Vanguard outside hitter Cambria Fernandez (SR/Northridge, CA) posted her sixth consecutive double-double and the Lions dominated the battle of the block, earning a five-set victory over Life Pacific in Golden State Athletic Conference action at The Pit Saturday.
Set scores were 12-25, 25-20, 25-19, 21-25, 15-12 as Vanguard improves to 11-1 overall and 5-1 in the GSAC. Life Pacific slips to 9-5 overall and 2-3 in conference play.
What Happened?: Vanguard won its sixth straight match, its longest winning streak since reeling off nine straight during the 2019 season. It is the fifth time this season in which the Lions dropped the first set, only to roar back to win the match. Fernandez tallied 17 kills and 11 digs to lead the way, while Payton Darm (FR/San Juan Capistrano, CA) contributed seven kills on .312 hitting. Madeline DeLucia (SO/Happy Valley, OR) dished out 26 assists to go along with four aces, nine digs and four block assists in an all-around solid effort, while Rainena Schenbeck Chang (SR/Aiea, HI) secure d the back row with 17 digs.
Vanguard, which leads the nation in blocks per set (2.84), turned in another fantastic performance against the Warriors, out blocking them 15.0-2.0. Samantha Arellano (SR/Tulare, CA) led the Lion Blocking Co. with seven, followed by five apiece from Maggie Gunther (JR/Huntington Beach, CA) and Bailey Olbur (SO/Las Vegas, NV).
SET 1
The Lions went up 4-0, but Life Pacific rallied with nine consecutive points to take a 9-4 lead. Hannah Caddow had eight of her match-high 24 kills in the frame, and a run of three straight kills by the Warrior junior gave her team a 12-5 edge. The Lions never recovered, as another Caddow kill wrapped up the first set, 25-12. Life Pacific hit .343 in the set.
SET 2
Vanguard found its footing in the second set, using a 5-0 run to jump out to a 10-4 lead. Jessica Yamamoto (FR/Aiea, HI) recorded three straight aces for a 15-7 Lion lead. Life Pacific responded with a 4-0 run to close within 19-14 and a VU attack error later narrowed the gap to 23-20, but a Danielle Bellfi (SR/Murrieta, CA) kill and Jenesis Rios (FR/Honolulu, HI) ace solidified the 25-20 decision as the Lions tied the match at one set apiece. Vanguard hit .250 (9-2-28) in the frame and cooled off Life Pacific, which managed just a .132 (10-5-38) hitting percentage.
SET 3
Life Pacific held the early 4-2 advantage, but Vanguard replied with a 7-0 run to sprint out to a 9-4 lead. The visitors answered with a 3-0 run to pull within 9-7 before the Lions engineered a 10-4 run, capped by a Warm kill, to make it 19-11. The Warriors kept the pressure on with a 4-0 run to narrow the gap to 19-15, but kills from Darm, Olbur and Fernandez extended the lead to 22-16. Caddow kept Life Pacific around with four late kills, but Olbur and Arellano roofed her for set point, and a Fernandez ace closed it out as the Lions won set three, 25-19. Vanguard hit .333 (11-2-27) while limiting Life Pacific to .200 (12-6-30) efficiency.
SET 4
The two teams were tied at 5-5 before Life Pacific went on a 6-0 run for an 11-5 cushion. The Lions still trailed by six, 23-17, on a double block from Darm and DeLucia. Life Pacific had set point at 24-17, but the Lions scrapped back with four straight to force a Warrior timeout. However, the Warriors held off the late Lion run to take a 25-21 victory.
SET 5
VU burst out to an 8-3 lead aided by three Fernandez kills. Three straight Lion attack errors pulled Life Pacific back within 8-6 forcing a VU timeout. The two teams traded points from there as VU remained on top by two, 14-12, getting to match point on a Warrior service error. Caddow's attempt went out as the Lions wrapped up their second five-set victory of the season, taking the fifth set 15-12.
What Was Said?: "That was a gritty match. I remain impressed by our ladies constantly adapting and finding a way," said head coach Jennifer Dorn. "I don't think we were prepared enough mentally for the contrast in style of play from our two opponents this weekend. With that said, I am proud of our response after our first set loss."
Why It's Important?: Vanguard keeps pace with first place OUAZ in the GSAC. The Spirit held off William Jessup in five sets Saturday afternoon to move to 5-0 in the GSAC. The Lions are just one-half game off the leaders.
What's Next: VU returns to GSAC play on Saturday, October 2, hosting San Diego Christian at 7:00 p.m. The Lions then play eight of their last 12 regular season contests on the road.
