Calming the Storm

Thursday, October 30

Riverside

7:00 PM

California Baptist University

Dixie State

CBU

Photo by: Leigh Ann Lindsey

10/30/2014 9:27:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Andrew Shortall, Asst. Sports Information Director

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Coming off consecutive five-set matches, California Baptist University was determined to end things in four sets Thursday night when it hosted Dixie State. The Red Storm came into the contest tied for the PacWest lead atop the standings, but the Lancers sealed the upset on scores of 18-25, 25-22, 25-22 and 26-24 behind a big block late in the match.

The block came from an unlikely source, 5-foot-10 freshman setter Amelia Tupou, with middle blocker Jessica Harris assisting on the play. After leading 21-18, CBU was in danger of a Red Storm comeback, as it pulled within 23-22 of the Lancers. Then came what was arguably the biggest point of the night, as Dixie State went outside looking for a clutch kill and was met by Tupou and Harris. The crowd and Tupou erupted, as CBU now held a 24-22 edge.

"That was crazy, I have been struggling getting to the outside on my block and that one really was an assist," Tupou said. "I got a piece of it and I just screamed for Jess to get it and she did."

While the match continued from there, it gave Tupou and CBU confidence the end was near. Dixie State managed to tie things at 24-24 on a pair of Lancer miscues, but CBU kept its foot down and closed out the match on kills from Harris and Lauren Hackett.

"That's just one of those plays," Coach Branden Higa said of the late block. "Amelia's not a huge blocker but she came up with the right play at the right time and that's what momentum is built on."

It delivered a CBU comeback after it dropped the opener to DSU, the No. 9 team in the NCAA Division II West Region rankings. The Lancers, who are No. 10 in the region, will hope to move up the rankings with the victory, as they improve to 14-9, 10-5 in the PacWest. Dixie State slips to 15-7, 12-2 and out of first place in the conference.

Tupou finished with 42 assists, 16 digs, three kills and three blocks in just her second collegiate start. The true freshman continued to impress Higa.

"Amelia has just been ready to go," he said. "She had put in the work, stayed focused and humble, just waiting for the chance that may or may not have come. It came and she was ready."

Hackett had a match-high 18 kills, while Michelle Waber was right behind with 15 kills to go along with 13 digs. Jenna Perry and Harris got it done on both sides of the net. Perry finished with eight kills on 11 attacks without an error for a .727 attack percentage and blocked seven shots, including two solo walls, and Harris had six blocks and five kills. Becky Moodie also had double-digit digs (10) for CBU.

"My defense made it really easy for me to adjust," Tupou said of her play. "I didn't have trouble because my hitters were putting balls away and my defense kept sending balls right to me."

CBU did not get the start it hoped for against the conference leaders, falling into a 17-10 hole it could not climb out of en route to a 25-18 loss in the first set. The Lancers then pieced together consecutive 25-22 wins in the second and third sets, holding off a surging Red Storm each time.

"That's a real test to come out and get beat 25-18, and maintain your mentality and push forward, but they did," Higa said. "They stayed steady, competed and that's what pushed us through."

In the second set, a 5-0 run turned a three-point deficit into an 18-16 lead for the Lancers, with Perry logging a kill before four-straight DSU errors. The Red Storm regrouped and managed to pull within one, but CBU never let it force a tie down the stretch. Up 23-22, the Lancers used perfect timing to put together a 2-0 run to end the set on kills from Waber and Perry.

The Lancers rushed out to a 19-12 lead in the third frame. Hackett had six kills and an ace in that span, while Waber had three kills and Harris (five kills) chipped in two of her own. A 5-0 Dixie State run pulled the visitors back within two, 22-20, which prompted a CBU timeout. Hackett smashed a kill shortly after the break and a DSU error gave CBU set point, 24-21. Waber finished off the Storm with a kill to end the set.

CBU will look to keep the good times rolling, as it has six days off before playing three matches against PacWest Hawaii schools in four days. The Lancers open with Chaminade Wednesday at 7 p.m., continue with Hawaii Pacific Thursday at 7 p.m. and close things out with Senior Day against BYU-Hawaii -- the fifth-ranked team in Division II -- next Saturday at 2 p.m.