By Ron Smith
September 12, 2025
 
(NAMPA, Idaho) Competing in the Hampton Inn Nighthawks Classic at Northwest Nazarene (Idaho), Westmont Volleyball (4-1) split a pair of matches, falling to Seattle Pacific (5-2) in four sets before sweeping the host Nighthawks (1-4).
 
In the match against Seattle Pacific, the Warriors fell by scores of 27-25, 24-26, 25-22 and 25-20.
 
"We gave up a lead in set one, which was a total bummer," reported Ruth McGolpin, Westmont's head coach. "We just had way too many errors. We have to minimize the errors in serving and we were out of sorts with the blocking and the defensive effort."
 
The Warriors trailed 6-4 in the first frame before going on a 7-0 run behind the serving of Alexis Dennick. However, the Falcons whittled away at the lead, tying the game at 15 on a kill by Sophia Chambers. A kill by Maddie Finnegan briefly restored the advantage to Westmont, but Seattle Pacific scored the next three points to go ahead 18-16.
 
A kill, and a service ace, both by Finnegan tied the score at 18. Back-to-back service errors made it 19-all before Camila Cornejo-Farmer delivered a kill putting Westmont on top 20-19.
 
Seven successive side outs made it 23-all before a service ace by the Falcon's Makayal Hickman gave Seattle Pacific set point. However, Dennick delivered another kill to tie the score at 24 apiece then another kill to give Westmont set point. The Falcons, however, recorded the next three points to go up one set to none.
 
The second set was close throughout with neither team holding more than a two-point lead until a kill by Amaya Evans gave Seattle Pacific a 19-16 advantage. The Warriors responded with three straight points. The first two were the results of back-to-back blocks by Cornejo-Farmer and Audrey Hyde, and then Cornejo-Farmer and Finnegan.
 
Back-to-back service errors made the score 20-20, before a kill by the Falcon's Megan Omlid and two from Evans made it a 23-20 game. A service error pulled the Warriors to within two before an attack error by Seattle Pacific made the score 23-22.
 
Seattle Pacific gained set point (24-22), on a Warriors' attack error before four consecutive Westmont kills – three by Nariah Prescott – gave Westmont the 26-24 victory, tying the match at one set apiece.
 
In the third set, the Warriors bolted out of the gate and went up 6-1 before surrendering the next six points. With the score tied at eight, Finnegan notched another kill before Dennick and Prescott shut down the net with a block, giving Westmont a 10-8 edge.
 
The back-and-forth battle continued until the game was tied at 18-all on a kill by Westmont's Ceanna O'Loughlin. However, a pair of kills by the Falcons' Joslyn Greff were sandwiched around a service ace by Chambers to put Seattle Pacific up 21-18. The Falcons did not relinquish the lead again, winning the set 25-22.
 
A closely played set four broke the way of Seattle Pacific when a 4-0 run made the score 17-12 in favor of the Falcons. Westmont would pull within three (23-20) on a kill by Ava Cotton, but Seattle Pacific claimed the set and the match on kills by Omlid and Chambers.
 
"We had great production out of our two middles Alexa Dennick and Camila Cornejo-Farmer. Both middles were unstoppable," noted McGolpin about the first game.
 
The box score bears out McGolpin's assessment – neither middle made an error. Cornejo-Farmer was 10 of 14 for a .714 attack percentage while Dennick was seven of 18, resulting in an attack percentage of .389.
 
Prescott tallied nine kills and posted an attack percentage of .300 while Finnegan led the Warriors with 11 kills.
 
In the match against Northwest Nazarene, everything seemed to come together for the Warriors who swept the match by scores of 25-15, 25-20 and 25-13.
 
"The difference in this match was that we stayed aggressive with our attacking, our blocking was fantastic, and we were disciplined on defense," explained McGolpin. "We played smart and disciplined."
 
Dennick continued her torrid pace, producing another seven kills on 13 attempts without an error, posting an attack percentage of .538. Prescott also recorded seven kills with a .294 attack percentage while Hyde tallied six.
 
The Warriors controlled the net, producing 13 blocks to the Nighthawks five. Cornejo-Farmer had eight block assists and one solo block while Hyde notched seven block assists.
 
Trailing 11-8 in the first set, Westmont put together an 11-1 run consisting of three kills by Cornejo-Farmer, three blocks by Cornejo-Farmer and Hyde, a kill by Hyde and another by O'Loughlin, an ace by Malia de Jesus, and a couple of Nighthawk errors. That made the score 19-12.
 
Westmont gave up the next three points, but then closed out the set on a 6-0 run that included kills by Hyde, Finnegan and two by Dennick.
 
The score was tied at two in the second set when Westmont scored four in a row to go ahead 6-2 courtesy of a kill by Dennick, and two aces by Lily Underwood. Westmont did not trail in the set again.
 
With the score 21-18, kills by Hyde and Finnegan and a solo block by Cornejo-Farmer gave the Warriors set point at 24-18. The Falcons scored twice before a kill by Cornejo-Farmer resulted in a 25-20 Westmont win.
 
The third set did not start well for the Warriors who committed five successive attack errors and fell behind 5-0. With the score 8-4 in favor of Northwest Nazarene, Westmont scored the next 14 points. A kill by Dennick gave the Warriors a side out and sent Finnegan to the line. She would serve for the next 13 points, including three service aces. The 14-point run included four kills by Prescott, two by Dennick, two by O'Loughlin, and a block by Dennick and Prescott.
 
"What a comeback," said McGolpin. "Maddie's serving was incredible. Nariah was crushing it on the attack."
 
Westmont outscored Northwest Nazarene 9-5 the rest of the way to claim the win.
 
Westmont will resume play in Nampa on Saturday with a match against Colorado Mines (6-1) at 10:30 a.m. PDT.
 
"Colorado Mines is a good team," noted McGolpin. "They are big and similar to Seattle Pacific. We are going to have to come out on all cylinders with a quick turnaround. They are a solid team. Our motto is to continue to play one match at a time."
 
The Warriors will also take on Westminster (4-2) of Utah at 4:30 p.m. PDT.