SANTA CLARITA, Calif. – Starting the second half of the Golden State Athletic Conference schedule in road territory, the No. 12-ranked Vanguard women's volleyball team kept on trucking as its 25-17, 25-23, 25-18 sweep of The Master's represented its 16th straight victory.
The 16 straight wins ties the record for longest winning streak in school history.
VU swept the season series from the Mustangs for the second straight year.
Morgan Cole led all players with 13 kills, followed by Callie Bickmore with 10 on .450 (10-1-20) efficiency. Sophomores Viktoria Dickson and Delaney Hill added eight kills apiece.
The Lions hit .278 behind the setter tandem of Rachel Lim and Madeline DeLucia, who handed out 22 and 17 assists, respectively. VU held a large edge in assists, 43-20.
Natalie Escher led the defensive effort with 12 digs.
VU limited the Mustangs to .111 (21-12-81) hitting. Ruby Duncan had a team-high six kills for TMU.
Vanguard improved to 18-1 overall and 8-0 in GSAC action, while TMU fell to 12-10 and 2-6 in league play.
What Happened?
Set 1 – Big runs willed the Lions to victory in each set. VU turned a 4-4 tie into a five-point lead with a 5-0 burst, helped along by two kills from Hill.
Trailing 10-6, the Mustangs scored four straight to even things up, with an assisted block from Timberlie Miller and Cora Machado forcing a VU timeout.
But the Lions regrouped and pounced on TMU with a 7-1 run to open up a 17-11 advantage. Bickmore and Kayla Robinson contributed kills, Escher had an ace, and Cole provided one of her three kills in the set. The Mustangs did not get any closer than five and Bickmore polished off the 25-17 win with a slam.
Set 2 – The Mustangs seized early control with leads of 6-3, 7-4 and 10-7. The Lions crept to within one on back-to-back kills from Hill and Dickson, but TMU threatened with a 5-0 run to take a 15-9 lead.
The Blue and Gold did not allow any further distance though, scratching back with four straight points – two on Cole kills. The run eventually stretched to 9-2, with the Lions grabbing their first lead at 18-17.
Two Isabella Amet kills and a VU attack error gave TMU a 21-19 lead, but VU responded again with a 4-0 run. Bailey Olbur tied the score at 21-21 with a kill, Cole followed with a putaway, and Olbur and Hill rejected Amet as the scent of victory wafted through The MacArthur Center.
TMU briefly resisted as a Duncan kill and a Mustang double block knotted the score at 23-23. However, the Lions got the final two points on Dickson and Bickmore kills to take the 25-23 victory.
VU won despite TMU hitting .300 (10-1-30) in the set.
Set 3 – Smelling sweep, the Lions went for the kill. VU hit a match-best .303 (13-3-33) with Cole providing six kills.
The Lions broke out to a 4-0 lead and doubled the advantage to eight, 14-6, on a Duncan attack error. The Mustangs battled back to a 19-16 deficit, but the Lions ended the match on a 6-2 run. Bickmore pounded down back-to-back kills to put VU up 23-16, with Olbur knocking down the clincher for the 25-18 win.
VU played stingy defense, holding TMU to -.103 hitting as the Mustangs had eight errors in the set.
Why Is It Important?: The Lions won their third straight match by sweep. VU also extended its lead in GSAC play to two matches after Hope International toppled Life Pacific on Friday.
What Was Said?: "Tonight we knew would be a tough roadtrip to The Master's," said Head Coach Jennifer Dorn. "We were a little out of sync, our numbers were solid but we needed to cut out some big runs of errors in our offense and in serving. Excited to go at it again knowing Hope is coming off a big win."
What's Next?: The Blue and Gold hosts Hope International on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. inside the Calvary Chapel High School gym. Immediately following the match, the 2023 NAIA National Champion beach volleyball team will be honored in a special ring ceremony.
