COSTA MESA, Calif. — The Concordia University Irvine women's volleyball team went the distance on Friday night in a tightly contested PacWest battle, but ultimately came up short in a 3–2 loss against Vanguard (25–23, 10–25, 28–26, 13–25, 12–15).
CUI opened the match strong, closing out the first set by two points despite an efficient attack by the Lions. The two teams traded sets before Vanguard responded with a dominant fourth and fifth set to close out the match.
The Golden Eagles saw impressive contributions from key players throughout the match.
Grace Carollo steered the offense with a career-high 33 assists, helping the Golden Eagles hit a match-high .350 in the third set, paced by 17 kills and just three attack errors.
Middle blocker
Delaney Gregg provided a strong offensive presence in the middle for the Green and Gold, tying her season-high 13 kills on a .393 hitting percentage.
Her efficiency and shot selection led to her fifth match this season with double-digit kills.
Her counterpart in the middle,
Caitlin Jarrell followed closely behind recording 10 kills for
her second straight match in double figures along with a team-high three blocks to help slow down Vanguard's attackers at the net.
Emma Wegleitner added another standout all-around effort, registering her seventh double-double of the season with 11 kills and 12 digs. She also sparked momentum at the service line, delivering a team-leading three aces.
Anchoring the defense, Avery Banaag continued to settle into her starting libero role with confidence. She totaled 11 digs, helping stabilize the back row and extend rallies throughout the match.
UP NEXT: The Golden Eagles host Biola to close out the final Pac-West match-up of the season on Senior Night at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15 at CU Arena.
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