(ANCHORAGE, Alaska) PLNU Women's Volleyball extended its set-winning streak to eight to begin the 2022 season, its longest such streak to open up a campaign since 2011.
 
To begin the second day of the Seawolf Invitational on Friday, Point Loma pulled off its second-consecutive sweep, defeating Pittsburg State (Kan.) in three sets (25-17, 25-13, 25-18). The Sea Lions then took the first two sets off tournament host Alaska Anchorage, but the Seawolves fought back to win the final three stanzas and hand Point Loma its first loss of the season (23-25, 21-25, 25-19, 25-9, 15-8).
 
"We've played some really great ball," PLNU Head Coach Jonathan Scott said. "Some things are clicking, but we still have plenty of other things to work on."
 
Point Loma appeared to be clicking more often than not in its first five sets on Friday, with Courtney Dyer's service ace on the opening point of PLNU's first match of the day signaling a sign of things to come.
 
Later in the first set, Jordyn Moriarty's ace capped a run of Point Loma scoring five of six points that put the Sea Lions ahead 23-16. An Abigail Nua kill and an opposing attacking error gave PLNU the first set soon thereafter, before serving once again played a key role in the second and third sets.
 
Five different Sea Lions served an ace in set two, with Bailey Williams' ace punctuating a 6-0 PLNU run and Dyer's capping off a 4-0 run right afterward that put Point Loma ahead by double digits.
 
After PLNU clinched the second set, Macy Reynolds served back-to-back aces in the third as part of a 7-0 streak that put the Sea Lions ahead 7-2. After Pittsburg State battled back to tie the set, Williams and Dyer each recorded an ace during Point Loma's streak of scoring six of seven points.
 
Point Loma extended its five-point cushion to as many as eight, with Torina Hommes completing the sweep with one of her match-high 12 kills, which tied Nua for the most of any player.
 
Nua then could not be stopped in the first set of PLNU's match with Alaska Anchorage. She posted nine kills in the opening stanza alone, which scored four of the team's first five points and five of its first seven.
 
With the first set tied at 20 apiece and also later at 22-22, the Sea Lions then turned to Hommes offensively, with the outside hitter putting away three balls to help PLNU continue its set winning streak.
 
That streak was then extended to eight after Point Loma captured the second frame as well. A Hommes ace began a 5-0 PLNU run that was aided by a pair of Dyer service aces, which gave Point Loma a 16-10 lead. For the rest of the stanza, Point Loma led by no fewer than three points, as the visiting Sea Lions moved one set away from claiming victory.
 
Unfortunately for Point Loma, Alaska Anchorage had different ideas.
 
With the third set tied at 17 apiece, the designated home team scored eight of the next 10 points to prolong the match.
 
The Seawolves then scored the first 10 points of the fourth set, all but eliminating any chance PLNU had to prevent a deciding stanza from being needed.
 
In the fifth frame, kills from Hommes and Nua gave Point Loma leads of 3-2 and 4-3. But with the set tied at 5 apiece, Alaska Anchorage scored the next four points to firmly take control of the stanza and develop a four-point advantage. PLNU was unable to get closer than three, as UAA finished off the reverse sweep to remain unbeaten (6-0) on the season.

As part of that unbeaten start to the campaign, Alaska Anchorage has played three other PacWest schools (Hawaii Pacific, Hawaii Hilo and Chaminade), but PLNU is the only one to win even a single set against the Seawolves.
 
Nua made it three-straight matches to open the new season in which she has led the team in kills, recording a career-high 22 for the Sea Lions. Setter Lauren Phillips also set a career high with 48 assists in the five-set thriller.
 
Point Loma (2-1 overall) concludes its participation at the Seawolf Invitational on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. PT. against Emmanuel College (Ga.).
 
"I'm proud of our effort and we have one more tomorrow," Scott said.