FULLERTON, Calif. - The Vanguard Lions (3-0, 1-0) overcame a late deficit in their first conference matchup against Hope International University (2-3, 0-1) as they won their second game in a row in five sets, 21-25, 25-20, 25-21, 22-25, 15-13. Bryce Thompson (SO/Los Alamitos, CA), who ranks eighth and eleventh in the NAIA in Assists per Game (10.25) and Total Assists (123), put on a show, finishing with 60 assists, nine digs, and seven total blocks. 

The Royals started the game on a 9-4 run, but the Lions used a kill by Dylan Garcia (FR/Los Angeles, CA) and two blocks by Christian Nowtash (SO/Vista, CA) to get right back into the swing of things. Tyler Greene got hot offensively and the home team built a 19-13 lead, while Vanguard struggled offensively, posting a .054 hitting percentage in the first set. The Lions would cut the deficit to three, but the Royals would pull ahead late to take the first set. The Lions completely reversed the way that their offensive was trending in the second set as they recorded their best hitting percentage with 15 kills and only three errors on 27 attempts en route to a 25-20 set win for the Blue and Gold to tie things up at one set apiece. 

The Lions were able to keep their momentum going strong in the third set as they would open things up with a 9-4 run of their own. Three service errors in a row for the Royals would pace things for Vanguard around the midway point of the set and kills by Garcia and Kyle Anema (SO/La Mirada, CA) would close things out for the Blue and Gold as they went up two games to one. The Royals responded with their best hitting percentage of the match with their backs against the wall in the fourth set as they recorded 14 kills and only two errors in 32 attempts. A couple of attack errors late would be the key difference in a tightly contested fourth set and HIU would tie things up at two sets apiece.

The Royals appeared to have all the momentum early in the decisive fifth set as they went on a 5-1 run forcing a timeout by Vanguard. Nowtash provided the spark for the comeback, Anema kept the ship steady, and a key block from Bryce Thompson and Cody Watts (FR/Clovis, CA) would give the Lions a 13-12 advantage. A kill from Anema and an attack error by Hope International would seal the win for the Lions who moved to 3-0 on the year. 

Anema had 24 kills and two block assists on the night, Alejandro Hernandez (FR/Hacienda Heights, CA) recorded 13 kills in 27 attempts, and Dylan Garcia finished with 11 kills and five digs. Christian Nowtash finished with a well-rounded game of 10 kills, six digs, and five total blocks. Bryce Thompson who ranks eighth and eleventh in the NAIA in Assists per Game and Total Assists finished with 60 assists, nine digs, and seven total blocks. 

Next Game: Friday, January 31 against (RV) OUAZ at 6:00 p.m.

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