(SAN DIEGO) The highly-anticipated matchup between the top-two teams in the PacWest Conference did not disappoint, requiring all five sets to determine a winner.
In the end, PLNU Volleyball overturned a two-set-to-one deficit to beat No. 15 Chaminade (23-25, 25-15, 19-25, 25-21, 15-6) on Saturday afternoon inside Golden Gym to increase its lead atop the conference standings to three with six matches to play.
"I'm just really proud of the girls," Head Coach
Jonathan Scott. "We've been grinding this season and it's cool to have some results that match the process."
In Point Loma's 14-0 start to its PacWest schedule, Saturday's win is PLNU's fourth in five sets and second coming back after trailing two sets to one.
"These girls play together and that's what really matters when you're done," Scott said. "They do it together and have one another's backs. We have a gritty group."
That grittiness first showed in set two after Chaminade took a back-and-forth opening stanza, as Point Loma responded with a dominant second to tie the match.
The hosts raced out to a 12-5 lead in the second set before a 5-0 PLNU run, which included two
Macy Reynolds service aces, put the Sea Lions up by double digits.
Grace Hicks then finished off the set with a kill, as Point Loma continued that momentum into the third set by taking an early 8-3 advantage.
However, Chaminade fought back to take its first lead of the set at 15-14. A
Bailey Williams kill tied the set briefly, only for the Silverswords to score five of the next six points. Three-straight kills by the visitors to close the third then put PLNU on the brink.
But the Sea Lions wouldn't go down lightly, scoring seven of the final 10 points in the third to force a deciding fifth, with another Hicks kill ensuring the match went the distance.
From there it was all Point Loma, as three
Abigail Nua kills helped the hosts take an 8-2 lead in the fifth. Chaminade scored the next two points, only for PLNU to immediately respond with a 6-0 streak on
Torina Hommes' serving to give the hosts match point.
The Silverswords delayed the inevitable with back-to-back kills but a service error ended the match in favor of the Sea Lions.
Abigail Nua led the team with 22 kills and 19 digs, while Williams (nine digs) added 11 kills and Hicks tacked on nine.
Reynolds (18 digs) and Hommes (seven kills, five blocks) excelled from the service line with four and three aces respectively.
Anna Massari dominated at the net once again with nine blocks, while
Claire Smith contributed with seven blocks.
The victory means the Sea Lions sweep the season series with the Silverswords, giving Point Loma the tiebreaker between the two teams and more room atop the conference standings as PLNU searches for its first-ever PacWest title in volleyball.
"We try not to talk about results and getting to the finish line, but I did let them know that Point Loma Volleyball has never won the Pacific West Conference title," Scott said. "So now that's something I let them start to think about but really it's all about beating Hawai'i Pacific on Wednesday."
PLNU hosts HPU on Wednesday at 6 p.m. on ALZtogether Night, as the Sea Lions promote Alzheimer's awareness.
