HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. – The target is firmly planted on the back of every Vanguard beach volleyball jersey. The Lions learned just how difficult winning a third consecutive Golden State Athletic Conference beach volleyball title will be, judging from the results on the opening day of the tournament Wednesday.
The top-seeded Lions overcame deficits twice, defeating No. 4 seed Hope International 3-2 in the opening round and following up with a 4-1 win over No. 2 seed OUAZ in the winner's bracket.
VU advanced to Thursday's 2:00 p.m. championship match against the winner of OUAZ and No. 3 seed The Master's, which will take place at 11:00 a.m. at Huntington State Beach on PCH and Brookhurst.
The Lions, ranked No. 3 nationally, improved to 16-4 on the season. They are 14-0 against GSAC opponents on the year, although getting into the winner's circle appears to be progressively more difficult with every match.
No. 1 Vanguard 3, No. 4 Hope International 2
VU came within a point of succumbing to the upstart Royals, which took the Lions the distance back in mid-February at the season-opening GSAC Round in Arizona.
The Lions showed their grit in overcoming a 2-0 deficit after losing at the twos and fours to open the match.
Rachael Street and Rachel Miller dealt Emma Galloway and Hannah Wilmes a loss in three sets to begin the action at No. 2. Galloway and Wilmes fell by scores of 21-15, 16-21, 15-11.
The Royals then took a 2-0 lead when Natalie Hadder and Mara Sanchez overcame a first set loss, coming back to defeat Bailey Coffin and Madison Arnold at the fours. Final scores were 19-21, 21-17, 15-12.
Facing the deficit, the Lions did not blink and began their comeback at the ones with GSAC Pair of the Year Conley Harris and Morgan Nash delivering a commanding 21-13, 21-9 victory over Candice Palmer and Taylor Erickson.
Trailing 2-1, the Lions tied the match at the No. 5 spot, where Chloe Knudson and Ana Broadhead had a clutch showing against Ariel Garcia and Mariana Turner. The VU duo won a pair of closely fought sets, 21-17 and 21-19.
The winner-take-all match occurred at the threes, and Madi Nash and Emilee Hall were up to the challenge. They outlasted Cassidy Koffroth and Stephanie Perez by identical 22-20, 22-20 scores to give the Lions the important win.
No. 1 Vanguard 4, No. 2 OUAZ 1
After OUAZ knocked off The Master's in its first match, the Spirit took on the Lions in a winner's bracket matchup.
The Spirit were primed for battle, immediately putting a dent in VU's armor. Coffin and Arnold fell to Amanda Carlson and Grace Hughes by identical 21-14, 21-14 scores.
Galloway and Wilmes settled things down in tying the match with a win at the twos. They downed Sam Leight and Mattea Wilson, 21-13, 21-16.
Three straight three-set battles ensued on the second wave of courts. At No. 5 Knudson and Broadhead improved to 2-0 on the afternoon with a 19-21, 21-14, 15-9 triumph against Zoey Mohring and Cheyenne Higgins.
Armed with a 2-1 lead, the Lions and Spirit fought back-and-forth at the ones and threes, with both teams threatening to close out the match.
Harris and Nash split the first two sets against Olivia Andersh and Livia De Pra, nipping the Spirit pair 23-21 in the first before losing 21-17 in the second. The two pairs dueled throughout the third before a late push gave the VU No. 1 pair the 15-11 set three win and the match clinch.
At the same time, Madi Nash and Hall clashed with OUAZ's Summer Hanks and Dayana Raygoza. The two teams split the first two sets, OUAZ taking the first 21-10 before VU rebounded for the narrow 22-20 set two victory. The match was tied 16-16 in the third when Harris and Morgan Nash clinched. Madi Nash and Hall prevailed 18-16 to give VU the 4-1 win.
Why Is It Important?: The Lions get an extra few hours of rest before taking on another tough opponent in the championship match.
What's Next?: Come on out to support the Lions at Huntington State Beach against either OUAZ or The Master's in tomorrow's championship match. Enter at the Brookhurst and PCH entrance. Admission is free, but parking will cost $15.
