NORTHRIDGE, Calif. — Opposite hitter Jennifer Hamson led the BYU women’s volleyball team to a 3-1 (25-15, 25-22, 16-25, 25-17) win against Cal State Northridge Saturday to close out pre-league competition.

“We’re excited to get back on the winning side of things,” BYU head coach Shawn Olmstead said. “Northridge played a great match. They were a good opponent. It’s great to be down here and play this match before heading into West Coast Conference play.”

Hamson threw down 16 kills and 13 digs for her second double-double of the weekend and fifth of the season. Setter Heather Hannemann had 34 assists and seven digs, while libero Kendalyn Hartsock tied her career high of 25 digs. Outside hitter Christie Carpenter had eight kills and 10 digs.

BYU (11-3) took the lead from the start of the first set, not allowing any ties or lead changes. After slowly building their lead through the game, the Cougars went on an 8-0 run to increase the score to 23-12. The Matadors (6-6) got in three more points before Carpenter finished the 25-15 set on a kill.

An early lead didn’t give the Matadors an advantage in the second. Hamson tied the set on a kill, assisted by Hannemann, and CSUN errors pushed the Cougars to the front. Matador blocking frustrated BYU, but wasn’t enough to stop the Cougars from charging to another set win, 25-22.

BYU faced a small setback in the third set, as a quick 4-1 Matador streak broke the Cougars’ momentum. Four straight attack errors from CSUN put BYU back within one point, but the Matadors fought back for a 13-8 lead. BYU couldn’t get back in the game, allowing a 25-16 Matador win on a kill by Mahina Haina.

Six ties and three lead changes kicked off the final set, with the Cougars coming out of the brawl on top and launching an 8-1 attack. Hamson fueled the run with two kills and Warner and Carpenter contributed two blocks, ending with a score of 16-8. The Matadors never recovered and Warner wrapped up the set and the match with a kill.

The Cougars open conference play Thursday against Saint Mary’s at 7 p.m. at the Smith Fieldhouse. The Gaels won 3-0 in the first matchup between the teams during the BYU Invitational in August, but after a nine-match win streak and only one loss since playing SMC, the Cougars are ready for the rematch.

BYU vs. CSUN Box Score

PROVO, Utah—With two tournament titles and the Deseret First Duel trophy in hand, the BYU women’s volleyball team hits the road for matchups against Utah State, Cal State Fullerton and Cal State Northridge.

The Cougars (9-2) head to Utah State (7-6) for a 7 p.m. MT match Tuesday before heading to California to meet Fullerton (4-5) Friday at 7 p.m. PT and CSUN Saturday at 1 p.m. PT. The team seeks to continue an eight-match win streak that began with a 3-0 victory against Weber State Aug. 30.

“The team played great and was consistent this past weekend,” BYU head coach Shawn Olmstead said. “It was good to be close to home and be able to compete in a tournament.  I’m happy for this team and hope we can continue to build on those wins.  Winning the Deseret Duel and tournament title is always a plus.  We are right back at it preparing for Utah State and looking forward to travelling to Logan and California this week.”

West Coast Conference Player of the Week Jennifer Hamson leads the Cougars with a total of 119 kills at .338 hitting. Hamson garnered All-Utah Invitational honors with teammate Heather Hannemann Saturday and Christie Carpenter received tournament MVP honors. Hannemann has 314 assists on the season and 70 digs. After missing the first tournament due to injury, Carpenter is back with 40 kills and 41 digs for 2.67 kills per set and 2.73 digs per set.

The Aggies came out of the weekend with three straight losses to Oregon State, Long Beach State and Saint Mary’s in the Long Beach State Baden Classic. Liz McArthur will help Utah State in its attempt to break the losing streak after totaling 143 kills and 104 digs on the season. Laurel Bodily has 179 season digs and Josselyn White leads in blocks with 46 (five solo).

Kayla Neto leads Fullerton in kills and Amanda Yamate leads in digs, with 130 apiece. Leah Maurer is the leading blocker with 17 block assists and nine block solos. The Titans went 1-2 in the Montana Tournament over the weekend, bringing their total to 4-5 after a win against host Montana and losses to Idaho and South Dakota. BYU defeated Idaho Sept. 2 in the Kansas State Invitational.

With six victories, CSUN comes off a win against UNLV in the UNLV Invitational for a 2-1 weekend record. Mahina Haina has 132 kills in 38 sets. Sydney Gedryn recorded 35 block assists and three solo blocks for 38 total and Cindy Ortiz has 162 blocks. The Matadors face UCLA on the road Monday night before hosting the Cougars.

For live stats and live video of the Utah State match, click HERE.

Week 4 Notes