TURLOCK, Calif.--- Despite rallying from two sets down to force a decisive fifth, the Stanislaus State volleyball team came up just short Thursday night, falling 3–2 (22–25, 20–25, 25–15, 25–19, 10–15) to UC Merced inside the Greg and Cathie Hostetler Court. The result splits the season series between Stan State and the Bobcats.
Set 1 – UC Merced 25, Stan State 22
UC Merced opened the night strong, using a late run to edge Stan State in a tightly contested first set. After trading points early, the Bobcats pulled ahead 18–14 and held off a late Stan State push led by
Teagan Irish and
Malia Tanksley. Irish posted four kills in the opening frame, while Stan State hit .265 as a team.
Set 2 – UC Merced 25, Stan State 20
The Bobcats built early momentum in the second, taking advantage of service pressure and timely defense. Stan State trimmed a 21–15 deficit to within two behind kills from Tanksley and Irish, but UC Merced closed the set on a 4–1 run to take a 2–0 match lead.
Set 3 – Stan State 25, UC Merced 15
Stan State responded emphatically after the break, jumping ahead 10–4 and never trailing in the third. Volleyball hit .379 in the set, its best of the night, behind six kills from Irish and three from
Christallynn Tate. The block also came alive, as Irish and Tanksley combined for five rejections to spark a 25–15 win.
Set 4 – Stan State 25, UC Merced 19
Volleyball carried its momentum into the fourth, again controlling play from the service line and net. Tanksley added four kills in the frame, and
Shaelyn Pruiett's balanced distribution kept the Bobcats off rhythm. A late 6–2 Stan State run, punctuated by a block from
Lauren Hamilton, sealed the set and evened the match at 2–2.
Set 5 – UC Merced 15, Stan State 10
UC Merced regrouped in the deciding frame, opening with a 7–3 lead. Stan State battled back within two behind kills from Irish and Tate, but the Bobcats closed on a 5–2 surge to take the match.
Stan State notables
•
Teagan Irish: 17 kills, 8 blocks, .609 hitting percentage
•
Malia Tanksley: 10 kills, 5 blocks
•
Lauren Hamilton: 6 kills, 3 blocks
•
Shaelyn Pruiett: 38 assists, 18 digs (eighth double-double of the season)
• Team: .212 hitting percentage, 11 total blocks
Updated CCAA standings (as of Nov. 6)
- Cal Poly Pomona (14–0) – Clinched CCAA Tournament berth
- Cal State San Bernardino (11–3) – Clinched CCAA Tournament berth
- Cal State LA (11–3) – Clinched CCAA Tournament berth
- Cal State East Bay (10–4) – Clinched CCAA Tournament berth
- Stanislaus State (8–7)
- San Francisco State (7–7)
- Chico State (5–9)
- Cal State Monterey Bay (5–9)
- Cal State Dominguez Hills (5–10)
- UC Merced (5–10)*
- Cal State San Marcos (3–12)
- Cal Poly Humboldt (2–12)
*UC Merced counts as a CCAA opponent this season in select matches but is not a full conference member.
Up next: Senior Night Saturday
Stan State (10–12, 8–7 CCAA) returns home Saturday to host Cal State Monterey Bay at 5 p.m. in Fitzpatrick Arena for Senior Night. Volleyball will honor six seniors —
Irene London,
Kryslin James,
Teagan Irish,
Christallynn Tate,
Shaelyn Pruiett, and
Isabella Saucedo — prior to first serve.
The matchup will be the second meeting this season between the teams. Stan State defeated Cal State Monterey Bay in five sets earlier this year in Seaside, rallying for a 3–2 victory on October 3. The Otters (5–9 CCAA, 6–15 overall) will first visit San Francisco State on Friday at 5 p.m. before traveling to Turlock for Saturday's regular-season finale.
CCAA Volleyball Tournament presented by Under Armour
Stan State remains in the mix for its second straight and third CCAA Volleyball Tournament appearance in the last four years. The 2025 CCAA Volleyball Tournament presented by Under Armour will be hosted by Stanislaus State at Ed & Bertha Fitzpatrick Arena, November 20–22, with the top six teams competing for the conference title and an NCAA Championship berth.
Thursday, Nov. 20 – Quarterfinals
Match 1: No. 3 Seed vs. No. 6 Seed, 3 p.m.
Match 2: No. 4 Seed vs. No. 5 Seed, 5:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 21 – Semifinals
Match 3: No. 2 Seed vs. Match 1 Winner, 3 p.m.
Match 4: No. 1 Seed vs. Match 2 Winner, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 22 – Championship
Match 5: Match 3 Winner vs. Match 4 Winner, 5 p.m.
Fans can visit warriorathletics.com/CCAAvolleyball for ticket information, match schedules, and tournament updates.
