SANTEE, Calif. - The Vanguard University Women's Volleyball team (8-7, 4-5) pushed San Diego Christian College (9-5, 5-2) to five sets in their Tuesday night match, but fell in the final frame as the Hawks guaranteed the series victory over the Blue and Gold. GSAC Attacker of the Week Breanna Brooks recorded 13 kills, but her performance was overshadowed by Jessica Pinasco who recorded 18 kills with a .356 attacking percentage.
What Happened? Both teams struggled to create any separation in the first set until a couple of errors and a service ace by Victoria Verceles would give the Lions a slight edge. Up 15-11, the Pride would proceed to go on a 7-0 run as the trio of Taylor Templeman, Danielle Bellfi, and Mallorie post recorded six consecutive kills. to put the first set out of reach. The Hawks flipped the script in the second set as they opened things up with an 8-2 run early in the set to establish control. SDCC was able to keep the Lions at an arm's length as both teams traded one-sided sets in the early going.
Both teams stayed neck and neck to open up the third set, as the Lions recorded their best hitting percentage of the night. Back-to-back kills by Hailey Petersen and a rare kill by Kynzy Mitzel would give the Pride a two-point edge. Bellfi would take over down the stretch as she recorded the final three kills to give the Blue and Gold a 2-1 set lead. Set four was even more tightly contested as it featured nine ties and four lead changes before the Hawks rattled off the final four points of the set to earn a 25-21 set victory to force a decisive fifth set.
With the momentum fully on the Hawks side, SDCC went on a 4-0 run to open the fifth set, forcing a timeout by Head Coach JP Dorn. The Lions were able to cut the deficit back down to two with a kill by Fernandez, but the Hawks would stay the course, opening up a 6-1 run to put things out of reach for the Blue and Gold.
Why It's Important? The Lions' all-time record against the Hawks fell to 39-13 after tonight's loss. GSAC Attacker of the Week Breanna Brooks recorded 13 kills, but her performance was overshadowed by Jessica Pinasco who recorded 18 kills with a .356 attacking percentage.
Top Performers: Fernandez led the Lions in kills once again as she tallied 13 on the evening to go with 14 digs and a block. Bailey Olbur and Danielle Bellfi also reached double-digit kills as Olbur recorded 11 with only two errors, while Belfi finished with 10 kills and 13 digs. Madeline DeLucia finished with a match-high 41 assists while Kynzy Mitzel finished with a team-high 22 digs.
What's Next: The Lions will return home for the final game of the series on Thursday, March 25th at 7:00 p.m.
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