SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- While it took five sets on Thursday night, the Vanguard women's volleyball team conquered its first Pacific West Conference game in program history over Westmont. The old Golden State Athletic Conference rivals exchanged stronger sets, with the Lions taking the first two periods 25-18 and 25-20 and Westmont the next two 25-14 and 25-20. But the Blue and Gold got clutch kills when it mattered in the fifth set, as the team pulled away from WC with a 15-12 decision in the set to snare the match victory. VU improves to 4-3 overall and 1-2 in PacWest action, while Westmont falls to 5-5 overall and 0-3 in the league.
What Happened? Adeline Galvanoni got the opening kill of the match but through the early going, neither side found much separation. A blast from Bailey Olbur tied the set at 8-8, which opened a 7-0 stretch for the Lions that launched the team to a 14-8 lead. The Warriors parried as the set moved along, closing the gap to 16-15, but a service error by the Warriors and a kill from Alister Borabo repaired the Vanguard lead. Olbur and Cole picked up kills to put VU up 20-18 and a solo block by Cole snagged set one for the Lions 25-18. VU hit .325 in the first and WC had a .150 rating.
Vanguard established a slim lead earlier in the second period, as Galvanoni and Kayla Robinson shunted balls to the floor. Westmont trailed by three points through most of the opening stages but the home side soon cinched up the score to 11-10. Cole and Borabo helped keep the home side at bay, keeping the edge at two points. That energy then produced back-to-back kills from Olbur and Galvanoni to put Vanguard up 20-14. The Blue and Gold matched WC point for point the rest of the way to take set two 25-20, with a block by Borabo and Robinson sealing the win. The second frame was the best one offensively for the Blue and Gold, who hit .351 with 18 kills and five errors on 37 attempts. Westmont hit .257.
With everything going their way, the Lions used their early energy to take a 4-0 lead to start the third. While the squad led during the early rallies, Westmont soon closed again and tied things at 7-7. That would mark the turning point of the frame, as WC rolled through the rest of the third period 18-7 to get on the board in the match with a 25-14 win.
The Blue and Gold did not let any shock set in and started the fourth in style, with a pair of aces by Madeline DeLucia and a strike from Olbur. The advantage spiked at 11-6 but the home side made a stand after that. The Warriors would swing into the lead with a 14-5 run, and though Galvanoni, Cole, and Borabo had kills down the stretch, WC took the set 25-20. Westmont hit .276 in the fourth and VU collected a .208 mark.
Playing their first fifth set of the season, the Lions did not let the noise from the home faithful distract them. After going down 3-0, Borabo and Galvanoni got the Lions on the board with thundering kills. Cole and Robinson combined for a block before each picked up a kill that pushed VU into the lead 6-5. The set remained close after that and was tied three more times, with Delaney Hill leveling the score at 11-all with a sharp strike. That was the shift the Lions needed, as the team would score four of the next five points to secure the win. Olbur made a statement solo block, Borabo pounded down a kill, and Olbur tapped down the final point to give VU the match with a 15-12 decision in the final period. Vanguard rebounded with a .350 attacking percentage in the fifth while holding Westmont to .188.
The Lions had a higher hitting percentage in the contest at .250, while Westmont tallied a .209 rating. VU had a 61-53 edge in kills and a 60-55 lead in digs. Galvanoni had a match-high 15 kills, with Cole next with 12. Robinson had 10 kills without any errors on 14 attempts for a .714 attack efficiency. Olbur had nine kills and only two errors in 22 attacks. DeLucia was everywhere for the Lions, as she led the team in aces (four), digs (15), and assists (27), which was also a match-high. Robinson, Cole, and Olbur all had five total blocks, with Blair Dodge second on the squad with 14 digs.
Why is it Important? The first win for VU in the new league is also the first over Westmont in the past 10 tries, dating back to a 2019 win at home in The Pit, which was also a five-set match. It is also the first win in Santa Barbara since 2018.
What is Next? The Blue and Gold will welcome Point Loma to the Freed Center next Tuesday, October 1, for a 6:00 p.m. match.
