By Jeff Raymond
September 6, 2025
 
(FRESNO, Calif.) It took more than two hours and five sets, but Westmont closed out the opening weekend of the season with an exciting 3-2 win over Chico State. The Warriors (3-0) were unbeaten in the Sunbird Classic hosted by Fresno Pacific.
 
This marks the first time the Westmont volleyball program has started a season with three straight wins since the 2021 squad began 4-0.
 
"We played well in the big moments," said Coach Ruth McGolpin. "It's nice to be pressured in the early season, and obviously even better to come out on top. Our blocking and defense helped us win the rallies that we needed."
 
The Warriors never trailed in the first set after jumping out to an early 7-2 lead. A kill by Maddie Finnegan extended the lead to 19-12 before the Wildcats made a brief comeback, narrowing the gap to 22-19. Finnegan then recorded her seventh kill of the set, followed by a kill from Audrey Hyde to close out the set at 25-19.
 
"Audrey played amazingly today and came up huge in key situations," commented McGolpin. "Her .303 hitting percentage for the match is impressive."
 
Chico started strong in the second set, quickly building an 8-3 lead. Westmont fought back to take an 11-10 lead after consecutive blocks. Neither team could secure a clear advantage until the Wildcats scored four straight points to go up 22-19. The Warriors tried to retake the set with a block, a kill by Alexis Dennick, and a service ace, but Chico stayed resilient and won 25-23.
 
Much like the first set, Westmont took an early lead in set three and prevented the Wildcats from catching up. A kill from Hyde put the Warriors ahead 8-4, and a successful Finnegan attack widened the gap to 18-9. Chico fought back with an 11-3 run to narrow the score to 21-20. Ceanna O'Loughlin delivered a kill for Westmont to end the run. Finnegan and Hyde both recorded kills to finish the set at 25-23.
 
The back-and-forth nature of the contest continued in set four. Chico went up 8-4 in the early going, but the Warriors tied it at 12-12. Six more ties took the set to 20-20 before the Wildcats made a crucial three-point swing and went on to even the match with a 25-21 win.
 
The deciding fifth set turned into a battle of nerves as the two teams fought through nine ties, the final one being at 13-13. A block by Dennick and Nariah Prescott gave Westmont the lead, and an O'Loughlin kill closed out the set and match 15-13.
 
"I thought Ceanna played well, and Rylee was unstoppable with her passing," commented McGolpin. "Also, our setters made good, smart choices throughout the match."
 
Finnegan and O'Loughlin paced the Warriors with 16 kills, followed by Hyde with 12 and Prescott with 11. Dennick ended with five blocks, while Rylee Elias picked up 26 digs. Sierra McClure dished out 25 assists, with Lily Underwood adding 23.
 
The Warriors travel to Nampa, Idaho, next weekend to play four matches in the Nighthawk Classic hosted by Northwest Nazarene