COSTA MESA – Sophomore opposite Adeline Galvanoni continued her outstanding start to the 2023 season with a match-high 15 kills as Vanguard knocked off La Sierra in four sets on Tuesday at Orange Coast College.
The Lions won by set scores of 25-14, 23-25, 25-19, 25-12 as Galvanoni hit an impressive .500 with just one error in 28 attempts. Galvanoni is hitting a team-best .324 through five matches and has posted double-digit kills four times.
VU improved to 4-1 on the year while the Golden Eagles dropped to 0-4.
Morgan Cole showcased her all-around game with 14 kills, 10 digs, three block assists and a pair of service aces. It was Cole's fourth double-double of the year. She swung at a solid .348 (14-6-23) clip, contributing to a season-best .320 team hitting performance.
Viktoria Dickson posted nine kills on .304 (9-2-23) hitting to go along with nine digs, while Callie Bickmore added seven kills.
The Lions owned a 54-42 advantage in digs with Natalie Escher leading the way with 15. VU also shined at the service line with a season-high 10 aces, with four different players collecting at least two. Setter Rachel Lim led with three aces while handing out a match-best 32 assists.
All 16 players who suited up in uniform got into the match, including the career debut of middle blocker Kylie Proctor. She had two kills in two attempts to go along with two block assists.
What Happened?
Set 1 – The Lions never trailed from the outset, hitting a sizzling .696 (17-1-23) in the frame.
VU built a 7-3 advantage courtesy of three Cole kills as part of a 4-0 run, forcing La Sierra's first timeout of the match. The lead gradually climbed as three straight Golden Eagle attack errors completed another 4-0 burst and created a 17-8 cushion.
La Sierra scored three straight points to trim the deficit to seven, but Vanguard responded with five in a row to put the set away. Bickmore started the run with three consecutive kills, and Dickson ended the frame with a smash that gave VU the 25-14 victory.
Set 2 – The Golden Eagles turned the tables as the Lions managed to hit just .061 (11-9-33) in set two.
VU led 2-1 when La Sierra scored five straight points as part of a greater 9-2 run, helped along by five Lion attack errors.
Trailing 11-4, the Lions fought back with a 5-1 run to pull within 12-9 as Delaney Hill came off the bench to join forces with Kayla Robinson and Olbur on separate blocks of Ayana Felton.
The Lions crept within one point on three different occasions, the last at 24-23 on another Dickson smash. But Alexis Suksdorf converted on La Sierra's second set point to secure the 25-23 win.
Set 3 – VU started a bit slowly but another patented 5-0 run opened up a 9-5 lead. Back-to-back kills from Olbur and Bickmore aided the cause as the lead ballooned to 13-7.
Cole struck a ball down to extend the VU edge to 18-9 and the Lion lead never dipped below six despite a late 6-1 La Sierra run. Olbur notched the kill on set point as VU took the 25-19 win.
Set 4 – Another dominating effort sealed the victory for the Blue and Gold. VU hit .394 (17-4-33) in the set, while La Sierra managed just .000 (5-5-25) efficiency.
The two teams were deadlocked at 4-4 when Cole helped engineer a 5-0 Lion run thanks to a pair of kills and a combo block with Olbur.
The Lions more than doubled their lead to 20-9 as they converted on four straight swings – two from Galvanoni and one each by Bickmore and Dickson.
VU scored five of the final six points with Proctor experiencing the thrill of knocking down match point and providing the Blue and Gold with the 25-12 triumph.
Why Is It Important?: All four VU wins this season have come in four sets.
What Was Said?: "Tonight was full of a lot of great things, and always fun to get everybody in," said Head Coach Jennifer Dorn. "Kylie Proctor had a great first appearance on the floor getting a couple of kills and some great blocks."
What's Next?: The Lions do not travel far as they head to the HIU Summer Slam in Fullerton this weekend. VU faces Saint Katherine at 8:00 a.m. and No. 23 Texas Wesleyan at 4:00 p.m. on Friday.
