SIOUX CITY, Iowa — Depth is the key to a lengthy run at the NAIA Volleyball National Tournament. That’s something No. 2 California Baptist University has and what No. 16 Taylor (Ind.) lacked in a 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-22) rout by CBU.
The Lancers (27-5) had two players with double figure kills, five recorded at least five kills and eight different Lancers notched a kill. The Trojans (36-6), who had lost their starting middle the night before, struggled to stop CBU’s attack.
Melinda Adelin and Fei Shi led the way as each posted a match-high 12 kills. Adelin hit at a .435 clip and led the team with three blocks while Shi notched her sixth straight double-double, and 18th overall, with a team-high 11 digs.
Ingrid Carmona chipped in with nine kills and Noelle Dyk had six kills and six digs. Bree Rauschenbach ripped seven kills and matched her career-high, set the night before, with four aces. Rauschenbach also hit at a .700 clip.
Krista Hasemeyer and Danielle Sargant split setting duties with Hasemeyer dishing out a match-high 25 assists while Sargant had 18. Katie Lockard and Kari Oliver combined for 21 digs with Oliver tying Shi’s team-high with 11.
The Lancers as a team hit .325 (50-13-114) while holding Taylor to a .167 clip and out dug the Trojans (55-46).
Taylor held just one lead and that was at 4-3 in the first set. After three errors by the Trojans and a Dyk kill that put CBU up 7-4, it was all Lancers from there. Despite not holding a lead of more than five through the first two sets, the Lancers controlled the pace from set to set.
Even in the second set, after the Lancers held a 1-0 lead, when Taylor closed a five-point gap (19-14) down to one twice, CBU responded with clutch points. The Trojans went on a 4-0 run to get within one at 19-18 and forced a CBU timeout, but Adelin ripped a kill to make it 20-18. Taylor scored again to get within one at 20-19, but another Adelin kill and a Hasemeyer ace gave the Lancers just enough breathing room to take a 2-0 match lead.
It was just as close in the final set as it was in the first two. The Lancers never led by more than six with their biggest lead (16-10) vanishing as quick as it came. CBU led 11-8 before using a 5-2 run to take a 16-10 lead, but the Trojans scored four straight to get within two. That was as close as Taylor came though as the Lancers moved to 2-0 in pool play.
CBU will now close out pool tomorrow and will clinch their spot in bracket play with a win over No. 11 and GSAC rival Vanguard at 3:15 p.m. (CST).
The Lancers (27-5) had two players with double figure kills, five recorded at least five kills and eight different Lancers notched a kill. The Trojans (36-6), who had lost their starting middle the night before, struggled to stop CBU’s attack.
Melinda Adelin and Fei Shi led the way as each posted a match-high 12 kills. Adelin hit at a .435 clip and led the team with three blocks while Shi notched her sixth straight double-double, and 18th overall, with a team-high 11 digs.
Ingrid Carmona chipped in with nine kills and Noelle Dyk had six kills and six digs. Bree Rauschenbach ripped seven kills and matched her career-high, set the night before, with four aces. Rauschenbach also hit at a .700 clip.
Krista Hasemeyer and Danielle Sargant split setting duties with Hasemeyer dishing out a match-high 25 assists while Sargant had 18. Katie Lockard and Kari Oliver combined for 21 digs with Oliver tying Shi’s team-high with 11.
The Lancers as a team hit .325 (50-13-114) while holding Taylor to a .167 clip and out dug the Trojans (55-46).
Taylor held just one lead and that was at 4-3 in the first set. After three errors by the Trojans and a Dyk kill that put CBU up 7-4, it was all Lancers from there. Despite not holding a lead of more than five through the first two sets, the Lancers controlled the pace from set to set.
Even in the second set, after the Lancers held a 1-0 lead, when Taylor closed a five-point gap (19-14) down to one twice, CBU responded with clutch points. The Trojans went on a 4-0 run to get within one at 19-18 and forced a CBU timeout, but Adelin ripped a kill to make it 20-18. Taylor scored again to get within one at 20-19, but another Adelin kill and a Hasemeyer ace gave the Lancers just enough breathing room to take a 2-0 match lead.
It was just as close in the final set as it was in the first two. The Lancers never led by more than six with their biggest lead (16-10) vanishing as quick as it came. CBU led 11-8 before using a 5-2 run to take a 16-10 lead, but the Trojans scored four straight to get within two. That was as close as Taylor came though as the Lancers moved to 2-0 in pool play.
CBU will now close out pool tomorrow and will clinch their spot in bracket play with a win over No. 11 and GSAC rival Vanguard at 3:15 p.m. (CST).
