LONG BEACH, Calif. – After two standout wins to close the campaign, women's volleyball was named Pacific West Conference Team of the Week in the final weekly poll of the season. The Lions went 2-0 in the last slot of regular season games, upsetting #2 Point Loma in four sets and fighting back for a comeback win in five sets against Concordia two nights later.
VU claimed their first win at PLNU since 2009, taking down #2 Point Loma in four sets (16-25, 25-22, 25-18, 25-17). It was also their first win against a ranked opponent in the D2 era and highest ranked win in program history. The Lions held Loma to a season-low .091(43-29-154) hitting percentage as VU fired off a match-best .429 (15-3-28) in the final frame to put the Sea Lions away.
Delaney Hill had a monstrous 11 kills on .526 (11-1-19) hitting and also four block assists.
Coming home for senior night on Friday against Concordia, the Blue and Gold faced adversity after going down 2-1. The Lions reestablished their back row defense in the fourth set (25-13) and put on a block party in the final frame, coming back down 11-8 to win the contest 15-13. They finished the match with commanding margins in blocks (14-5) and digs (71-53).
Senior captain
Morgan Cole put on a show in with 17 kills, 22 digs, three blocks, and one ace, to cap off her 53rd and final career double-double. The outside hitter also hit an outrageous .556 (12-2-28), a career-best mark, in her final collegiate game. Cole finishes fourth all-time in program history in total kills (1275) and sixth in total digs (1315).
Adeline Galvanoni's last Lion match came with 16 kills on .343 (16-4-35) hitting to cement her in 11
th all time in career kills at 852. Graduate student
Payton Darm finished her collegiate career one shy of her career-best with nine blocks.
Viktoria Dickson led the charge on the comeback, netting back to back to kills to finish with a 12-point 10 dig double-double hitting .357 (12-2-28).
The Blue and Gold conclude the season with the fifth highest winning percentage in program history (.692) and the third fewest losses, as they close the year 18-8 overall and 6-6 in the PacWest to finish in sixth place.
