SAN DIMAS, Calif. – Hope International led two sets to one and held a 23-22 lead in set four, but Life Pacific rallied to even the match and won a tightly contested fifth set, gritting out a 22-25, 25-21, 14-25, 26-24, 15-12 victory in GSAC women's volleyball action Saturday.
The Warriors won their fifth straight match to improve to 10-5 overall and 5-2 in the GSAC. The Royals fell to 6-7 overall and 2-4 in conference play.
Three Royals finished in double-figure kills with a team-leading 15 from Savannah Salter, and 10 apiece from Lole Mamea and Olivia Samaniego.
Defensively, HIU had 102 digs. Annie Nugent totaled a career-high 28 and Manaia Mamea added 23. Rita Nua posted a 22-assist, 17-dig double-double. Alyssa Bishop handed out 26 assists.
The Royals hit .161 as a team and limited the Warriors to .139 efficiency. HIU also had 13 service aces – the second-most in a match this season – which included five by Manaia Mamea.
Life Pacific received 13 kills apiece from Kate Smith and Jocelyn Hernandez.
HIU built a 2-1 lead after winning set three in commanding fashion by a 25-14 score.
The Royals sped out to a 14-7 lead in set four. Still leading 16-12, HIU then surrendered five straight points as Life Pacific grabbed a 17-16 advantage.
HIU's Vianka Martinez sandwiched a kill and a solo block around a Manaia Mamea service ace to reclaim the lead at 19-17. HIU upped the lead to three at 21-18 on a Salter throwdown, forcing a Warrior timeout.
The break in action settled the Warriors down, as they engineered a 4-0 run to retake the lead at 22-21. The four points resulted from an HIU service error, and three straight attack errors.
Lauren Cummings and Lole Mamea collected kills on the next two points to give HIU a 23-22 edge. But the Warriors got a kill from Smith to tie the score, and an HIU attack error gave the home team a 24-23 lead. HIU staved off a set point on a Salter putaway, but the Warriors earned the next two points to salt away the 26-24 victory.
With momentum on Life Pacific's side, the home team built a 6-3 lead to start set five. Salter showed her senior leadership with two straight block solos and a kill to knot the score at 6-6. Four more ties ensued – the last at 11-11 – when Life Pacific notched three straight points to take a 14-11 lead.
HIU staved off one match point on a Manaia Mamea kill, but Kendal Collins found the floor for Life Pacific on the next point, and the Warriors posted the 15-12 triumph.
The Royals return home on Wednesday, October 8 to battle La Sierra at 6:00 p.m.