COSTA MESA, Calif. - (RV) Vanguard (8-3) took on Park-Gilbert (4-7) on Thursday evening where the Lions earned their third win in a row in straight sets: 25-17, 25-16, 25-20. The Pride continued to impress a couple of days after receiving votes in the Top-25 NAIA Coaches Poll and will look to keep up their level of play as they head on a six-game road trip.

After tallying a 6-0 lead, the Lions were able to stave off the Buccaneers with a healthy lead throughout the first set. Vanguard took the 25-17 victory off a 7-3 run, where Dylan Garcia (FR/Los Angeles, CA) recorded two kills and the blocking duo of Bryce Thompson (SO/Los Alamitos, CA) and Cody Watts (FR/Clovis, CA) collected two points of their own.

At the beginning of the second set, Kyle Anema (SO/La Mirada, CA) recorded his tenth kill of the game; at that point in the match, he had effectively scored one-third of the Lions' points. Park University managed to keep pace with the Pride, trading points until a solo block by Anema gave the Lion's a 13-11 advantage. Five blocks by Watts would pace things for Vanguard as they went on to finish the set up 25-16. As a team, they hit .632 with 13 kills in 19 attempts with only one error. 

The Buccaneers managed to take the lead early in the third set and it wasn't until a kill by Anema that pushed the Blue and Gold ahead 12-11, that Vanguard was able to gain control of the set. A pair of blocks from Garcia and Watts moved Vanguard's lead to 21-17. A service ace from Cameron Way (SO/Dana Point, CA) and three kills from Anema secured the match 25-20.

"Some goals for the team tonight were to play the game one point at a time. We didn't focus the pass point and worked hard to win each point," said Watts. "We trusted our blocks and kept the ball in play, and swung high and hard."

Anema recorded a match-high 19 kills with a .528 hitting percentage and only two errors to go along with three digs. Caleb Twyman (JR/Corona, CA) tallied seven kills with a .545 hitting percentage and Colby Cook (JR/Huntington Beach, CA) recorded a game-high six digs. Bryce Thompson rounded out the night with 36 assists, five digs, and five blocks. 

Next Match: Friday, February 21 at CSUN at 7 p.m.

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