ORANGE, Calif. – A series of long scoring runs spelled a four-set victory for the Vanguard women's volleyball team in a nonconference road contest against Chapman Tuesday evening at the Hutton Sports Complex. VU fueled the win with a single-match school record 36 block assists.
The Lions took the match by scores of 25-18, 22-25, 25-19, 25-17 at the Hutton Sports Complex for their fifth win in their last six matches. VU improved to 11-5 on the year and spoiled Chapman's home opener, sending the Panthers to a 2-4 record.
Morgan Cole (FR/Bakersfield, CA) delivered a career and match-high 20 kills and added 18 digs to secure her fifth double-double of the season. Delaney Hill (FR/Foothill Ranch, CA) chipped in 11 kills on .381 (11-3-21) hitting while Viktoria Dickson (FR/Chula Vista, CA) posted seven kills and a career-best 12 digs.
The freshmen trio accounted for 38 of VU's 52 kills.
Madeline DeLucia (JR/Happy Valley, OR) notched a double-double of her own with 24 assists and 10 digs. Rachel Lim (SO/La Palma, CA) matched DeLucia in the assists department with 24.
The Lions dominated the battle of the block with a tremendous 18.0-3.0 advantage. Hailey Petersen (SR/Omaha, NE) led all Lions with eight block assists. Eight different VU players had at least one block in getting to 36 block assists, breaking the previous mark of 34 against Hope International on Sept. 9, 2017.
Leighton Gagnon, Olivia Sampson and Julin Kenison led the Panthers in kills with seven apiece.
What Happened?: VU had a rocky start, facing a 4-0 deficit in the first set. The Lions scored four of the next five points to creep within one at 5-4. Chapman opened up a four-point lead at 11-7, but VU strung together four straight to force an 11-11 tie as Cole, Hill and Dickson had kills during the run.
The Lions utilized another 4-0 run to take a 15-12 lead as Petersen and Dickson combined for the double stuff on Kayla Kluemper. The Panthers trimmed the deficit to 18-17, but VU pulled away with six straight points, including three straight kills from Hill. Hill and Maggie Gunther (SR/Huntington Beach, CA) teamed up to reject an attempt by Maddy Dowdall to clinch the 25-18 set one triumph.
Chapman broke out to another early lead in set two, leading by scores of 6-2 and then 10-6. VU answered with a 6-2 run to even the score at 12-12 as Cole had two kills during the spurt. Chapman showed its mettle by scoring four in a row and forcing a VU timeout during the run. The stoppage seemed to calm the Blue and Gold as they swapped out a 16-12 deficit for a 19-17 lead, scoring seven of eight points and flashing their block on three different occasions.
But the Panthers had the final big run of the set, reeling off five straight points to retake the lead at 22-19. The Lions received back-to-back kills from Dickson to pull within 23-22, but Gagnon's kill and a VU attack error gave the Panthers a 25-22 set two win.
Vanguard switched the narrative in set three and roared out to a 7-1 lead. Dickson started the festivities with a kill and then had a long run at the service line. The Panthers chipped away and eventually knotted the score at 15-15 with a Sampson strike. The teams remained tied at 19-19 when VU bombarded Chapman with a set-clinching six straight points. Lim clinched the set with an ace.
Looking to close things out, VU trailed 3-1 early in the fourth set, but utilized yet another 6-0 run to claim a 7-3 lead. Four straight Panther attack errors helped the Lion cause. Chapman stayed within striking distance at 10-7, but the Lions accelerated away again with five straight points. Hill's kill opened up an eight-point bulge at 15-7.
Adeline Galvanoni (FR/Chandler, AZ) pushed VU's largest lead to 18-9 and the Blue and Gold cruised to the 25-17 victory.
Why Is It Important?: The Lions had some great offensive performances, but also played one of their best defensive matches of the season. In addition to the school record in blocks, VU had 68 digs – the second-most in a match this year.
What Was Said?: "Tonight was a good win, but we also learned some valuable lessons about consistency," said Head Coach Jennifer Dorn. "Every match we play is learning for our future. We focus on the process rather than winning as our measuring stick, which helps us identify where we can get better. Proud of our girls and the growth mindset they have toward the sport."
What's Next?: VU returns to GSAC action with a road match against San Diego Christian on Saturday at 5:00 p.m.
