Box Score

CALIFORNIA, Pa. – Sophomore Sarah Smith totaled 17 kills and 24 digs, and senior Sarah Fillman had a career-best effort with 13 kills, 11 digs and three blocks, but East Stroudsburg University dropped the final two sets in a back-and-forth 3-2 setback at California on Saturday.

Set scores were 25-20, 25-27, 23-25, 25-22, 15-11. The Warriors (10-5, 1-3 PSAC) led 22-20 in the fourth set, but Lois van Schaik had three kills and a block to lead a 5-0 run for California which extended the match. The Vulcans (10-5, 4-0 PSAC) then jumped out to a 14-7 advantage in the fifth set before finally closing things out five points later.

Rachel Priore had 18 kills and nine digs to lead the home side, while van Schaik finished with 16 kills and 10 digs.

Fillman, who entered the afternoon with previous career-highs of 10 kills and nine digs, came up big for ESU in the second set, totaling five kills with a .455 attack percentage. The Warriors were in danger of going down two sets to none, trailing 24-21, when back-to-back Fillman kills began a 4-0 stretch for the visitors. Another Fillman kill shortly afterwards completed the comeback at 27-25.

ESU continued its momentum early in the third set, as a kill by sophomore Sam Dunphy capped an 8-1 run to begin the frame. The Vulcans responded with a 12-3 run of their own to regain the lead, and they maintained a 22-21 edge late in the set.

A Fillman kill, a block by seniors Erica Cunningham and Courtney Miller, and a Fillman ace set up two set points for the Warriors, and a Miller kill gave ESU a 2-1 lead on the second of those chances.

Neither team led by more than three points in the fourth set. The Warriors held a brief 4-3 lead in the fifth set, but California won six straight and 10 of the next 12 points to take control for good.

Smith's 24 digs were a new career-high; her previous career-best was an 18-dig total against NYIT on Sept. 9. The double-double was her third in the past four matches and her sixth of the season overall.

Senior Rosa Veliky had a team-high 29 digs, while fellow senior Erica Cunningham supplied 39 assists and 13 blocks.

Though ESU was outblocked (13-12) for only the second time this season, sophomore Jasmine Williams matched a career-high with seven blocks to lead the visitors in that category. Dunphy and Miller added five block assists apiece for the Warriors. Williams currently ranks fourth in the PSAC with 1.06 blocks per set.

ESU will remain on the road for a pair of PSAC matches next weekend, with the Warriors playing Shippensburg at 7 p.m. on Friday and Millersville at 1 p.m. the following afternoon.