SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Westmont College (10-0, 7-0) proved why they are the fourth-ranked team in the nation with a four-set win over the Vanguard University Women's Volleyball team (9-8, 5-6) to remain undefeated on the year so far. The Lions fought hard, taking the second set by a score of 25-21, but in the end, the Warriors were too much to handle.
What Happened? Set one was ultra-competitive as it featured ten early ties and two lead changes. Malorie Post recorded a solo block to give the Lions a 14-12 lead, but this would trigger a 6-0 run by the Warriors that was finally broken by a kill from Cambria Fernandez. The Lions would flip the script and go on a 4-1 run capped off by a kill from Danielle Bellfi to force a timeout by the home team. This one came down to the bitter end, as a kill by Phoebe Minch would give Westmont the first set by a score of 25-23.
Neither team could gain much separation in the second set until the Warriors went on a 4-0 run that forced Head Coach JP Dorn to call a timeout to halt their momentum. The Lions came out of the timeout charged up as Mallorie Post had a hand in three straight blocks as the Pride took a 13-12 lead. They would push their lead to four thanks to two attacking errors and back-to-back kills by Bailey Olbur. Westmont would fight back late as Jessie Terlizzi found the hardwood to cut the deficit back down to one, but Vanguard held their ground, going on a 4-1 run to tie things up at one set apiece.
The Warriors flexed their muscle in the third and fourth set as they earned 25-12 and 25-13 wins with hitting percentages of .303 and .289 respectively to earn the four-set victory. Attacking errors really hurt the Lions as they recorded 37 total kills and 27 attacking errors in the loss.
Why It's Important? Success is no stranger to the Warriors as they have gone 126-21 in the past four years. Cambria Fernandez has now recorded double-digit kills in five of her last six contests; her 18 kills this evening was tied for the third-highest mark she has achieved this season.
Top Performers: Fernandez had a game-high 18 kills to go with 14 digs and a block assist. Tayler Templeman finished with eight kills and two block assists while Bailey Olbur had seven kills and four total blocks. Madeline DeLucia dished out 26 assists and Kynzey Mitzel recorded 22 digs to round things out for the Pride.
What They Said: "We competed well the first two sets, and unfortunately many of our errors came out in set 3 putting us in a hole right away, that we never recovered from," said Head Coach JP Dorn. "We're continuing to learn how to mature as a team and fight in the big moments and games."
What's Next: Wednesday, March 31st at 7:00 p.m. for a rematch against the Warriors at home.
#ClawsUp
