By Ron Smith
September 16, 2017
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) Junior middle blocker Libby Dahlberg needed just 11 attacks to tally 10 kills and record a .909 attack percentage in #5 Westmont Volleyball's (16-1, 3-0 GSAC) three-game sweep of the Firestorm of Arizona Christian (9-5, 1-2). The Warriors won the Golden State Athletic Conference match by scores of 25-7, 25-13, 25-19.
 
In two matches this week, Dahlberg has produced 20 kills in 26 attempts without committing a hitting error. The result is a stellar .769 attack percentage.
 
With an 8-5 lead in the opening set, the Warriors ran off nine straight points behind the serving of senior outside hitter Taylor Beckman (7 kills, 9 digs). Senior middle blocker Emma Harrah (5 kills, 3 blocks) bookend the run with a pair of kills, sophomore right side hitter Cassidy Rea (7 kills, 2 blocks) and freshman outside hitter Brooklynn Cheney (5 kills, 16 digs, 11 serve receptions) contributed two kills each as well.
 
After giving up a single point, Westmont rattled off six more in a row with two kills from Rea and one each from Cheney and Dahlberg. Rea and Dahlberg also teamed up on a block. After a side-out by Arizona Christian, Rea and Dahlberg finished off the set with back-to-back kills to go up one set to none.
 
In the second frame, the Warriors jumped out to a 4-0 lead and slowly turned it into a 19-9 advantage. The largest lead of the set (12 points) came on the final play when Rea and Harrah blocked a Firestorm attack.
 
Westmont started off the third set with the same 4-0 advantage. After trading a few points, the Warriors opened up the set with a 7-0 run that produced a 13-3 margin. Harrah contributed to a pair of blocks during the run – once paring up with Beckman and once with freshman right side hitter Patty Kerman. Rea notched a kill during the run and freshman setter Camryn Kaina (18 assists, 9 digs) delivered a service ace.
 
Arizona Christian narrowed the margin to 13-8, but Westmont won five of the next six points to go up 18-9. Harrah had two kills during that stretch and senior middle blocker Mila Maricic capped it off a kill of her own. Westmont held a 23-12 lead before surrendering six straight points to make it 23-18.
 
A service error by the Firestorm produced match point but Jackie Stein kept Arizona Christian hopes alive with a kill to make it 24-19. The match ended with a kill by Harrah.
 
Next week, the Warriors conclude their three-game homestand by hosting non-conference opponent La Sierra on Tuesday evening at five o'clock. Then on the weekend, the Warriors hit the road for GSAC match-ups with William Jessup on Friday and Menlo on Saturday.