FULLERTON, Calif. – With one sweep in the bag against Hope International, Vanguard men's volleyball made the return trip to Darling Pavilion on Wednesday to continue the Golden State Athletic Conference season.  The Lions did not falter on the road, as the reaffirmed number one team in the NAIA swept the Royals 25-12, 25-18, 25-18.  Vanguard improves to 10-3 overall and a perfect 6-0 in GSAC play, while HIU falls to 3-9 overall and 0-6 in GSAC action.

What Happened?  There was little doubt as to who would come out on top in the contest, as the Lions hit .368 for the match, while Hope hit at a .016 mark.  The first set was back and forth to start but with VU up 7-6, the Lions started to breeze away.  The team put down an 18-4 run, eventually winning the period 25-12 off a Ryan Smith (SR/Parker, CO) strike.  The Lions hit .316 in the opening set, with Hope hitting at a -.056 mark.

The Lions were soon up 11-4 in the second frame but HIU made a run to come back into the contest.  The Royals put up a 6-2 streak to close the gap to 13-10 but that is as close as the home side got.  Kyle Anema (SR/La Mirada, CA) and Cody Watts (SR/Clovis, CA) put down kills to help VU to three straight points and the lead would hover at around three points throughout the set.  Back-to-back kills by Tanner Woods (JR/Portland, OR) got Vanguard to 20 points first and a strike by Matthew Roussin (SR/Anaheim Hills, CA) put the Lions ahead 23-18.  A pair of attack errors by the Royals, including a block by Watts and Woods, allowed VU to claim the set 25-18. VU hit .455 in the second, a game-high, with 15 kills and five errors.  HIU hit .143 in the second.

Outside of two early ties, the Blue and Gold did not trail in the third set.  Glen Linden III (JR/Newport Beach, CA) opened the period with a pair of kills to bookend a Woods ace.  The lead soon blossomed to 11-5 and then bounced up to 19-11, with Valesis Vaisuai (JR/Hayward, CA) slamming down a couple of kills.  The Royals made a late surge to cut the gap to 20-12, but the Lions would get the closing kill from Roussin to take the set 25-18 and the match 3-0.  Vanguard hit .333 in the third, with 13 kills and four errors, while the Royals hit -.043.

The Lions had a more balanced attack than in the first matchup, with eight players with at least two kills.  Anema and Roussin led the squad with eight kills apiece, with Woods second with six.  Smith had 13 assists and Andrew Piloto (SR/Ontario, CA) had seven.  Ryan Jew (SR/Roseville, CA) and Watts each collected four assists, with Jew pacing the squad with 11 digs.  Watts had the only solo block on the team and was tied with Smith and Vaisuai for the team lead in block assists with three. Vanguard had 16 total block assists on the night and 27 digs. 

Why is it Important?  The Blue and Gold swept both games this season and have not lost a set to HIU since the sole defeat at the hands of the Royals in February of 2021.

What's Next?  The next four contests all feature top-10 NAIA teams and it will start with a rematch against The Master's Mustangs on Saturday, March 11, at 7:00 p.m. at Calvary Chapel High School.