2024-10-06 14:40:03
STOCKTON, Calif. – The first home match of 2024 went the distance Saturday as the Pacific volleyball program broke away from Santa Clara in the fifth set of a 3-2 (25-16, 21-25, 25-21, 18-25, 15-6) victory at the Alex G. Spanos Center.
The Tigers (11-5, 1-3 WCC) hit for a .421 mark in the fifth with nine kills and just one error, which was their best percentage of the match. On the flip side, they limited the Broncos (4-9, 0-4 WCC) to a .000 clip with four kills and four errors.
It was the home opener for Pacific after playing the first 15 matches on the road. The Tigers improved to 4-1 on the season in five set matches.
“It was a hard-fought win, and it was awesome being able to do it at home. Congrats to our girls, we tried some different lineups and had to make some adjustments, but they just went out and played volleyball as a team. It was a great team win,” said head coach Greg Gibbons.
A big performance came from graduate Alexa Edwards who hit for a season-high .409 percentage. It came on 19 kills and just one error on 44 attempts. She was one dig away from a double-double after ending with nine.
Graduate Darina Kumanova also reached double-digits offensively with 10 kills. Senior Jenna Hiller distributed 24 assists and eight digs, while junior Jayhlin Swain tallied 19 digs and six assists.
The Tigers pounced on Santa Clara early and built a 12-6 advantage which included a kill by freshman Alyson Cox. Pacific remained ahead 15-9 at the media timeout after a spike by Kumanova. The Broncos came within 18-16, but the Tigers won the last seven points on the serve of Edwards to close it out which included three aces.
The second set was back-and-forth for the first half and tied 15-15 until it got away from the Tigers. Santa Clara went up 18-17 and won the next four points to make it 22-18 en route to taking the frame.
The third was much like the first with the Tigers racing out to a 10-5 edge after an ace by Swain. A kill by senior Abby Miller increased it to 16-10, and a block-assist by Kumanova and junior Emily Van Groningen kept them ahead 21-17. The set ended 25-21 on a kill by Edwards.
After the Broncos grabbed the fourth, it was all Tigers in the fifth as they never trailed in the deciding set. An ace by Heller gave them a 4-1 lead, and the Broncos were forced into a timeout trailing 9-3 on a kill by Miller. Pacific won the match on another kill by Edwards.
Pacific will remain at home Thursday when it hosts Washington State at 6 p.m. at the Spanos Center. The Tigers are 4-0 all-time against the Cougars with the last meeting coming in 2012.
Davis Heller Memorial Foundation
After the second set Saturday, Pacific honored the memory of Davis Heller, who passed away on this day in 2022. Davis, the brother of Jenna Heller, and son of former Pacific baseball and volleyball players DJ and Melanie Heller, continues to inspire us all. He played baseball at University of Alabama and North Greenville University. He left a legacy of deep faith, intense passion, high character, strong work ethic, perseverance and big love for his family, friends and teammates. In his spirit, the Davis Heller Memorial Foundation awarded scholarships to two Pacific student-athletes who embodied the same character and qualities that defined Davis’ life and collegiate career. Pacific celebrated his legacy and the impact he made on the community. Click here to read more about the Davis Heller Memorial Foundation.
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