.
With the marked improvements in practice benefitting the ‘Dogs on the court, Netherby-Sewell’s team hopes to make the most of its remaining season before the much-awaited trip to Las Vegas for the WAC Tournament.
“It’s a must this year, so it’s in our mind, but again we’re taking it match by match right now,” Netherby-Sewell said. “If we think too big and too broad it can get a bit intimidating.”
