LOS ANGELES – After not playing a five-set match during the entire spring season, the Fighting Camels opened the 2021 season by going the distance but ultimately falling to CSUN 3-2 at the Trojan Invitational. The teams traded sets throughout the night, with CSUN winning the first, third, and fifth sets and Campbell taking the even sets.
 
Neither team was sharp on offense, each hitting below .100 for the match and with a total of 71 attack errors between the two teams on the evening. Campbell's front line defense certainly contributed to holding the Matadors to hitting just .090, as the Camels posted 16.0 total blocks. That mark is the most in a match since putting up 17 against CSU Bakersfield during the team's last trip to California in 2018.
 
"I thought we did a lot of good things, but we need to execute better," ninth-year head coach Greg Goral said. "Our defense was outstanding. Claranne, Melody and Ananda really kept their hitting to a really low percentage."
 
Melody Paige had a huge night up front, posting nine blocks (seven assisted, two solo) to notch a new career high. The junior also added six kills and five digs to her line. Claranne Fechter matched her career high in digs with 26 on the night.
 
The Camels dropped the opening set 25-22. After trailing 17-13, a well timed Campbell timeout propelled them to a 4-1 run to even the score at 18 and eventually led 21-20. The Matadors then called a timeout and responded with a quick burst of their own to close the set and take a 1-0 lead. Chloe Cook paced the Camels in the first with four kills in the first.
 
Campbell bounced back and evened the match in the second set with a convincing 25-19 set win. The Campbell defense held the Matadors to hitting .000 in the frame thanks in part to three blocks from Melody Paige. The Campbell attack wasn't brilliant itself, hitting only .077, but Lailah Green did chip in four kills during the set.
 
The third match was a tight one the whole way with CSUN grabbing a narrow 26-24 win. The Campbell attack continued to struggle in the frame, hitting .077 yet again with 12 kills and 10 attack errors in the set.
 
With the match on the line, Campbell responded with the biggest set-win of the night taking the fourth 25-18. The Camels took a 3-2 lead in the set and did not trail again as they slowly pushed the lead to seven. Campbell took advantage of 11 Matador attack errors in the frame and held them to hitting -.054.
 
"I loved the way we responded after dropping the first and coming back, and then again dropping the third and winning the fourth pretty handily," Goral said.
 
But Campbell couldn't deliver the final blow, as CSUN was able to seal the deal in the fifth. The Matadors did take a 14-10 advantage, but three straight Campbell points put the pressure on. A Camel service error helped the Matadors escape with a 15-13 win to take the match 3-2.
 
Cook and Green each reached double digit kills on the night, as Cook posted a match-high 15. Emily Mitter dished out a match-high 21 assists, while McKenna Sciacca tallied a double-double in her first match as a Camel with 18 assists and 13 digs.
 
Campbell is back for a doubleheader tomorrow, facing USC at 1:30 p.m. and Denver at 8 p.m. ET.