SAN DIEGO–Point Loma put together a solid offensive effort on the road to extend their winning streak to six matches. Academy of Art put together a great effort in set one as they pushed the Sea Lions to a 25-21 set, while swinging for 12 kills. Point Loma took the wheel from there though, as they took sets two and three with ease, winning each by a score of 25-16.
A solid passing presence allowed the Sea Lions to play quick and efficient, with their middles reaping the benefits.
Kayla Chapman led the team in kills, along with
Jaime Cymbaluk, putting down eight kills with no errors on a .571 hitting percentage.
Madie Fox had a great outing as well, swinging for seven kills on a .429 hitting percentage.
The middles were not the only players to hit for high efficiency on the night as five different Sea Lions hit .429 or better. Point Loma also put up a big block, totaling eight for the match. Chapman once again led the team in blocks picking up four block assists in the match.
Team Records
PLNU (13-7, 10-3 PacWest), ART U (0-21, 0-13 PacWest)
PacWest Implications
With a loss by Hawaii Hilo last night, the Sea Lions move into sole possession of third place with a 10-3 record. The team faces first-place Azusa Pacific on Tuesday.
Turning Point
The Sea Lions and Urban Knights were tied 11-11 in the second set before Point Loma went on a 10-1 run to take the nine-point lead and put the set out of reach for ART U. The 2-0 set lead shifted all the momentum in favor of PLNU.
Scott's Thoughts
On the play of his team during the win streak: "We've been doing our best to stay in the moment and sometimes that's pretty difficult. Myself included, we need constant reminders to stay in the moment and when we've done that it's been pretty good stuff."
On the play of the middles: "Our first contact, our passing and our digging, has been steadily improving. So they were in much better situations more often."
On Cara's play over the weekend: "She's doing a good job. We want that number (assists per set) to continue to rise, we don't think that's high enough. She looks a lot better when out passes and out digging can locate and we had some good location this weekend."
On the upcoming match against APU: "They have proven themselves to be the top of the conference so far. It's a match that we have had circled on the calendar. We weren't prepared for them the first time and all we can try to do is stay in the moment. Once Tuesday rolls around we are excited to be there."
Scoring Summary
Set 1: PLNU 25, ART U 21
Set 2: PLNU 25, ART U 16
Set 3: PLNU 25, ART U 16
News and Notes.
>
Julia Malinas went a perfect 4-for-4 hitting in the match.
> The Sea Lions have now surpassed their win total from last season for both the regular season and conference play.
> With her performance in this match,
Cara Keturakis averaged 11.5 assists per set on the weekend.
> In four of their last five matches, Point Loma has totaled eight or more blocks.
> Six of their ten conference wins have come in straight sets.
> Point Loma is 7-2 when posting eight or more blocks.
Up Next
Point Loma returns home on Tuesday, Oct. 16, when they host the first-place Cougars of Azusa Pacific at 7 p.m.
