box score

COSTA MESA, Calif. – In what might have been the team's best overall effort of the season, NAIA No. 17-ranked Point Loma Nazarene swept No. 12 Vanguard on the road Tuesday (25-17, 25-19, 25-21). The win comes as the regular season is winding down and with the Sea Lions (14-7, 6-7 GSAC) starting to eye their postseason prospects.

If the team stays ranked below No. 12 they will have to play, and most likely host, a NAIA Opening Round Match. But, if the Green and Gold can maintain the effort and effectiveness over the final five matches of the regular season that they showed against Vanguard, PLNU could still perceivably climb high enough to earn an automatic berth to the final site of the NAIA Tournament, Sioux City, Iowa.

Point Loma will have a good chance of overtaking VUSC in the next Tuesday's rankings thanks to the Sea Lions winning both matches against the Lions this season. 

Regardless of rankings, seeding and standings, after three straight losses, Loma needed a win and they got that Tuesday.

The Sea Lions led from nearly start-to-finish in the sets one and two, winning those fairly easily to take a 2-0 advantage. The third was much more hotly contested with Vanguard going up 19-16 before PLNU rolled off six straight points and nine of the last 11 to close out the match.

Loma's offense was inspired Tuesday, hitting at a .323 clip led by a .462 average (13-26) by Tabitha Henken. Delaney McCraney added 10 winners and hit .304. Maddie Dahms had nine kills with Alyssa Dwyer contributing eight stingers.

Aimee Bird helped out with 40 assists, four kills, four digs and three blocks. Dwyer was a big factor at the net as well with four total blocks.

Caitlin Bernadin added 13 digs with Henken, McCraney and Nicole Eiler each with seven digs. As a team the Sea Lions held Vanguard to a mere .133 hitting percentage and just 28 total kills.

The lone Lion to reach into double figures was KaUwila Lavea with 10.

Vanguard slipped to 19-9 overall, 8-5 GSAC.

PLNU will be on the road on Saturday when they are at The Master's. The match starts at 7:00 p.m.