The Cougars welcomed the No.18 nationally-ranked Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes at home on Friday, Oct. 28. The Cougars fell in three sets , ending their five-game, home-winning streak.

The Cougars managed to keep the first set close but the Coyotes took advantage of miscues and secured the opening set, 20-25. Senior Brooke Butler and freshman Maddie Newcombe had five kills each. Sophomore Haley Montgomery contributed a set high of five digs. The Coyotes managed only two errors in the opening set and finished with a block, topping the Cougars, four to zero.

The Coyotes displayed their nationally-ranked status in the second set. They took the set, 25-12, over the Cougars and only managed one error while the Cougars made eight. The Cougars managed only eight kills and were unable to matchup with the Coyotes’ Lauren Nicholson, who finished the second set with five kills, giving her 11 in the first two sets. The Cougars also failed to  block while the Coyotes finished the set with six.

The third and final set saw an improvement in kills and errors from the Cougars but the Coyotes maintained their high attack percentage at .357. The Cougars managed only .114.

Butler finished the game with a team high 11 kills, nine digs and one assist. Newcombe added nine kills and freshman Aleese Wheaton set up 26 assists. Montgomery finished with a team high 11 digs. Overall, the Coyotes finished with an attack percentage of .331 while the Cougar’s only managed to hit .104.

The Cougars are in their final year of ineligibility for the California Collegiate Athletic Association conference playoffs as they finish their NCAA eligibility process.

“We wanted to let the seniors know that we are playing for them while at the same time, also show[ing] the conference what type of program we are going to be heading forward,” said head coach Andrea Leonard.

Coach Leonard has motivated her players into having one of the best home records of the CCAA conference (8-3).

One of only three seniors on the team, Butler said, “It is bittersweet. It has not really set in how fast this season has gone. I hope to come back and see the growth of the freshmen and for myself to continue to further my education.”

With the loss, the Cougars’ record fell to 13-9 with a 6-7 CCAA record. The Cougars’ final home game is 1 p.m on Saturday, Nov. 12 against UC San Diego at the Sports Center.