SANTA ANA, Calif. – The top-ranked Vanguard men's volleyball team faced another test against a highly ranked opponent on Friday at Calvary Chapel High School, outlasting No. 4 OUAZ by scores of 27-25, 25-21 and 26-24.
The Lions stayed undefeated at 8-0 and took sole control of first place in the Golden State Athletic Conference. VU is 4-0 in the GSAC, while the Spirit are now 3-1. OUAZ fell to 13-2 overall.
Will Anderson led the Lions with 16 kills on .321 hitting. Reza Tahmasebi and Andrew Sheveland added eight kills and five digs apiece.
Redshirt freshman middle blocker Micah Sybesma served up five of VU's nine aces while adding four kills.
The Lions hit .308 as a team and had more kills (42-28), assists (38-27), aces (9-7) and digs (21-15) than the Spirit. VU slightly outhit the Spirit .308 to .295.
Emery Outin led OUAZ with 15 kills.
What Happened?
Set 1 – The Lions won by a narrow 27-25 margin and did so despite OUAZ hitting .500 (11-2-18) in the set. VU countered at a more than spectacle .375 (14-5-24).
VU used a pair of 4-0 runs to open up leads of 7-4 and 12-6. Sybesma landed three straight service aces to force an OUAZ timeout during the first 4-0 run.
The Lions appeared in complete control up 18-11 after an Anderson kill, but the Spirit roared back with a 7-1 run to nip at VU's heels. Caeden Salmen was at the service line for five straight points to power OUAZ back into contention.
The Blue and Gold held a 21-20 led when Sybesma slammed two straight kills to give the home side some breathing room. But Outin countered with a kill and ace to narrow the gap to 23-22 and force a VU timeout.
Outin's service error gave VU set point, but consecutive slams by OUAZ's Addah Nestor tied the score at 24-24. The teams were tied again at 25-25 when Tahmasebi and Smith pounded back-to-back kills to seal the win.
Set 2 – OUAZ took an early 5-2 lead but the Lions reeled off six straight points to go up 8-5, with Anderson posting three kills during the surge.
The VU lead hovered between two and four points for the duration of the set. OUAZ peered into contention at 15-14 and again at 21-20, but could surmount the Lions. Two straight attack errors forced a VU timeout at 21-20, but the break did wonders as Chase Marcy committed a service error when play resumed.
Ryan Smith next dumped an ace on the Spirit to put VU in front 23-20. Anderson put the ball away on set point to give the Lions a 25-21 victory.
Both teams struggled with hitting efficiency as the Lions managed just .107, but the Spirit were even worse at .048.
Set 3 – The third set resembled more of the first as both squads returned to their terminating ways. VU hit a match-best .462 (16-4-26), while OUAZ was no slouch at .364 (11-3-22).
OUAZ took command with an 8-2 run, turning a 6-4 deficit into a 12-8 lead. Outin had three kills and an ace to power the Spirit during that period.
The visitors kept the Lions at bay until the Lions pulled within one at 17-16 and 18-17. However, the Spirit scored back-to-back points as Vanguard called timeout trailing 20-17.
The Lions scored four of the next five points to force a 21-21 tie, resulting in OUAZ timeouts on back-to-back plays.
After Outin tied the score at 24-24, the Lions captured victory with a Sybesma kill and Smith ace.
Why Is It Important?: The Lions continue to hit well, connecting at a better than .300 clip in six of their eight contests.
What's Next?: The Blue and Gold host Arizona Christian on Saturday at Calvary Chapel High School. First serve is at noon.
