The CSUN men’s volleyball team extended their win streak to seven games with a 3-0 victory over the visiting Cal Lutheran Kingsmen and continued their domination of unranked opponents. CSUN is now 9-0 this season when facing teams outside the Top 25.
Despite the big win, CSUN head coach Theo Edwards said he’s determined to make sure that his team doesn’t worry about the big picture.
“I think the challenge for us is to really avoid the stuff that comes with winning. A lot of it has been to avoid the rankings and the discussions about where we can be,” Edwards said. “That stuff is a distraction to be honest, and I think we might have seen a little bit of that tonight, so my goal is to try and keep us away from that mindset.”
The first set was a back-and-forth contest for the first few points of the match, but CSUN pulled ahead midway through the set and never looked back.
Cal Lutheran put together some good rallies to challenge the Matadors, but CSUN’s defense smothered any attack from the Kingsmen’s offense. The Matadors finished with three blocks, six digs and won the set 25-18.
CSUN started the next set off scorching hot with four straight points and established a commanding presence against Cal Lutheran.
The Kingsmen had no answer for CSUN’s attack as the Matadors recorded 14 kills and four service aces in the set. Once CSUN established their lead, Cal Lutheran never pulled within three points and they finished the second set 25-21.
Despite the convincing performance thus far, the Matadors took their foot off of the gas in the final set and found themselves in a tight battle against the scrambling Kingsmen. While they eventually pulled out the sweep 25-20, CSUN had to rally together to finish off Cal Lutheran after being tied at 18 late in the set.
Senior outside hitter Lorenzo Bertozzi and freshmen middle blocker Stilian Delibosov led the Matadors’ offense in the match. Bertozzi had 13.5 points on 10 kills and three service aces, while Delibosov recorded 13 points on seven kills and a .357 hitting percentage.
Even though they lost some of their concentration in the third set, the Matadors’ attention to detail has been a huge part of their week-to-week preparation.
“The emphasis for practice this past week was the intent on the little things. You know, the things we can control like effort, energy, and attitude,” said senior Donovan Constable.
However, the key for the Matadors is to continue that mindset when playing teams below their pedigree.
“We might have emphasized a little bit too much, like playing down to the level of our competition,” Edwards said. “I thought Cal Lutheran was a good team and they did some impressive things, but tonight was not the cleanest volleyball that we’ve played.”
CSUN will need to keep their focus at an all-time high for the next game against Sacred Heart on Monday, March 3, at 6 p.m. at the Premier America Credit Union Arena.
