Women's Volleyball

Chaminade Uses Defense and Balance to Win Three

Silverswords are the Team of the Week, Crisostomo is the Defender and PLNU's Bailey Williams averages 4 and 4 to earn Player of the Week

Point Loma ran its PacWest winning streak to 12, with Bailey Williams playing a consistent role to gain Player of the Week honors. But Chaminade is right on their heals, having won three matches last week with Hula Crisostomo doing defensive work. The Sea Lions and Silverswords will square off this Saturday in San Diego.

2023 Results/Schedule
2023 Standings
2023 Statistics
2023 AVCA National Poll
 
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Point Loma's Bailey Williams, OH, Jr, 5-8, Gilbert, Ariz.                                                            
Point Loma won their 11th and 12th consecutive matches last week, dispatching of Dominican and Academy of Art. Junior outside hitter Bailey Williams played a consistent role in a balanced attack with 28 total kills (4.0 per set) and 29 digs (4.1 per set). In the 3-0 win over the Penguins, the Arizona native hit .425 on her way to 11 kills, and in a four-set win over the Urban Knights she had a double-double of 17 kills and 17 digs. With the 17-17, Williams tied her career bests set back in the spring of 2021 in her first season in a Sea Lion uniform.

DEFENDER OF THE WEEK: Hula Crisostomo, DS-L, Grad., 5-1, Honolulu, Hawai`i                                                            
Chaminade's Hula Crisostomo averaged six digs per set in helping her team to three more victories last week at home. The Texas at El Paso grad transfer had 60 total digs in 10 sets, pushing her conference-best totals to 4.95 digs per set. In a big 3-1 win over Biola, the Oahu native dug out 30 balls, a Chaminade best for her and just two behind her collegiate career best of 32 against Alabama Birmgham in 2021. Crisostomo then had 15 digs each in three-set wins over Fresno Pacific and Westmont. She had three total service aces as well. 
 
TEAM OF THE WEEK: Chaminade Silverswords                                                                                                                        
The PacWest Team of the Week is Chaminade, who knocked off title challenger Biola in four sets, Fresno Pacific in three and Westmont in three games. The No. 15 nationally ranked Silverswords improved to 10-2 in PacWest play and 22-2 overall, and now have won nine straight. In the battle against the Eagles, the 'Swords had four players with double figure kill numbers, led by Greta Corti's 18 kills and 14 digs. Ajack Malual added 14 kills and Hula Crisostomo had a season-high 30 digs as the two-time defending champs clinched its fifth straight 20+ win season. Corti had 12 kills and hit .429 in the quick win over FPU, after going five sets with the Sunbirds in Fresno. Chaminade wrapped up the home stand with a 3-0 win over PacWest newcomer Westmont, with Corti putting down 10 kills and hitting .381.

PACWEST NEWS AND NOTES: In addition to Point Loma and Chaminade going unbeaten last week, so did Azusa Pacific with wins over Academy of Art and Dominican. Annaka Jorgenson had 27 total kills in the two matches and Paige Johnstone totaled 43 digs (6.1 per set)...Biola lost to Chaminade, but swept Hawai`i Pacific and took out Hawai`i Hilo in four sets. Mary McDonnell totaled 49 digs in the 11 sets on defense for the Eagles...Point Loma hit .368 as a team in their win over Dominican...Academy of Art's LC-Reese Nakagawa kept her team in contention in matches against Azusa Pacific and Point Loma. She had 31 digs against the Cougars in four sets and 23 versus the Sea Lions. The very first set of the PL-ART U match was a marathon with PLNU eventually winning, 37-35...ART U had double-doubles in both matches from Maya McClellan and Amalie Rupertova. McClellan totaled 30 kills and 29 digs, while Rupertova tallied 29 kills and 31 digs...Hawai`i Pacific swept Fresno Pacific in Honolulu, using 12 kills and 10 digs from Lindsey Tapp and 18 digs from Kylie Komo...15 was the number for Hawai`i Hilo in its four-game setback against Biola, with Taylor Tullo tallying 15 kills and Samara Cruz and Tani Hoke compiling 15 digs each. 

RECORD BOOK WATCH: Jumped the gun a bit on this one last week, crowning Biola's Abigail Copeland as the PacWest all-time leader in total blocks. She has 390 currently, now fourth all-tme, with Azusa Pacific's Julianne Miller (2016-19) still on top with 465. Next on the rung for Copeland would be the third spot, occupied by Hawai`i Pacific's Haley Dorfler's 394 (2011-14).  Copeland is also second in solo blocks with 107. Caitlin Torres of Notre Dame de Namur (2006-09) is the career leader with 120...Azusa Pacific's Annaka Jorgenson has 1,458 career kills (2019-23), sixth on the PacWest career list...Fresno Pacific's Corinne Acosta has 1,233 kills, 15th on the same list...Acosta has 1,492 digs, 13th all-time in the PacWest...Makena Ogas of the Sunbirds has 67 solo blocks, tying her for tenth all-time in the conference...Kirra Schulz had 932 digs, just outside the PacWest all-time Top 25. She also surpassed 1,000 kills last week, now sitting with 1,010 for her career, also just outside the top 25. 

LOOKING AHEAD: It's a pivotal week in the PacWest with the Hawai`i schools visiting southern California. That means a Saturday afternoon match-up in Golden Gymnasium between Chaminade and Point Loma (2 pm) with a lot on the line. Point Loma won the match earlier this season in Honolulu. The bay area schools will play each other, with Fresno Pacific hosting both Dominican and Academy of Art.