(SAN DIEGO) PLNU Volleyball Head Coach
Jonathan Scott couldn't have asked for a better birthday present.
Point Loma swept Fresno Pacific on Saturday 3-0 (25-15, 25-21, 25-16) to continue the Sea Lions' unbeaten start to PacWest play and reduce their magic number to clinching a first-ever conference title down to one.
"We're in uncharted waters with our winning streak and having conversations of winning conference," Head Coach
Jonathan Scott said. "These girls are handling it really well."
Point Loma (19-4 overall, 16-0 PacWest) now just needs one more win over its last four matches to clinch the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA West Regional.
It was the
Anna Massari show early, as her combined block and three kills gave PLNU an immediate 5-1 advantage in the opening stanza and fueled the Sea Lions' first-set victory.
FPU held an early lead in the second and the set was tied as late as 16-16 before a 5-0 PLNU run gave the hosts control.
Brooke Hanshumaker's kill then clinched the set and put the visitors on the brink.
Then in the third with Point Loma leading 14-13, four Massari kills in an 8-0 stretch for the Sea Lions made the final result a mere formality.
Massari led all players with 14 kills and six blocks, as did
Sophia Baugh in assists (19) and
Macy Reynolds in digs (16).
PLNU will have its first chance to clinch the conference title on Thursday at Biola in the team's first of three-straight road matches. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.
"The plan is the same and the message is the same," Scott said. "There's just now some stakes, so we'll see how we handle it."
Point Loma's 16-match winning streak is one shy of its all-time program record of 17, achieved in both 2000 and 2001.
