LION TAMERS
RIVERSIDE, Calif. --- Anything that followed the 31-29 barn-burner of a first set was going to be anti-climactic Tuesday night.
No. 2 California Baptist University's third set rout was just that, as the Lancers closed out a 3-0 (31-29, 25-21, 25-15) sweep of Vanguard at home to continue what is now the longest winning streak in program history. CBU improves to 18-0 overall, 5-0 GSAC, while Vanguard falls to 10-4, 2-3.
The open and close of the match could not have been any more different, with the crowd on the edge of its seat for the first 30 minutes of the night and heading for the exits nearly 15 minutes before the match ended.
The Lions seemed as though they had the Lancers number as the night began, matching every kill and block CBU could muster, driving the home team to the brink of a 1-0 deficit. In the end though, the Lancers superior firepower and sheer determination won out.
CBU hit a paltry .111, committing 12 of the team's 20 total errors in the first game. It took big blocks and kills from
Ingrid Carmona and
Bree Rauschenbach and timely serves from
Linjun Ji to overcome the lack of rhythm.
“I was happy with our energy and will to win tonight, but we just had too many hitting errors,” said Head Coach Ryan McGuyre. “Still, the girls stuck with it and we were able to come out on top.”
After the Lions took a 16-14 lead, Carmona stepped up and stuffed a kill attempt for a solo block. She immediately followed by assisting on another block to draw the match even at 16-16. As the two teams battled on, an emphatic kill by Carmona followed by a service ace from Rauschenbach gave CBU a 23-21 lead and forced a Lion timeout.
Still, three Lancer errors would allow Vanguard back in it, and the two teams played to a 25-25 tie.
A kill from Lisa Morgan would give the Lions a 27-26 lead, but the Lancers fought back, getting a timely kill from Rauschenbach and an ace from Ji to go up 28-27. As if having a case of déjà vu, Lancer errors again put the team on the brink of defeat 29-28. Rauschenbach tied the match with a kill and, after a Lion error, Carmona put it away by ripping a ball just inside the end line.
After Vanguard tied the first set at 25-25 there were six lead changes before the Lancers won it. The Lions out-hit (.209-.111), out-blocked (4.5-4.0) and had half as many errors in the first game, but could not come up with the win.
After taking the second set in relatively easy fashion, CBU really put it in cruise control with a 25-15 victory in the third. The Lancers hit .406 in the final game and knocked in four aces.
“Vanguard played well tonight,” said McGuyre. “They do a lot of things well on the offensive end. We needed to see what they were doing three or four times before we caught on and did a good job defending it.”
Katie Lockard had a season high three aces on the night and recorded 17 digs to quietly have one of her best matches of the season. Lockard led the Lancers in both categories.
Conference play continues for the Lancers who go on the road to face No. 9 Biola Saturday.
