Vanguard University

SAN BERNADINO, Calif. – The Lions will have to settle for lessons learned in lieu of the left-hand column, as the Lions (0-4) were swept by the Golden Eagles of Cal State Los Angeles (1-2) in what was the final game of the 2026 Coyote Classic (19-25, 18-25, 14-25).
 
Vanguard's two kill leaders were Kayla Robinson (MB) and Abigayle Gotwals (OH) with five each. Saniyah Neal also chipped in three out of the middle. With 28 kills and a .490 hitting rate over four games, Robinson was named to the All-Tournament Team.

CSULA saw Samarah DaCoud notch 11 kills as the only player in double-figure for either side. Amber Walker was not far behind at nine for the Golden Eagles. 
 
Both teams struggled to hit as the percentages ultimately sat at .185 to .036 in favor of the victors. The battle of the service-line was one of the stories, as the Golden Eagles dominated at 14 service-aces against VU's five. But overall errors took the cake, with the Lions committing 23 attack errors alone, 14 reception errors, and five more service errors.

This is the third time VU has been swept this season, after only being swept once last year.
 
What happened?
 
Attempting to escape with at least one win, Vanguard utilized one of their five aces to open the match, courtesy of Julia Ringenberg. Kayla Robinson and Haylee Long then both notched kills, with Robinson then adding an ace of her own to escort VU to an early 6-4 lead. A few points later, and the Lions seemingly caught a rhythm, with Grace McQuoid getting a bulk of scoring done. Her two kills and an ace were part of a 6-1 run that put VU up 14-8.
 
Unfortunately, that would be short-lived as the Golden Eagles had a 6-1 run of their own to pull back within one. After a Neal kill and an attack error from the opposition, the score rested at 17-14, VU. However, it would be all Cal State LA after that, as Vanguard made five attack errors to gift-wrap an 11-2 run for CSULA to clinch the first set.
 
Set two got off to a rocky start, as VU fell victim to three-straight aces to open up. Then 11 of the next 19 combined points came via either service ace, service error, or attack error. Despite the inconsistent pace of play, VU was still down by just a single point (10-9, CSULA). More errors from CSULA and a kill from Haylee Long helped Vanguard muster up a tied set at 14.
 
Then the wheels fell off.
 
The Golden Eagles went on an 11-4 run to finish this set, with seven of their 11 tallies coming on an ace of their own or an attack error from Vanguard.
 
Down two sets, and facing a possible winless end of week, the Lions still fought in the early going. Ringenberg again started off with an ace just as she did in set one. After more errors from both teams, McQuoid had a pair of kills to aid VU to just a two-point deficit (11-9, CSULA). But unfortunately, Vanguard could not get out of their own way today. A 7-0 run featuring points from a VU bad set, two VU attack errors, and a CSULA ace put the opponents up 18-9. A small 4-0 counter from the Lions made it closer, but it was just too much. A final 7-1 run finished the match, with Cal State LA's final five points all coming on Vanguard attack errors, encapsulating the theme of the day.
 
 
Of note:
 
It is the first four-game losing streak for VU in the NCAA Division-II era, and first time overall since the fall of 2021, when they lost eight-straight.
It is also the first time since JP became Head Coach where they have been swept three times within a single four-game losing streak.
 
 
Said coach: "This weekend was a great test and got a lot of feedback for where we are at.  We put together some different lineups and are starting to see this new team gel and form."
 
Thankfully, there is some time before the next match. Vanguard gets their first taste of home cooking next Friday against a former PacWest team in Menlo in the home opener (3pm). Tickets are available online through the schedule or the 'Fan Zone' tab.