Fullerton, Calif. -- Returning to Golden State Athletic Conference action, the Vanguard women's volleyball team trucked up the 55 freeway to take on the Royals of Hope International. The Lions did succumb to any road pressure and once more prevailed in four sets. With scores of 25-21, 23-25, 25-23, and 25-23, VU moves to 9-1 overall and 4-1 in the GSAC.
What Happened? The Blue and Gold got on the board first and doubled their lead on a kill from Bailey Olbur (SO/Las Vegas, NV). Despite going up 3-1, the Royals (4-9, 0-4) tied the score at 4-4 and both sides settled in for a close contest. The Lions thought they had something brewing when Cambria Fernandez (SR/Northridge, CA) put down an ace to give the team a 15-13 lead, but HIU did not retreat and soon had the score tied at 19-all. With the first set well in the balance, the Lions went on a 5-1 run to end the set, with Fernandez, Danielle Bellfi (SR/Murrieta, CA), and Samantha Arellano (SR/Tulare, CA) putting down kills to help the cause. VU took the first set 25-21, with the squad hitting .194 in the period.
Set Two
The second frame started much the same as the first, with the Lions going up 3-1 before the Royals marched back to tie the game up. The home side seemed to find the decisive moment, as the Royals rode a long service run to go up 19-13. Despite the gap, Vanguard clawed their way back, with Bellfi getting three kills late to get the game close at 21-23. A couple of errors knotted the score at 23-all, forcing the Royals to take a timeout. But HIU emerged with some energy after the break and grabbed two quick points to take the set 25-23. The Lions hit .140 in the second period.
Set Three
With neither side able to establish a large lead early, the third set stayed close the entire way. Tied at 20-20, the Lions got two aces from Jenesis Rios (FR/Honolulu, HI) to help push the Blue and Gold into the lead 23-20. Olbur made it 24-21 on a solid kill and Fernandez would put down the final kill of the third to secure a 25-23 decision in favor of Vanguard. VU once more hit .140 in the set.
Set Four
The Lions got off to a great start in the fourth, rolling out to a 6-2 lead, but Hope International retaliated with a 4-0 streak to tie things at 6-6. Even though the Royals kept coming back, the Lions held the momentum throughout the fourth, maintaining a slim lead for a majority of the set. Up 19-15, the Royals once more eliminated the gap, tying the score at 20-20. With the pressure on, the Lions did not falter, as Fernandez potted two kills in the final rallies to get Vanguard over the line first, taking the set 25-23 and the match 3-1.
The Lions had six errors in each set and hit .141 in the contest. Fernandez continues to show why she was an all-conference player last year, posting another double-double, with 16 kills to lead the team and collecting 14 digs. Olbur also is hitting well as of late, as she collected 12 kills with only three errors on the night. Bellfi had 11 kills to round out the top three, also posting a double-double with 12 digs. Madeline DeLucia (SO/Happy Valley, OR) had a great night, with 35 assists and only one error quarterbacking the offense. Rachel Lim (FR/La Palma, CA) had 11 assists on the night as well. It was a huge outing for Rainena Schenbeck Chang (SR/Aiea, HI), who stepped up with 34 digs to lead the team while setting a new career-high in the process. The squad as a whole had seven aces and had 20 block assists to go along with four solo blocks, as the frontline again helped round out a solid group effort in the win.
What they said: "This was another match for us to overcome. We battled, finding a rhythm, and continued to adapt to different lineups and get it done." - Head Coach Jennifer Dorn.
Why it's important? Make it six wins in a row now against the Royals, as VU moves to 49-6 all-time against HIU. Vanguard is now in sole possession of second place in the GSAC.
What's next: A big match in the GSAC, as RV Life Pacific comes to the Pit tomorrow at 2 p.m. The Warriors are 2-1 in the GSAC (as of writing) and a win by the Lions could get them into the next coaches' poll.
