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SAN DIEGO – PLNU volleyball opened up the 2012 season – the team's first match as a NCAA DII squad – with a tough 3-2 loss (25-21, 22-25, 29, 25-20, 15-11) to Cal State Stanislaus in Golden Gym Friday afternoon. The Sea Lions, who are hosting the six-team 2012 Seaside Invitational, have to get the setback behind them as they take on Northwest Nazarene at 7:00 p.m. tonight.

Point Loma briefly led set one only to see the Warriors (1-1) catch and pass the team and take a 12-8 lead. CSU Stanislaus stayed in front the rest of the way, the closest the Sea Lions coming was two points before falling by four.

The two rosters fought it out in the second, going tooth and nail until PLNU finally earned some separation, thanks in part to a slew of Warrior miscues. CSU Stanislaus came fought off two match points but another error sealed PLNU's win.

Point Loma continued on a roll in the third, though it wasn't easy. Both teams traded leads until midway into the set when Delaney McCraney and Kelli LeClair each slammed down two kills to push the Sea Lions past the Warriors. LeClair, who would finish the match with 20 winners, ended the set with another kill.

It was more of the same in the fourth, only this time it was Stanislaus that grabbed control of the set, taking a 21-18 advantage and eventually tying the match at two sets apiece.  

The Warriors jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the fifth and deciding set before the Sea Lions rolled off five straight points to go up 6-4. Stanislaus came right back with two points of their own. Point Loma recaptured the lead at 11-9 but a 6-0 Warrior run, capped with two aces by Kendall Munoz (who had six total), which finished the set and match.

Along with LeClair, McCraney had 20 kills with Heather Leavitt adding 15 kills for PLNU. Four Warriors had double-digit winners led by 15 from Andrea Fett.