California Baptist University
Vanguard University (Calif.)
WALSH ACES LANCERS
10/17/2006 7:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
RIVERSIDE
California Baptist (22-4, 12-2) loses its first home match in over a year after starting out the season at 10-0 in the Van Dyne Gym. Its was the Lancers' first loss this season to an unranked opponent.
The Lions, who suffered a 3-game sweep in the teams' first meeting of the year Sept. 12, improve to 11-10, 4-9 GSAC.
Playing without 3 of its regular starters in the first 2 games, the Lancers had little about which to remain positive after the Lions put them down 2 games to none, but all of that seemed to change when 2005 NAIA Tournament MVP Yudelka Bonilla entered the contest early in the third game.
Bonilla, who sat out last Saturday's sweep of San Diego Christian with an injury sustained the previous night at NCAA Division II No. 3-ranked Cal State Bakersfield, smacked 6 kills in the final 3 sets as Natasha Evylnn posted 22 kills in the loss.
Shi Fei notched a season-high 6 blocks while Lindsey Siefken and Rachel Gowen each had 4 stuffs on the night. GSAC Libero of the Week Katrina Clark ended with 24 digs in the effort.
A pair of early kills from the Fei and 3 from Evylnn and Fei put the Lancers out to an early, 10-4, advantage in game one, but Vanguard eventually went on a 10-3 run, highlighted by 2 Kelsey Wirt aces, to take a 22-20 lead.
California Baptist knotted up the score at 26 apiece, but the Lions responded with 3-straight points to put the set to game-point. Siefken's kill brought the Lancers within 2, at 29-27, but Wirt then closed out the set with her sixth kill as the visitors outlasted California Baptist for a, 30-27, game-one victory.
Out to a, 20-14, lead in the second set, the Lancers again had trouble keeping up with Vanguard, as the Lions embarked on an 10-4 run that made tied the score at 24 each. The score was evened up again, at 28-28, and Vanguard put itself in position for is second win, at 29-28.
Although the Lancers managed to tie the score 3 more times in the contest, the Lions, who at .177 still managed to best California Baptist's .155 clip, came up with the winning point at 33-31.
Trailing, 2-0 in the third set, the Lancers had a sudden jolt of energy when Yudelka Bonilla, who sat out the first 2 sets with an injury, entered the game. Bonilla rocked 3 kills on just 4 swings and came up with 6 digs as California Baptist rolled to a 30-21 win.
Riding the momentum from game 3, where the Lancers hit .364, California Baptist sprinted out to an 18-9 advantage thanks to an ace from Siefken. The Lancers hit an eye-popping .407 in the fourth set, committing just one error in the, 30-18, win.
After building up a 6-2 lead in the final set, the Lancers watched Vanguard toss up a 12-1 rally that made the score 13-7 in favor of the visitors. Meghan Walsh served for 6 points?including a pair of service aces?in a row during the run, as the Lions pulled away and took the game by a score of 15-9.
