HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. - The Vanguard Lions (8-4) season continues to come up roses as the team completes its first dual meet sweep over opponents, but more importantly knocking off an NCAA Division I team for the first time in program history. The ground work laid by last season team is being reward to Head Coach Kris Dorn and the 11 returning student-athletes.
Vanguard 3, Missouri State 2
Karly Cantu (JR/Spokane, WA) and Eliana Johnson (SO/Scottsdale, AZ) were one of the first pairings to hit the sand and fell 21-12, 21-12 to the Bears, before the pairing of Kayla Darm (FR/San Juan Capistrano, CA) and Mackenzie Mitchell (SO/Costa Mesa, CA) went final on the other court with a 21-11, 21-14 loss. With their backs up against the wall, the Lions needed to dig deep and win the next three flights to take home the victory. One by one, the chips started falling into place. First, Charity Dennis (SR/Cypress, CA) and Gabby Morrison (SO/Paso Robles, CA) earned a 21-13, 16-21, 18-16 victory in knock out, drag out fashion. Then the pressure fell on the #3 pairing for the Blue and Gold Brooke Wilsman (SR/Lakeland, FL) and Dani Erdelatz (JR/Stockton, CA). They came up with a 21-16 victory before being bested handily 7-21 in the second frame; the duo regrouped to win 15-11. This netted the match at 2-2 and put all the pressure on the top pairing of the Lions Hannah Holder (JR/Irvine, CA) and Kelli Dowell (SR/Redlands, CA). The tight affair featured scores of 21-18, 20-22, 19-17 in which the Pride needed extra points to earn the historic win.
Vanguard 5, Hope International 0
The Lions second match on the day was much less stressful as they swept HIU for the first time ever, and also marked their sixth consecutive victory over an NAIA opponent. Vanguard is now riding a three game winning streak. In game number two, Darm and Mitchell capture the first victory by scores of 21-19, 21-13 followed by Cantu and Johnson winning 21-12, 21-19. Dennis and Morrison secured another victory by winning 21-12, 21-14. With the match decided, the only thing left to determine was the margin of victory. Wilsman and Erdelatz won 21-13, 21-14 before Holder and Dowell completed the sweep 21-11, 21-18.
Next Match: Tomorrow, March 13th against Missouri State and Cal State University - Northridge on the road
#ClawsUp
