Vanguard University

VANGUARD DROPS OPENER TO CAL POLY POMONA
 
SAN BERNADINO, Calif. – The 2026 campaign did not begin the way Vanguard wanted, as the Lions were swept by the Broncos of Cal Poly Pomona (RV) in the season opener for both teams (22-25, 14-25, 12-25).
 
It was a busy first night at the Coyote Classic for a couple of new faces, as Daphne Raymond (JR/OPP) led the team in kills (8), while Meadow Hobbs (FR/OH) had six kills on a team-high 20 attempts. Abigayle Gotwals (SO/OH) had two aces to go with her five kills.
 
The Broncos saw two players reach double-digit kills, with Charlotte Koerber tallying a game-high 13 kills, followed by Sarah Ybarra at 10.
 
CPP hit .419 as a team, while Vanguard hit .149: VU's lowest in a season-opener since 2023 (W vs Simpson: .158).
 
What happened?
 
The first set saw Vanguard tap into the adrenaline that comes with the excitement of an opener. After the Broncos got off to a 7-3 lead, a 6-0 run that was spearheaded by both of Gotwals' aces that put VU up by two, forcing a CPP sub. It would be to-and-fro from there until 14-12 VU. A service error by Kayla Robinson opened the door for CPP, and they shortly thereafter took a 16-15 lead.
 
But again, VU would respond by reclaiming the lead three different times over the next few exchanges. The last of which came on a taste of revenge by Robinson, who got a kill to put VU up 20-19. However, CPP would go on a 5-1 run to give themselves set-point, ultimately getting the clincher on a kill by Ybarra.
 
The second set saw CPP mimick their 6-2 run to end the first frame, blazing past VU to a 10-2 start. Vanguard was able to get the needle moving a bit thanks to several miscues on attacks, sets, and serves from the Broncos, but still the hole grew. Cal Poly Pomona had an ace from Lexi Zammit finish off the Lions, 25-14.
 
The third and final set of the match was a combination of the youth that Vanguard employs and Cal Poly Pomona proving why they received votes in the first national poll. Vanguard earned their final lead of the night on a kill from Gotwals on the first play, but a 14-3 run put the game in the proverbial refrigerator.
 
Said coach Jennifer Dorn: "This team has a lot to learn about itself.  With so many new faces and pressure that hasn't been experienced, we are trying to learn our team identity and how to compete to win.  There will be some big learning curves and this tournament, against high level teams, is going to show us a lot about ourselves early on which will help us down the road."
 
There is no time to think for the Lions, as they turn around to play two contests tomorrow to continue the Coyote Classic. They take on the hosts in #25 Cal State San Bernadino at 2:30pm before the night cap against Saint Martin's at 7pm.