CBU Wins Another WAC Battle

Thursday, October 4

Riverside, Calif.

7:00 PM

California Baptist University

12-5, 3-2WAC

Grand Canyon

7-9, 0-4WAC

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Grand Canyon	21	20	25	19	1
California Baptist	25	25	16	25	3

CBU Wins Another WAC Battle

10/4/2018 10:29:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Andrew Shortall, Asst. Sports Information Director

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Advantages in aces and blocks continued to be key for California Baptist University in a big four-set Western Athletic Conference win over Grand Canyon (25-21, 25-20, 16-25, 25-19) in the Van Dyne Gym.

"Wins are so sweet at this level because it is so tight," Coach Branden Higa said. "The level of competitiveness is outstanding."

CBU had a 7-3 edge in aces and 11-8 lead when it came to blocks, as it improved to 12-5, 3-2 in the WAC. Grand Canyon fell to 7-9, 0-4 but certainly did not look like a team still looking for its first conference win, as it scrapped for each and every point. Nothing has come easy in the WAC for any team, with the most recent NCAA Division I RPI report listing five WAC schools in the top 100, including CBU at No. 95.

Only one of CBU's five WAC matches have gone the minimum three sets this year, with two going the maximum five so far. It has been a challenge but a welcome one for Higa.

"All of these teams in the WAC are good, all of them battle," Higa said. "It's kind of a dream scenario for us because athletes want to get together and compete hard. In order for it to be exciting, the level of competition matters. I have been really, really impressed with the level of competition, the organization and coaching of the other teams in the WAC, and it has been great to test ourselves."

Thursday's match was a test of strengths. Both CBU and GCU run similar, quick offenses that features outstanding play from the middle. It made for a fast pace and some exciting, long rallies Higa said the Lancers enjoyed.

"They were working hard in transition to run their middles and we run a pretty quick offense, too," Higa said. "It was cool, I think we exist well in that zone because we have a faster offense and we are used to having to rally and stick with it."

Tesa Oaks tallied 20 kills, including seven in the fourth set, nine digs and two aces. Natalie Zimmerer spread out the offense, as four Lancers had at least seven kills, and she finished with 37 assists, seven digs, five kills and three blocks.

Summer Avery had 15 digs, nine kills and six blocks. Yagoda Jedrzejczak had seven kills on a .636 percentage (7-0-11), eight blocks and four digs. Megan Sester added eight kills and four dig, while Nicole Abreu had a great night at libero with 14 digs.

"When the passing is on, I can spread out the offense," Zimmerer said. "I really try to mix it up and find our middles when the pass is good. I then try to confuse the defense from there and spread it outside to keep them off balance."

Down 9-7 in set one, Oaks kick started a 5-0 run with a kill and two aces that gave CBU a 12-9 lead. GCU scrapped back to a 15-15 tie, but a kill from Zimmerer and ace from Elizabeth Gilley helped the Lancers go on a mini 3-1 run that kept them back in front, 18-16.

CBU then finished the first set on a 6-2 charge, with Avery notching a kill and block during it. The win improved the Lancers to 15-2 in set No. 1 this season.

Grand Canyon took a 6-2 lead early in set two, but a 10-3 rally turned things around and eventually gave the Lancers a 15-11 edge. The run started with Gilley serving and included two kills and ace from Zimmerer, two blocks from Jedrzejczak and a kill and block from Oaks.

The closest the Lopes would come from there was two, 21-19, but a combo block from Sydney Marks and Zimmerer and a kill from Oaks gave CBU a crucial 23-19 lead. Back-to-back block assists from Jedrzejczak then sealed the 25-20 victory.

The Lopes came out determined in set three and won it 25-16. The Lancers countered with a 5-0 run, powered by two Oaks' kills, for an 11-5 lead in set four.

"We just needed a little bit of a reset, they cleaned up their passing and they had some servers get hot," Higa said of set three. "We just needed to breathe and realize we see this every day and we train on purpose for this."

GCU pulled back within one, 11-10, but the Lancers did not lose their cool. Oaks spiked consecutive kills to start a 3-0 run that gave CBU a 14-10 cushion. When Grand Canyon cut its deficit down to two, single kills from Sester and Avery started a 4-1 run capped off by a Katelyn Vander Tuig ace. It handed the Lancers a 20-15 lead, and they capitalized on it for the 25-19 win.

"Every match is a battle, each team is unique in their own way and you have to adjust to their tactics. [Grand Canyon] had really strong middles and we had to adjust to that and do it quickly," Zimmerer said. "We just knew we had to reset in the fourth set and treat it like a first set. We seem to win almost every first set, so we just had to get back to that."