COLLEGE ROUNDUP : CSUN Advances to Title Match in Volleyball

After losing the first two games, Cal State Northridge bounced back to win a first-round match in the Volleycard Classic volleyball tournament at Ball State in Muncie, Ind.

Northridge defeated Indiana-Purdue University at Fort Wayne, 14-16, 8-15, 15-7, 15-8, 15-13. Using a strong service game, Indiana-Purdue, ranked 10th in the Tachikara Coaches’ poll, jumped to a two-game lead as fourth-ranked Northridge hit just .228 and .067 in the first two games.

Northridge began to find its stride offensively with .550 hitting efficiency in the third game and finished with a match percentage of .304.

Coley Kyman led Northridge (18-6) with 32 kills and hit .418. Neil Coffman added 29 kills and led the team with 18 digs. Kyman and Mark Root each had 10 digs.

Indiana-Purdue is 14-8.

Northridge will play Ball State for the championship tonight. Ball State advanced with a 17-15, 11-15, 15-13, 13-15, 15-9 victory over George Mason.

In other volleyball matches:

Santa Monica d. Canyons, 15-9, 11-15, 15-10, 15-6--Left-side hitters Eric Henkels and John Flaig combined for 37 kills and Eric Plahn added 43 assists for host Canyons (6-11, 2-10 in league play) in a losing effort in a Western State Conference match.

Nabil Mardini led Santa Monica (8-4, 3-4) with 20 kills.

BASEBALL

Cal Lutheran 9, Claremont-Mudd 3--Blake Babki went three for four with a double, triple and a home run to lead Cal Lutheran (15-6) past the Stags (15-7) in a nonconference game at Claremont.

The Kingsmen, who won their third game in a row, scored six runs in the eighth to take a 9-1 lead.