SANTA ANA, Calif. – On a night the Lions hit .395 and won their 11th straight match, Vanguard also celebrated Jennifer Dorn becoming the winningest women's volleyball head coach in school history.

Dorn collected victory No. 127 in VU's 25-15, 25-11, 25-20 sweep of Jessup (6-3, 2-1) in a Golden State Athletic Conference showdown between two teams who entered the match in a tie for first place.

The Lions left the Calvary Chapel High School gymnasium with a 13-1 overall record and 3-0 mark in the GSAC, remaining deadlocked with Life Pacific and Menlo atop the conference standings.

Dorn reached the milestone win in her 189th career match. She took over the top spot from Eryn Leja, who posted a 126-78 record from 2011-16.

"I'm incredibly proud of this team," said Dorn. "We have been working so hard. We've reached another level in our play this year. We have so many weapons. It's a product of what they've done, and I'm so thankful I get to be in the front row of all that. The thank you goes to the girls over the last few years who have been building the legacy at Vanguard."

VU's .395 hitting percentage was its second-best performance of the season, trailing only the .424 effort against Friends (Kan.) on Sept. 2. The Lions hit no worse than .348 in any set, with sophomore All-American Morgan Cole leading the way with 12 kills on .440 efficiency. 

Fellow sophomore Delaney Hill recorded a season-high 11 kills, hitting .381 (11-3-21) in her first start of the season.

Callie Bickmore hit .600 with six kills on 10 errorless attempts, while Kayla Robinson added five kills on .833 hitting. Bailey Olbur also hit .333 (4-1-9).

Running an efficient offense was the setter tandem of Madeline DeLucia and Rachel Lim, who handed out 18 and 16 assists, respectively.

The Lions won the statistical battle in practically every category, including a 46-30 advantage in digs. Blair Dodge topped the Lions with 12 digs and Natalie Escher added 10.

VU held the Warriors to a .126 hitting percentage. Taylor MacCuish led Jessup with 12 kills on .579 hitting.

What Happened?

Set 1 – The arsenal of hitters was on display for the Lions as they hit a match-best .483 (16-2-29). Six Lions registered at least one kill, with Cole racking up six, followed by three apiece from Hill and Olbur.

Vanguard never trailed in the set, and slowly began breaking away after building an early 7-5 lead. Cole pounded back-to-back kills to extend the lead to four, and the outside hitter landed an ace to give the Blue and Gold an 11-6 advantage.

After a Taylor Dilley kill, the Lions went on a withering 7-0 run to create an 18-7 cushion. Robinson, Cole, Hill, Olbur and Viktoria Dickson all got in on the act, tallying kills, with Jenesis Rios taking control at the service line.

Back-to-back Bickmore slams provided VU its largest lead at 21-9, and the Lions coasted to the 25-15 victory as Cole polished off the set with her second ace.

Jessup hit a solid .290 (12-3-31) in the frame, but had no answers for VU's offensive attack.

Set 2 – The Lions dominated to the tune of .348 hitting, while holding the Warriors to .000. The teams were tied at 2-2 when two Dilley attack errors bookended a Cole ace, giving the Lions a 5-2 edge.

Jessup remained close and trailed just 7-6 when the Lions pounced, chugging away on an 11-1 surge. The Warriors burned both of their timeouts during that stretch as Escher dropped in a pair of aces.

The Warriors were plagued by eight attack errors in the set as the Lions eventually led 24-9 following a combo block from Dickson and Robinson. Hill's kill ended the set 25-11 in favor of VU.

Set 3 – Jessup took the lead for the first time in the match on a Taylor MacCuish kill to open the third set. Tied at 4-4, the Warriors capitalized on three straight VU attack errors to grab a three-point advantage.

The Warriors went on another mini 3-0 run – helped by back-to-back aces from Carolena Bogdanovich – to extend the lead to 12-8 as VU called timeout. Out of the break, the Lions scratched back with three points of their own to climb within one.

However, Jessup looked to seize control with a 5-0 run, leading 17-11 following a Jordyn MacCuish kill. 

Not to be outdone, the Lions roared right back with a 5-0 burst of their own, aided by a pair of Hill throw downs. 

The Lions ended up scoring 14 of the last 17 points to win the third set 25-20. Jessup had five attack errors during that stretch. Hill was outstanding with six kills in the frame, including one that gave VU a narrow 20-19 lead. After Jessup's Kenzie Carpenter evened the score at 20-20, Bickmore found the floor with consecutive kills to force a Warrior timeout.

VU ended the match on a 5-0 run with Cole providing the final two kills.

Why Is It Important?: The 11-match winning streak is the longest for the program since 2015 when that team reeled off 16 straight.

What Was Said?: "I'm very proud of our girls tonight, how we came out, how prepared we were, and how determined we are for what's ahead," said Dorn. "Big night for our hitters, with great numbers from Morgan Cole and Delaney Hill. Looking to carry our momentum to tomorrow afternoon's matchup."

What's Next?: The Lions tangle for the second straight day against an opponent tied for first in the GSAC. The Blue and Gold welcome Menlo on Saturday for a 2:00 p.m. first serve at Calvary Chapel HS.