Four of five sets between the Cougs and the Matadors were decided by the minimum two point difference, two of the sets went to additional serves. But the Cougs continue to show success in the battle of nutrition, improving their record in five-set matches to 4-1.

WSU (5-3, 0-0 WCC) got their most recent five-set win by taking down CSUN (3-6, 0-0 Big West) Thursday night on the road. The Cougs won 3-2 (28-26, 25-17, 23-25, 26-28, 15-13) behind the top three offensive performers all hitting above .250% and two players both finishing with more than 15 kills.

Late in the first set, it appeared fireworks were not necessary. WSU put CSUN on the ropes, an attack error giving them match point on a 24-18 lead. A 7-0 run later and the Matadors completely flipped momentum, taking a  25-24 lead, their first lead in the set since being up 8-7. 

After pulling away in the first set to take it 28-26, they made the second set less interesting, building and maintaining their lead throughout, winning 25-17.

Sets three and four played out back and forth, but both times, the Matadors were able to get the best of their opposition to bring a reverse sweep to the forefront of the collective WSU mind. 

With CSUN jumping out to a quick 4-1 lead, that thought became a fear. Sage Brustad, headstrong as always, sparked a 6-1 run with a kill off a pass from Emma Barbero. Now with a 7-5 lead, the Cougs looked more confident.

Confidence swung like a perfect pendulum, the teams tied 12-12 in the final stretch. CSUN got their last point by an error from Katy Ryan, but the Cougs got the final three points to take it 15-13 and the match overall 3-2.

Ryan had her best of the season, finishing with 23 kills on 54 attacks, committing just seven errors for a percentage of .298%. With seven blocks and five digs on top of her impressive hitting, she led the team across the finish line, even scoring the matches penultimate point with a kill. 

Brustad had yet another double-double, her fourth of the season. With 19 kills and 13 digs, she had double-digit kills for the eighth consecutive match to open the season and tallied double-digit digs in back-to-back matches for the second time already. 

Emma Barbero once again reached 20-plus digs, finishing just above the line with 21 in the win, the sixth such time she has reached the mark in 2024. 

WSU will defend their two-match winning streak after one night’s rest, at 6 p.m. Friday, they take on Long Beach State in Long Beach, California.