SANTA BARBARA, Calif.  – Kentucky State men's volleyball fell in straight sets to No. 11 CSUN, 25-10, 25-10, 25-21, to conclude the Asics Invitational on Saturday at Rob Gym.
 
Despite the result, the Thorobreds (0-3) showed significant improvement throughout the match, nearly forcing a fourth set with a late rally in the third frame. Kentucky State faced a high-octane Matador offense that hit .530 on the day, but the Thorobreds countered with their best offensive performance of the tournament in the final set, hitting .364 as a unit.
 
Match Breakdown
Sets 1 & 2: CSUN 25-10, 25-10 The Matadors exerted their physical presence early, utilizing a balanced attack to take the first two sets by identical scores. Charles Ababio provided the primary offensive spark for Kentucky State in the early going, recording multiple kills in each frame. Defensively, Jamal Gray anchored the back row, finishing the match with a team-high seven digs.
 
Set 3: CSUN 25, Kentucky State 21 The Thorobreds found their rhythm in the third set, which featured five ties and two lead changes. Trailing 15-12, Kentucky State surged back to pull within one point at 16-15 following an error by the Matadors.
 
The Thorobreds refused to go away late in the set, as Jackson Moffitt delivered a service ace to cut the deficit to 21-20. CSUN eventually secured the final points to close out the match, but the frame marked a high point for the KSU offense, which notched 11 kills in the set.
 
Thorobred Stat Leaders
Charles Ababio led the Thorobreds' offensive effort with nine kills and 10 points, while Jackson Moffitt anchored the floor with nine assists and three kills. Raider Paja added eight assists, and Jamal Gray provided a team-high seven digs to pace the defense. Jamir Patterson and Moffitt each contributed three kills, and D'Angelo Coleman added three digs in the final tournament appearance.
 
UP NEXT
The Thorobreds will have some time off before opening their home schedule to Midway on Jan. 27 at 6 p.m.
 
 
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