IRVINE, Calif. – Each set was close, but the Lewis-Clark State College volleyball team ended up being swept by the NAIA’s No. 1-ranked Fresno Pacific on Saturday afternoon at the 2009 Asics Crowne Plaza Labor Day Tournament. The Warriors fell 25-21, 25-22, 25-19.
With one match left in the tournament, LCSC is now 4-4 overall and 1-2 in tournament play. The Warriors play again at 7 p.m. Saturday against No. 10 Vanguard. Vanguard will be the fifth team the Warriors have faced this season that is ranked in the NAIA’s Top 10.
LCSC sparred point-for-point with the two-time defending national champions up until about the 20-point mark in all three sets.
“I feel good about the way we played today,” said LCSC head coach Jen Greeny. “We really showed some good things, but when it came down to make it or break it we just couldn’t quite get over the edge.”
In the first set, back-to-back kills from Dana Christiansen and Stephanie Shumaker knotted the score at 17-17. The Warriors also were within a point at 21-20 before Fresno took the next four-out-of-five volleys to clinch the set.
Similar to the first, in set two the score was tied at 19-19 and the third was tied at 18-18 before Fresno Pacific pulled away.
Seniors Anile Clemente, Dani Barrett, and Christiansen led the Warrior offense as Clemente finished with 11 kills, Barrett had nine, and Christiansen had six.
Lisa Davis and Kim Fong shared the setting duties for LCSC as Davis collected 17 assists and Fong and 14. Shumaker, who is filling in at Libero for Katie Hinrichs who suffered a wrist injury while playing against Azusa Pacific on Friday, finished with a team-leading 10 digs. The severity of Hinrichs’ injury has yet to be determined.
Fresno Pacific, now 9-0, was led by Lisa Shilling who hit .562 for 11 kills in 16 attempts, Lauren Albertson’s five blocks, and Erika Adachi’s 22 digs.
Fresno Pacific hit .290 on the match to LCSC’s .232, and also out-blocked LCSC 9-3.
Fresno Pacific hit .290 on the match to LCSC’s .232, and also out-blocked LCSC 9-3.
“All in all, Dani [Barrett], Anile [Clemente], and Dana [Christiansen] did a great job, and hopefully we can take some good things from this and come back ready to play Vanguard tonight.”
