Just four days off an upset win over then second-ranked Concordia, NAIA No. 9 PLNU was given a taste of their own medicine by #16 Vanguard Tuesday night in Golden Gymnasium. The Sea Lions took the opening set but ball handling issues and unforced errors opened the way for VUSC which claimed the next three sets and the match (23-25, 25-18, 25-23, 26-24).
The visiting Lions hit .324, the best percentage against PLNU all season. Part of Vanguard's success came due to triple-digit kills from Kelsey Wirt (25), Heather Dejongh (15) and Jamie Heenan (10). But the Sea Lions aided their opponent's cause by missing six serves and by making 21 attack errors. What doesn't show up in the statistics is how PLNU watched quite a few balls fall safely inbounds and how the team had trouble digging and passing all night.
Even though they didn't play their best match of the season, the Sea Lions came close to winning. Two of the sets that went to Vanguard were by just two points. After trailing from the start of the fourth set, PLNU nearly pushed the match to a fifth with a late rally, but the comeback fell just short.
Vanguard had their own issues as well, making eight service errors to just two aces. However, when the Lions needed a point or had to stop a PLNU run, they were able to.
The Sea Lions ended up with a .222 hitting percentage led by 20 winners on 40 swings by junior
Alyssa Pitkin. Sophomore
Tabitha Henken pounded 18 kills and had 12 digs in the loss.Freshman
Karliegh Kaczmarek added six winners while first-year players
Maddie Dahms and
Chelsea Joanou had five kills apiece.
Vanguard pulled out 71 digs as a team to 56 from PLNU. Dishing out the assists were VUSC's Meghan Walsh with 52 and PLNU senior
Kylie Morel with 48. Morel also contributed 12 digs as did freshman
Nicole Eiler.
Four Lions had at least 10 digs paced by 18 from Wirt and 17 from Ariel Strickler.
The loss was big for PLNU in the standings. The Sea Lions slipped to 15-4 overall but at 5-4 in against the GSAC, they are now one game back of Vanguard (12-6, 6-3 GSAC).
No. 19-ranked Biola will pay the Sea Lions a visit on Saturday. That match starts at 3:00 pm.
NOTE: The Sea Lions wore pink uniforms on Tuesday to honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
