AZUSA, Calif. - Hope is still alive for the Point Loma volleyball team after a valiant comeback effort on the road at Azusa Pacific led to the Sea Lions' eighth straight win and moved them within one and a half games of PacWest lead. PLNU overcame a slow start and a deficit late in the fifth set to prevail 213-25, 25-16, 25-22, 23-25 and 15-13.
 
The Sea Lions (16-8, 10-5 PacWest) now trail only PacWest-leader Dixie State (14-8, 11-3 PacWest), which they will play Saturday (Nov. 7) on the road in St. George, and California Baptist (17-5, 10-4 PacWest). PLNU is in a virtual tie (behind in percentage points) with BYU-Hawaii (11-10, 9-4 PacWest) for third place in the PacWest standings. The loss dropped APU to seventh in the standings with an 8-6 record (12-11 overall).
 
The middles were the driving offensive force tonight for Point Loma, led by Bethany Mandon with 19 kills and a .267 hitting percentage. She also added five blocks and the biggest service ace of the match to finish with 23 points. Marissa Hageman came through with eight kills and just one error while hitting .350. Heather Leavitt added a double-double with 15 kills and 18 digs. She was one of five Sea Lions with double-figure digs on the night.
 
Savannah Wedemeyer added a double-double of her own with 47 assists and 18 digs. She also had five kills and two aces. Christin Fisher again paced the team in digs with 23.
 
Things looked bleak for PLNU early as they hit -.083 in the first set as APU won 25-13. But coach Jonathan Scott and his staff made great in-game adjustments as the Sea Lions hit .241 in the second set and .341 in the third with 17 kills to win both sets. PLNU had just three errors in each set after making nine in the opening set. After dropping a tightly contested fourth set it all came down to set five.
 
APU jumped in front early with PLNU just keeping the Cougars at arm's length. Azusa went up 10-8 on a great block and looked like it had seized momentum, but that is when the comeback started. PLNU scored two straight to tie the match and then extended their run to 6-2 thanks to some great serving. Fittingly Heather Leavitt put the match away with an ace from Savannah Wedemeyer as PLNU won the fifth set 15-12.
 
PLNU has gone 7-1 against APU in volleyball the past three seasons, including winning the last six straight.
 
Mattie Shelford had a match-high 23 kills to pace Azusa Pacific.
 
The Point Loma volleyball team will now prepare to travel and face PacWest-leaders Dixie State on Saturday, Nov. 7 at Noon.