By Jacob Norling
October 15, 2025
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) Westmont Volleyball (7-10, 2-3 PacWest) nearly survived an uphill battle against the Vanguard Lions (13-3, 1-2) on Wednesday night, but in five sets the Lions ultimately outlasted the Warriors in Murchison Gym. Vanguard dictated the pace of play in set one, where the road team won in convincing fashion 25-11.
 
Westmont responded with a 25-19 win in the second, before winning a 26-24 nail-biter in the third. Westmont was unable to take advantage of a chance to clinch the match in four, however, with Vanguard never entertaining the idea. The Lions once led 20-11 in the fourth, with Vanguard holding off a late Westmont rally with a 25-20 win to force a fifth.
 
The fifth set saw Vanguard lead 10-6, with the Lions threatening to end things early. Instead, a 7-2 run by the Warriors flipped the set on its ear momentarily. However, this set up one last string of heartbreaking points from Vanguard, who landed a kill to tie it, before winning the match with back-to-back blocks.
 
"The first set is what set the tone for the entire match," said Westmont head coach Ruth McGolpin. "Then, we got a 2-1 lead, and in set four we just let them dominate us until the very end. We gained some momentum back, but I look at the fact that we had three critical service errors in set four.
 
"You win those points, or at least you give yourself a chance to, and you have a shot at ending that match before it even gets to a fifth. These are the moments we just continue to let get away. Then in set five, we let them get this huge lead. Malia came on with some great serving to give us a shot in the end, but then again, it was the small things."
 
McGolpin continued, "Not being stopped in coverage cost us in those final moments, and so did playing a ball that's out of bounds. It's the small things that continue to add up on nights like this."
 
In total, Westmont was out-killed 65-54, with the Lions holding Westmont to an attack percentage of .152. Vanguard also out-blocked Westmont 14-7, and recorded seven service aces compared to Westmont's four.
 
Individually, Ceanna O'Loughlin recorded a team-high 17 kills, while Maddie Finnegan added 11 and Audrey Hyde collected nine. Sierra McClure recorded 36 assists on the night, while Rylee Elias led the team with 15 digs.
 
"The two players that stood out tonight were Ceanna and Audrey," noted McGolpin. "Audrey really gave us a spark in the back row, when we switched to that 5-1. Sierra played great during that time as well."
 
Reflecting on Westmont's now-five-match losing streak, and looking forward to homecoming weekend, McGolpin said, "It's no secret, we are 0-5 in our past five games, but the thing is, we are not giving up.
 
"We are so young, still. That's what I think about at the end of the night. We have one junior on the floor at the end, and one senior. The rest are freshmen and sophomore players out there. I don't use it as an excuse, I use it as something to be excited about. The future's so bright.
 
"I am stoked on this team, and they are so much fun to be around. They work so hard in practice. It's just a bummer right now that we can't seem to get over the hump. We keep on at it, though. We'll be excited for homecoming this weekend."
 
Before Westmont and Point Loma kick things off at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, the Warriors will welcome and honor the original 1973-74 Westmont Volleyball team on Kammerer Court. Then, the Warriors will attempt to defeat Point Loma for the first time since 2010.
 
The Sea Lions currently hold a 34-31 advantage in the all-time series between the two, in a matchup that dates back to 1977. Point Loma will enter Friday night having won each of the past 7.