PLNU Athletics

(HILO, Hawai'i) No. 18 PLNU Volleyball will enter the final week of the regular season in first place atop the PacWest standings after a thrilling five-set (25-20, 21-25, 25-22, 15-25, 15-13) victory at Hawai'i Hilo on Saturday night.
 
The win completes a perfect 3-0 Hawai'i trip for the Sea Lions, who won their eighth straight match overall and picked up their 11th consecutive victory in PacWest play.
 
Point Loma won sets one and three, with Hilo claiming sets two and for to set up a winner-take-all final stanza.
 
The Vulcans led early in the fifth, 7-4, only for the Sea Lions to score six of the next seven points to go up 10-8.
 
UHH tied up the set at 10-10 and 11-11 before a block and a kill from setter Sophia Baugh gave the visitors match point up 14-11.
 
Hilo saved two match points to cut its deficit to one, but Saren Rogers' season-high 20th kill sealed the victory for the Sea Lions.
 
Hailey Clark and Gianna Callari each had 10 kills apiece, while Baugh dished out a match-high 46 assists to go along with her 17 digs.
 
Kira Federico led all players with 21 digs.
 
Point Loma (19-5 overall, 14-2 PacWest), who moved up to No. 5 in the latest NCAA West Regional NPI rankings, returns home to Golden Gym for two matches this week.

PLNU will host Biola on Wednesday at 6 p.m. before welcoming Westmont on Saturday at 2 p.m. on Senior Day.
 
With a win against BU, PLNU would clinch at least a share of the PacWest championship and the No. 1 seed in the PacWest Championships (Nov. 13-14).