By Jacob Norling
October 19, 2024
 
(FRESNO, Calif.) Westmont Volleyball (9-8, 4-6 PacWest) would not be denied on Saturday night, when the Warriors handed the Fresno Pacific Sunbirds (10-7, 5-4) a five-set loss in their home gym. It was a back-and-forth affair all night long, but in the end, Westmont earned the match's final roar in a nail-biting five-set winner.
 
The first two sets of the night featured an all-out war between the two sides, with neither the Warriors nor the Sunbirds willing to bow out. In set one, Fresno Pacific outlasted Westmont beyond the regularly-scheduled 25-point mark, with the Sunbirds winning it 27-25 on a Westmont service error and attacking error.
 
Westmont was unshaken by the late-loss, however, as the Warriors returned the favor in an electric second set win. In a set that ultimately saw its victor score beyond 30 points, a Westmont service error allowed Fresno Pacific to lead 29-28 in another marathon of a game. With a great show of resilience, however, a dump-kill from Alexa Shiner, and an ace from Nariah Prescott put Westmont on the verge of victory.
 
Then, an attacking error from the Sunbirds put the finishing touches on a memorable 31-29 set two win, allowing the Warriors to tie the match at one apiece.
 
In the third set, Westmont was off and running from the get-go, in what initially looked to be the first set without late-game dramatics. The Warriors started set three on a 5-0 run thanks to strong serving from Rylee Elias, and kills from Sara Krueger, Maddie Finnegan, and Aaliyah Czernin. The team did not stop there, scoring seven of the first nine points during the game.
 
Westmont once led 21-10 during the set, before a seven-point surge from the Sunbirds cost McGolpin both her timeouts to try and slow the scene (21-17). Following McGolpin's timeout, Fresno Pacific collected yet another kill, pulling the Sunbirds within three before a kill from Prescott finally got the Warriors back on the board (22-18). Things got dicey with the late run by the Sunbirds, but thanks to their early-set dominance, Westmont was able to close out the set on kills from Prescott and Audrey Hyde to take a 2-1 lead (25-21).
 
Set four saw the Sunbirds respond with an early punch of their own, when an ace and a Westmont attacking error led to an early timeout with FPU leading 9-5. Westmont got back within a point several times, but after pulling within reach at 14-13, the Sunbirds scored three consecutive points to regain their four-point advantage. At that point, McGolpin called her final timeout of the set (17-13).
 
Following the stoppage, however, the Sunbirds began to march towards the finishing line, expanding their lead to a set-high seven points (21-14). Moments later, FPU forced a decisive fifth set after a kill from Mia Gilcrest gave the Sunbirds a 25-18 win.
 
The Warriors threw the first punch in set five, when FPU was forced into a timeout following a trio of thunderous kills from Sara Krueger. At that point, Westmont already led 5-1 in the race to 15. By the time the two teams traded sides, a kill from Hyde kept the Sunbirds at arm's distance with Westmont leading 8-5.
 
FPU made things tense once the two teams switched, however, with a 4-1 run by the Sunbirds tying the set 9-9. Still, McGolpin kept her timeouts in her back pocket, and was rewarded for it when Prescott gathered a kill to put Westmont back up 10-9. Then, Alyson Wurster put the Sunbirds on their heels with a service ace to make it 11-9. FPU pulled with one, once again, but another kill from Finnegan helped the Warriors continue to creep towards the finish line. Then, after an FPU attacking error, the Sunbirds called timeout with Westmont leading 13-10.
 
Westmont had a couple chances at match point, but once the Sunbirds made it 14-13, McGolpin used one of those timeouts she wisely held onto. Out of the timeout, Finnegan ripped her 15th kill to give the Warriors a 15-13 set win, and 3-2 match victory.
 
"It was a great game defensively for us," began head coach Ruth McGolpin. "The grit, on both ends tonight, was awesome. Offensively, Sara Kruger led the charge with a .387 clip, and she just did amazing. Our passing was incredible, and because of that, we were able to run our middles.
 
"It might get overlooked, but Aaliyah Czernin had the best match of her life tonight, with a .412. There were some great moments, and there were some incredible digs by our libero Rylee Elias."
 
McGolpin continued, "It was just a gritty game, for both teams, and we came out on top. Last year we lost a five-setter here, so it was great to see the turn-around this time. This was a completely different game than the one we just played against Vanguard.
 
"From start to finish, the team was hungry. We told the team, we kind of labeled it that we had to become "dawgs", and we definitely did tonight."
 
The Warriors will return to action on Wednesday night in Santa Barbara, when Westmont plays host to the Biola Eagles at 7:00 p.m. Links to tickets and live coverage are available on the Westmont Athletics website.