TURLOCK -- In a match that felt almost like a game of seesaw, the Warriors gut out a tough 3-1 victory over a scrappy Gators squad. Stan State only let one set slip away from them, but were able to regroup and find their rhythm in sets 2-4.

San Francisco State came out the gates swinging in their evening matchup at Fitzpatrick Arena. Some early errors from the Warriors made room for the Gators to stay within striking distance in the opening set. After trying to fight back from several five point deficits, they couldn't close out an 18-25 final score.

The Warriors started to return to their original form early in the second set, as Sophomore Ellison Weaver and Senior Natasha Mich made their presence felt on the offensive end. Sophomore Setter Haley Burdo managed to get in on the action with an unconventional kill of her own to go up 4-2. In a set that saw four lead changes, Stan State went on a four-point run after a service ace from Libero Gabby Rawson to go along with two assists to secure a 19-15 lead. Redshirt Junior Eyriana Eatmon sealed the deal with a kill to take a 25-18 win in set two.

The third set saw some back and forth action early on, but the Warriors managed to take an early 4-3 lead and run with it, not letting the Gators back in the driver's seat for the remainder of the rallies. 

Stanislaus State took the reigns in the closing set and didn't let up. The team kept the lead on their side for the entirety of the fourth set. Timely kills from Senior Hitter Macky Morris, Weaver, and Mich got the home crowd electrified after a few short scoring runs from San Francisco State. However, they weren't enough for a final game-winning block from Byrd to set Fitzpatrick Arena into a frenzy.

"I was proud of the team-style volleyball we played tonight. We saw a career night from Natasha Mich, which we needed from her. I wanted us to respond to high-level CCAA play, and we did that through great defensive efforts. Our home crowd gave us a boost after that first set that we needed to close it out!" said Head Coach Lauren Flowers.

The home team is back in action Saturday afternoon at 2:00pm to conclude a back-to-back against 5-4 conference foe Cal State Monterey Bay.