SANTA ANA, Calif. – Intent on overcoming its recent struggles, the Vanguard women's volleyball team took out its frustrations on Arizona Christian using the number 14 as the rallying cry.
The Lions did not allow the Firestorm to exceed 14 points in any set, downing them 25-14, 25-14, 25-14 in an hour and 15 minutes on Friday afternoon at Calvary Chapel High School.
In doing so, VU halted a three-match losing streak in emphatic fashion. The Lions hit a solid .292 for the match and held the Firestorm to .071 efficiency. VU also had the edge in kills (40-26), assists (35-26), digs (45-41), service aces (8-1) and blocks (8.0-1.0).
Morgan Cole (FR/Bakersfield, CA) tied for match-high honors with nine kills for the Lions, which improved to 19-8 overall and 9-4 in the Golden State Athletic Conference.
Brittnie Henige also tallied nine kills to lead the Firestorm (8-14, 5-9).
VU got another excellent performance from middle blocker Hailey Petersen (SR/Omaha, NE). She hit .294 (7-2-14) with seven kills, three digs and four block assists. Payton Darm (SO/San Juan Capistrano, CA) and Cambria Fernandez (SR/Northridge, CA) added six kills apiece. Darm did not commit an error in eight swings, hitting .750 for the match. Fernandez did not commit an attack error either, collecting her six kills on 19 swings.
Blair Dodge (SO/Aliso Viejo, CA) led the effort from the back row with 11 digs. The setter tandem of Madeline DeLucia (JR/Happy Valley, OR) and Rachel Lim (SO/La Palma, CA) dished out 16 and 13 assists, respectively.
What Happened?: The Lions utilized a 7-1 run to erase an early one-point deficit in set one as they got a kill each from Callie Bickmore (JR/Auburn, CA), Darm and Adeline Galvanoni (FR/Chandler, AZ). Arizona Christian hung around for a bit to get within 10-8, but with Victoria Verceles (SR/Long Beach, CA) serving the Lions reeled off eight straight points to create a double-digit cushion. Petersen had a pair of kills during the run.
VU extended the lead to as many as 12 points before settling for the 25-14 victory. Fernandez and Galvanoni had three kills apiece as VU hit .206 overall. The Firestorm hit just .056.
In set two, the Lions jumped out to a commanding 9-0 lead with Fernandez serving. Petersen slammed a couple of kills and teamed with Bickmore on a combo block during the run. The Firestorm fought back to close the margin to six at 15-9, but a 4-1 Lion run – culminating in a Petersen putaway made the score 19-10.
Alister Borabo (SO/San Francisco, CA) saw her first action since Sept. 17 at San Diego Christian and knocked down back-to-back kills to polish off another 25-14 win. Petersen added four more kills in the set. VU hit a superb .346 (13-4-26) while limiting the Firestorm to .000 (8-8-28) efficiency.
The Lions did not let up in set three, hitting a match-best .351 (16-3-37). Arizona Christian hit .147 – its best effort of the match – but VU was simply too dominant as it won again by double digits.
Reagan Schouten terminated a ball to tie the set at 2-2, but the Lions took off on a 6-1 run to create a five-point advantage. Darm pounded back-to-back kills, then joined Cole on a combo block to highlight the run.
The Firestorm battled back to reduce VU's lead to 9-7, but Fernandez started a 4-0 run with a kill and three more points with Verceles again at the serving line.
Up 13-7, the Lions gradually increased their lead to 21-11 on another Darm throw down. Fernandez combined forces with Darm on Henige to force match point. Fernandez and Petersen assisted on a block of Logan Schroeder to finish off the match.
Why Is It Important?: The Lions moved into a tie for second place in the GSAC with Life Pacific, which hosts first place Westmont tonight. VU is now one win away from clinching its third 20-win season under head coach Jennifer Dorn.
What's Next?: VU returns to Calvary Chapel High School on Saturday as host against OUAZ. First serve is 2:00 p.m.
