By Taylor Lupetti (@tayclupetti):
SJSU returned to its home court for Thursday to play the Fresno State Bulldogs. The 3-0 sweep marked nine consecutive set wins in a row for the Spartans.
“It was a good, cohesive win for us,” said senior setter Breann Robinson. “The sweep felt good but that is never really our goal even though it was a great team win.”
The match-up marked the first full-game that the Spartans have played without junior outside hitter Giulia Gavio. Losing one of their star players forced the team to readjust their line-ups. While the changes were new to the players, it did not seem to phase SJSU through the match.
“I’m really proud of how they have adjusted,” said head coach Jolene Shepardson. “We’ve worked really hard at it these last few days at practice.”
Coming into her second week back after a three-week injury is sophomore outside hitter Fernanda Vido, who has had the team in kills since returning to the court. The loss of Gavio has had Vido stepping back up and showing the crowd her injury is not going to stop her.
Alongside senior middle blocker Nandyala Gama, Vido led her team in points for the match.
The Spartans dominated in serves against the Bulldogs with six aces and five errors for SJSU compared to Fresno’s seven.
“We know that they are a good team and that they play really hard,” said redshirt freshman middle blocker Laura Parts. “Ultimately, it’s not about the rival, it’s about the game.”
With less than a month left in the team’s regular season, SJSU is continuing to rack up its highest win total since the 2012 season. Currently third in the Mountain West Conference, the Spartans are hoping to stay consistent to finish strong.
“I just want to have a good feeling at the end of this season,” Robinson said. “If we stay working hard and together, we will get the end to the season that we want.”
The Spartans will continue their home stretch when they take the court at Spartan Gym Saturday at 2 p.m against San Diego State.