TURLOCK – Coming into the game as underdogs against #18 Cal Poly Pomona, Stanislaus State went hunting for the upset. Unable to take a close fourth set, the Warriors couldn't steal a fifth on Dig Pink Night.
 
The home team put on a convincing run to take the opening set of their highly anticipated matchup, securing a 25-23 victory to set the tone early. Well-rounded attacking from the Warriors' starters kept the score air-tight, with the largest margin only reaching four points. Ellison Weaver led her team in kills with 14, putting down five in the first set alone.
 
The Broncos took back the reigns in set two, blazing to a quick 6-0 lead. Mariah Iousa entered the match and left her mark on the second set with four kills and a block assist alongside Alex Byrd. Iosua would finish the match with 10 total kills. Stan State's bench stepped up big as Eyriana Eatmon had two service aces, while Cassie Corbett and Natasha Mich each did damage on the offensive end with their own kills. Despite the effort, the Warriors couldn't seem to answer back, ending the set 15-25.
 
Haley Burdo did what she could to facilitate kills for her teammates, finishing with 25 assists on the night. Eatmon would follow right behind her with a solid passing display for 20 assists. Gabby Rawson hit the floor for 22 assists on a night that saw more than 160 total attempts go in the Warriors' direction. Macky Morris was able to come alive in the latter half of the match, finishing with 10 kills, including some heavy-hitters down the stretch. The Warriors would have the third set slip away 16-25.
 
In a final effort to take the match to five sets, another nail-biter went down to the wire in set four. Coach Lauren Flowers emptied her bench to ride her hitters' hot hands. Morris, Iosua, Weaver, Byrd, and Autumn Kirby would each put big time kills on the board to bring the team back. While the final set was a close one, the Broncos would come out of Fitzpatrick Arena with a 22-25 set win to take the 3-1 victory.
 
Stanislaus State returns to action Saturday evening at 5pm for another touch match against #13 ranked Cal State San Bernardino.