Taking the Heat to HPU

Friday, October 23

Honolulu, Hawaii

10 PM

California Baptist University

12-7, 7-4PacWest

Hawaii Pacific

17-3, 10-2PacWest

California Baptist

HPU-VB

Photo by: Andrew Shortall

10/24/2015 1:32:00 AM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Andrew Shortall, Asst. Sports Information Director

HONOLULU, Hawaii – It was no secret that California Baptist University was going to get the best shot of every team after it took over sole possession of first place in the PacWest Thursday.

Still, the Lancers got more adversity than they could have expected Friday night against Hawaii Pacific in a hot and uncomfortable atmosphere at St. Andrew's Priory's gym. Even so, it was not enough to upend CBU, which won its sixth straight in four sets, 21-25, 25-19, 26-24, 25-20, overcoming a first-set deficit for the second night in a row.

"I think we wanted it more than them," CBU opposite hitter Jenna Perry said. "Even in their gym with their crowd, we prepared ourselves for it and we just wanted it so bad."

CBU extends its lead in the PacWest to a match and a half, as it improves to 17-3, 10-2 in conference. Hawaii Pacific slips to fifth place with a 12-7, 7-4 record. The Lancers look to meet their goal of a 3-0 run through Hawaii, as they jump over to Hilo to face the Hawaii Hilo Vulcans Saturday at 10 p.m.

"We like this position," middle blocker Kiera Brunson said. "We just had to remind ourselves of the end goal, we want to play in the postseason and we just need to keep our minds right and focus on that."

It appeared the Lancers were on their way to an easy win in the fourth set, as they led 18-10 on the heels of a 6-0 run. Several unsavory factors outside of CBU's control brought HPU back within a point, 20-19, and led to a timeout from the visitors.

"We just needed one stop," Brunson said. "We just focused on that, playing small games instead of the whole big match. We knew we just needed one stop. We knew we could do this and were more mentally tough than they were."

The Lancers just got that, never losing their nerve in hostile territory. A Lauren Hackett kill and service error put CBU back up two, 22-20, with the latter sparking a 4-0 clinching run. Perry came up clutch with back-to-back points on a kill and block formed with Kiera Brunson, and an attacking error on the next play sealed the deal for the Lancers, 25-20.

"I just wanted to do everything that I could to contribute to the team," Perry said. "I was trying to stay disciplined on the block and I was trying to swing high and hard."

Three Lancers finished in double-digit kills. Hackett tallied a team-high 14 kills, 12 digs, three blocks and an ace. Perry and Marr each finished with 12 kills on 30 attempts. Perry hit at a .300 clip and coming up with seven blocks, while Marr had three stuffs of her own.

Jordyn Siko was once again brilliant for CBU, entertaining thoughts of a triple double, with 37 assists, 11 digs, seven kills on 10 swings and an ace.

Defensively, Brunson was a beast at the net with eight of the Lancers' 13 blocks for match-high honors. Tori Ortman compiled 14 digs and an ace, while Nicci Hinderaker added seven digs.

Those two defensive efforts helped CBU converts on its key to the match, which was shutting down pin hitters Pomai Recca and Elizabeth Culpepper. While both finished with 16 kills, they were held to respective percentages of .087 (16-12-46) and .156 (16-9-45). The Sharks would hit .167 as a team (54-30-144), while CBU worked with a .246 mark on offense (50-18-130).

"We got in their heads," Perry said. "Once we got a few blocks, their outside hitters were surprised and started shutting down. We just stayed disciplined at the net."

Set three gave CBU a ton of momentum, as it came out on top of a pivotal swing set that required extra points, 26-24. The Lancers came out hot and built a 9-3 lead on two kills from Perry, Marr, a Hackett ace and four HPU errors.

Fitting with the theme of the match overall, no lead was a comfortable one. Hawaii Pacific rallied back to take a lead, 16-14, with a lengthy 6-1 run. A timeout allowed the Lancers to refocus and seize a 22-20 lead after consecutive points from Brunson on a kill and block.

The Sharks knotted the score again, 22-22. Perry came up with a big point when she ended a chaotic series with a solo block that came on a HPU cover on a block attempt from Hackett and Brunson.

From there, an attacking error gave the Lancers set point, 24-23. HPU tied things momentarily before a Perry kill gave CBU a second shot it made good on after another Sharks error.

After finding itself up in set one, CBU trailed 5-2 in the second. The Lancers' offense brought them back, as they hit .344 in the set (15 kills and four errors on 32 attempts) after attacking at a .233 clip in the first.

CBU tied things at 5-5 after kills from Perry and Marr. Later on, a 6-2 run coming on two Siko kills and a Hackett kill and block gave CBU a 12-9 lead and forced a HPU timeout.

A 3-1 sparked by kills from Perry and Marr the Lancers an 18-14 lead and forced the Sharks to use their final timeout. CBU would not be stopped, though, using a block and kill from Perry to grab set point, 24-18, and the eventual win.

In the first set, CBU raced out to a 4-1 lead on two combo blocks from Perry and Brunson and an ace and kill from Hackett. Hawaii Pacific would battle back into an 11-11 tie and would take a one-point lead.

Three-straight kills from Perry, Marr and Abbie Gortsema would give the Lancers an 18-15 lead, which forced a Sharks timeout. HPU answered back with a 4-0 run that saw all the breaks go its way, with a Sharks serve rolling off the tape for an ace and the next two plays being dug up into the basketball hopes dangling low overhead.

Still, Hawaii Pacific found itself up 20-18 and used a 4-1 run to take the set, 25-21. Nevertheless, the Lancers rattled off wins in the last three sets for the victory in hostile territory.

"We were so mentally ready," Brunson said, "and to get out of this hot gym was a big motivator."