Dual Threats Outside

Saturday, January 30

Riverside, Calif.

7:00 PM

California Baptist University

Pepperdine

Cal Baptist

Photo by: Jacob Gonzalez

1/30/2016 9:34:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Andrew Shortall, Asst. Sports Information Director

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Impressive all-around performance from outside hitters Rocky DeLyon and Rohit Paul gave California Baptist University an edge in another match with a top-10 opponent in Pepperdine Saturday night.

DeLyon posted a match-high 12 kills and six digs for CBU, while Paul provided 11 kills and five digs. The duo also hit over .300, while the team hit .280 as a whole. It was not enough to upend the Waves, who grabbed the three-set win, 25-21, 25-23, 25-18. The Lancers move to 3-6, 0-6 in the MPSF and Pepperdine improved to 5-2, 4-2.

In the first set, CBU found itself in a 17-13 hole, but rallied back within a point, 18-17, on kills from Paul and Caleb Miller. Kills from DeLyon and Paul kept the Lancers in it with deficits of 20-19 and 21-20, but the Waves closed out the set with a 4-1 run.

The Lancers came out and took an early lead in set two, and build it up to a four-point edge, 18-14, late. It came on a 5-1 run fueled by two kills from DeLyon and one each from Paul and Kevin Vaz, who also had a combo block with Miller.

Pepperdine bounced back out of a timeout and scored seven straight to take a 21-18 lead in a blink of an eye. CBU kept its composure and pulled within a point, 21-20, on kills from Paul and Jackson Burge.

A service error, Vaz spike and three-way block from Zachary Melcher, Enrique de Diego Garcia and Paul kept the Lancers behind just one, 24-23, but the Waves would just hold on again to carry a 2-0 set margin into the third frame.

In the third, a block from Vaz and Burge helped in CBU taking a 3-0 lead out of the gate. When Pepperdine tied it at 7-7, a 5-2 charge sparked by two Burge kills and a DeLyon ace put the Lancers up 12-9. The Waves had another lift coming and would go on to win the set, 25-18.

CBU takes a brief break from its home floor, heading to UC Irvine Wednesday and UC San Diego Friday, both with 7 p.m. starts. The Lancers return for a two-match day Saturday – hosting Holy Names at 1 p.m. and Concordia at 7 p.m. The Hawks will face each other in Van Dyne at 4 p.m.