Bulldogs attacked by Wolf Pack

Fresno State loses match versus Nevada along with team leader

By Darrell Copeland

The Fresno State volleyball team has now lost three of its past four matches, dropping a 3-1 decision at home to Nevada 20-30, 24-30, 30-21, 23-30 on Saturday.

The high-flying, hard-hitting combinations that Nevada put together in three of the four games flustered the Bulldogs. Nevada junior Salaia Salave’a continually punished the Bulldogs, connecting on 25 of 41 attack chances for a team - and match - high .463 hitting percentage.

Fresno State head coach Lindy Vivas had nothing but praise for Salave’a after the match.

“We knew we were going to have trouble with Salave’a,” Vivas said. “Obviously she’s been getting better and better the last couple of years.”

The gravity-defying Salave’a wasn’t the only Wolf Pack player to hurt the Bulldogs. Two freshmen, Teal Ericson and Karly Sipherd, also dominated Fresno State’s front line.

The two players seemed to knock the air out of the ball with each attack attempt as they combined for 26 Nevada kills. In all, the three players combined for 54.5 of the teams 81.5 points.

The lone bright spot for the Bulldogs continues to be freshman Christianna Reneau, who connected on 21 out of 59 attack chances. For a four-game match, Reneau’s 59 chances ranks fifth all-time in Fresno State history.

“It was their middle attack versus Reneau, and their middle attack won,” Vivas said.

Fresno State hit .171 for the match and will need other players to emerge in the upcoming road trip to Boise State and Texas El-Paso after senior captain Kristen Fenton quit the team Wednesday.

Fenton, an All-American last season and 2004 Western Athletic Conference Preseason Player of the Year, left the team for personal reasons, according to Vivas, after considering the decision for several weeks.

“We need other players to step up,” Vivas said.