SANTA ANA, Calif. – The Master's Mustangs were number one in the NAIA poll when Vanguard men's volleyball first swept TMU this season.  The roles in the poll were reversed on Saturday night, with VU entering at number one and the Master's at number five, but the outcome did not change.  The Lions remained perfect in Golden State Athletic Conference action by sweeping the Mustangs for the second time this year, picking up set wins of 26-24, 25-18, 25-19.  The team hit at a .408 rate for the match and Will Anderson (JR/Tualatin, OR) and Kyle Anema (SR/La Mirada, CA) paced the lineup with 11 and 10 kills, respectively, helping Vanguard improve to 11-3 overall and 7-0 in GSAC play.  TMU drops to 9-4 overall and 4-3 in the conference.

What Happened?  The first set opened with each side making a service error and the teams would exchange points until the period was knotted at 8-8.  A pair of kills for TMU and an attack error by the Lions put the visitors ahead 12-9, but the three-point lead would not last long.  A kill from Cody Watts (SR/Clovis, CA) and an ace from Tanner Woods (JR/Portland, OR) helped to level the score at 13-all.  The Mustangs again eked out a three-point edge until Vanguard reeled the gap down to 19-18.  Each side scored two points over the next four rallies, as TMU led 22-20.  Nevertheless, the Lions would roll off three unanswered points to take a lead at 23-22, the first lead for Blue and Gold in the set since the squad was up 4-3 early on.  The Mustangs took a timeout but Anema slammed down a ball to put VU on the brink at 24-22.  Not dismayed, the visitors picked up a kill and an attack error by the Lions to level the score at 24-24, with Vanguard calling its first timeout of the period.  The pause allowed VU to get settled and the lineup did not look back, as a kill from Valesis Vaisuai (JR/Hayward, CA) was followed by a block from him and Anderson to hand the Lions set one 26-24.  The Mustangs hit a team-best .308 in the first, with 13 kills and five errors.  The Lions hit .280, with 13 kills and six errors.

The Vanguard offense went from simmering to boiling in the second and third sets, as the squad hit above .400 in each of the final two frames.

The second set debuted with a kill from Vaisuai and Anderson tagged on a kill soon after to put VU up 2-1.  The Mustangs remained in touch with Vanguard over the opening rallies, striking down a pair of three-point leads, with back-to-back kills closing the guests to within one at 9-8.  Still, the Mustangs could not tie the score and the Lions hammered out a 6-1 run to snag a 14-9 edge, with Anema and Ryan Smith (SR/Parker, CO) posting kills along the way.  The Master's called a timeout and scored five of the next seven points, but that only took the margin down to 17-14.  The Vanguard response came from a trio of Lions, as Watts and Woods pounded down kills and Anderson drove home an ace to push the advantage to 20-14.  Watts and Anderson once more carried the load down the stretch, with some TMU mistakes helping too, as the Lions claimed the second set 25-18.  TMU hit .185 in the set and VU hit at a .464 mark, with 17 kills and four errors.

Anema opened the third set with a kill and Anderson and Vaisuai joined in the fun to help roll out an early 6-2 lead for the Blue and Gold.  The Master's pumped in five points in seven rallies to cut the lead to 8-7, with Smith making another strike to answer the threat.  However, the Mustangs pushed through the temporary setback and rode out to a 13-12 lead on the back of a 6-2 run.  Anema then smacked down a kill to tie things at 13-all and VU clocked a 7-3 streak after that to leap ahead 20-16.  Anderson put down two more kills over the final few rallies and Watts delivered an ace to win the set for VU 25-19, completing the sweep at the same time.  The Lions hit at a match-best .478 in the third, with 13 kills and only two errors.  The Mustangs were held to a .115 hitting percentage in the final frame.

Forty-three kills and 12 errors were tallied during the Vanguard victory offensively, as the defense held TMU to a .203 hitting percentage for the game (32 K, 16 E).  The Lions had more assists (38-31), digs (24-18), and blocks (16-11) in the match, though TMU had more aces (5-4).  Vaisuai was nearly perfect attacking the ball on the night, collecting eight kills with no errors on 11 attempts for a .727 hitting percentage.  He also paced both teams with six block assists.  Smith had 30 assists to lead the way for both teams, with Jew doing the same with 10 digs.  Anderson also had four block assists and Watts and Woods posted five kills apiece.

Why is it Important?  The Lions have swept the season series for the third time in the short history between the two schools and now hold a 6-1 mark against the Mustangs all-time.  Vanguard might have to avenge last year's GSAC Tournament loss to TMU this year in the tournament, as the Mustangs currently sit fourth in the standings.  OUAZ is second at 4-2 and Menlo is 4-3 in the GSAC.  Those four are essentially locked into the tournament, with ACU fifth at 1-5. The magic number for VU to claim another GSAC regular season crown continues to dwindle with just three conference games remaining and a three-game lead on OUAZ.

What was Said?  "We were fortunate to win that first set and pick up a win over a very good Master's team," said Head Coach Brian Rofer.  "In the second and third sets, we simply out-hit them.  You tend to win the set when your setter has the team hitting .400 and Ryan is doing such a good job running the offense.  And still, we have so much more potential to unlock.  These guys keep getting better and better."

What's Next?  Before the final three GSAC games, the Lions will take on a pair of Heart of America Athletic Conference opponents.  The Statesmen of William Penn will be the first of those two, as WPU will come to the OCC Gym on Tuesday, March 14, at 7:00 p.m.