COSTA MESA— A packed house for Dig Pink Night was in for a treat when Vanguard women's volleyball welcomed Westmont for a Thursday night clash in the Freed Center. For the first time, Vanguard claimed two straight Pacific West Conference victories, as they topped Westmont in four sets by scores of 25-15, 25-20, 17-25, 25-15.
The Blue and Gold improved to 7-7, 4-6 in the PacWest as they swept the season series with Westmont for the first time since 2015. The Warriors drop to 8-8, and 3-6 in the conference.
Adeline Galvanoni completed her second game in a row with 16 kills, hitting .424 for the match. It marked the junior's eighth double-digit kill performance of the year, five of which have come in the last six games.
Morgan Cole tied a career-best streak of three games with a double-double, as she closed the night with 11 kills 17 digs and three aces. Madeline DeLucia crafted a game-high 21 assists and Alister Borabo added a career-high 12 digs.
Vanguard led the match in blocks 9-7 and fired a season-best 11 aces from the service line.
What Happened? Blair Dodge, who had a season-high three service aces, drilled two in a row as the Blue and Gold opened the game on a potent 10-3 run. The Warriors fought back with a 5-2 run but committed three attacking errors to make the score 16-9 VU. Jenesis Rios caught the Warriors wrongfooted as she speared an ace to place the Lions up eight at 18-10. Delaney Hill clipped two quick kills to force set point, and Borabo hammered the home side to a set one victory soon after. VU hit .313 to WC .081.
Set 2: Once again, the Lions surged to a swift set lead, courtesy of their 7-4 run. This time, however, the Westmont reply forced a lead change, as the Warriors conducted a 10-4 run to hold a 14-12 lead over VU. Galvanoni, who had five kills in the period, helped guide the Blue and Gold back to stability with three timely kills. Rachel Lim and Payton Darm eventually put the set beyond doubt, as each delivered aces in the closing moments for 2-0.
Set 3: The Lions were still hunting for their PacWest sweep, but Westmont would not drop a third set in a row. The Warriors were lethal from the first serve and dropped an 8-1 run to set the tempo. Cole kept WC in check with two kills and an ace, as a 7-3 Lion rally cut the Westmont lead to 11-8. Despite their best efforts, the Warriors would not be denied the set, as a 5-0 run gave them all the cushion they needed to carry on and claim one back.
Set 4: VU erupted for seven unanswered to put the fourth set in motion. Bailey Olbur led the charge in the front row, hounding two blocks and a kill in the set, and closing Westmont's window to respond. The Blue and Gold kept the Warriors at arm's length as an ace from Cole fastened the score to 16-6, cementing VU's fourth-set dominance. Kayla Robinson, Galvanoni, and Olbur each contributed kills to bring the game to match point, and Cole connected for the finishing touches to a well-rounded VU performance.
What's Next? The Lions begin a three-game road trip, starting with #10 Chaminade on Friday, October 25 at 10 pm.
