Box Score

RIVERSIDE, Calif. - It is not often that some of the year's biggest matches come less than a week after the start of the season, but that is exactly what is happening for the Point Loma women's volleyball team at the GNAC-PacWest Crossover Challenge.
 
The Sea Lions (3-2) opened up play on Thursday (Sept. 11) with a four-set loss (25-18, 25-13, 19-25 and 25-19) to Northwest Nazarene (4-1).
 
"This is a great tournament and a great opportunity for conferences to go head-to-head," said PLNU head coach Jonathan Scott. "It comes down to who wants it more."
 
NNU jumped on Point Loma early in the first set to capture momentum which they would never relinquish. Three Crusaders had 10 kills to lead NNU. Northwest Nazarene also committed just 16 hitting errors all night (four service errors) compared to 37 for the Sea Lions.
 
Alyssa Dwyer was a bright spot for Point Loma with 13 kills and a .370 hitting percentage. Heather Leavitt led PLNU with 15 kills and added 16 digs for a double-double. Christin Fisher paced the team with 20 digs, while Savannah Wedemeyer handed out a match-high 45 assists.
 
"We still have streaks where we look very good offensively and then others that we don't," Scott explained. "When we can polish those things up it will be very exciting."
 
The GNAC-PacWest Crossover Challenge gives the two conferences the chance for head-to-head competition, regional matches and a variety of other advantages that go a long way towards determining bids for postseason play.
 
The Sea Lions will be back in action at the GNAC-PacWest Crossover Challenge on Friday with a pair of matches against GNAC opponents. They will open against No. 13 Central Washington at 1:30 p.m., and then face Alaska Anchorage at 8:30 p.m.