(SAN DIEGO) After redshirting last season, freshman outside hitter Abigail Nua had to wait longer than most to debut in front of the PLNU faithful inside Golden Gym.
 
She made it well worth the wait.
 
Nua led all players with 18 kills, as the Sea Lions swept San Francisco State 3-0 (25-16, 28-26, 25-20) on Thursday to begin the 15th Annual Seaside Invitational with a victory. The Lakewood, Colorado native has led the team in kills in all five matches this season.
 
"At first I was really nervous," Nua said on playing in front her home fans for the first time. "Just getting on the court though, remembering the girls I had behind me and beside me and knowing how we play together, was a lot better. It was very nice."
 
PLNU as a team appeared to have some early-match jitters, falling behind immediately 4-0. Point Loma began to slowly chip away at the Gators' lead before tying the set at 13-13. Nua then had four kills in an 8-0 Sea Lion run to help the home side run away with the opening stanza.
 
"She's continuing to kill it which is pretty impressive," Scott said on Nua. "We're several matches in at this point, all against good competition."
 
Point Loma was the team to start quickly in the second set, with back-to-back Nua kills sparking a 3-0 start for the Sea Lions. PLNU appeared to be in firm control, leading 20-15, before five-straight points from SFSU tied the set.
 
A Torina Hommes kill briefly restored Point Loma's advantage before San Francisco State took its first lead of the set by scoring the next three points. Another Nua kill and a Macy Reynolds service ace tied the set back up, only for SFSU to earn set point. Hommes then came to the rescue with a kill, before six points later Bailey Williams finally sealed the set with a kill to give PLNU a two-set-to-none advantage.
 
SFSU threatened to prolong the match leading 16-15 in the third set, before a 7-0 Sea Lion run put PLNU ahead by six, just three points away from victory. Nua fittingly clinched the sweep with her 18th kill of the match. All three Sea Lion wins this season have come in three sets.
 
"It was a really good, tight battle in that third set," Scott said. "Then a little bit over halfway, that's when we started to put the pressure on them and keep the pressure on them. There was a noticeable energy shift that went in our favor."
 
The win was exactly what the doctor ordered after a pair of heartbreaking five-set losses to Alaska Anchorage and Emmanuel College (Ga.) last week meant Point Loma split its four-match season-opening tournament.
 
"That was honestly a perfect showing for us," Scott said. "Getting that 3-0 result is always sweet, but it was not easy. Coach Hoffman at San Francisco State has done a really great job. They made us earn our points. That's really what you want when you need to respond is to actually earn it as opposed to the other team giving it to you."

Setter Lauren Phillips dished out 37 assists, while libero Courtney Dyer led the team with 18 digs. Claire Smith, Grace Hicks and Hommes all recorded four blocks each.
 
Point Loma (3-2 overall) returns to Golden Gym on Friday at 5 p.m. to take on Cal State San Marcos in another West Region matchup.
 
"They're really big," Scott said of the team's upcoming matches against regional opponents. "I believe that we have a roster and a group that's hungry, that will absolutely be in the conversation at the end of the year to go very deep in the postseason, not just the regional. But we've got to get there. This is how it works, and these are some important matches to win."