HONOLULU – Hawai'i Pacific University made a strong fifth set comeback to take an upset 3-2 PacWest Conference win over Point Loma on Wednesday night in James Castle Gym at St. Andrew's Priory.
 
The Sharks (12-13, 11-8) moved HPU into sixth in the league and knocked the Sea Lions (16-9, 13-5) from a tie for third place into fifth in the conference with the 22-25, 25-21, 25-21, 30-32, 15-13 win and extends the HPU winning streak to a season-long six matches.
 
Both teams hit .204 for the match, with HPU collecting 8.0 team blocks and PLNU posting 4.0.
 
The Sharks had four players with double-digit kills led by sophomore Camryn Collie of El Dorado Hills, Calif./Oak Ridge with her seventh double-double of the season with a match-high 14 kills and 16 digs with two service aces. Freshman Nicole Ferris of Woodstock, Ga./Etowah posted 13 kills with three blocks, while senior Carson Pyle of Houston, Texas/Memorial had 10 kills with a .455 hitting percentage and three blocks. Freshman Lauren Christie of Lebanon, Ore./Lebanon added 10 kills. Senior Chandler Lippincott of Phoenix, Ariz./Desert Vista led the Sharks with four blocks.
 
The Sea Lions were paced by Madelynn Fox with 14 kills and three blocks, while Cara Keturakis double-doubled with 12 kills and 10 digs with a .632 attack percentage.  Jamie Cymbaluk alos had 12 kills with two aces. Rachael Schlect also double-doubled with 10 kills and 11 digs to go with four service aces and two blocks.
 
The two hour, 47 minute marathon featured 33 ties and 17 lead changes throughout the match.
 
HPU held a lead in the first set before the Sea Lions went on an 8-0 run that was part of a 9-1 run capped by a Cymbaluk kill. The Sharks later trailed by six at 18-12, before going on a roll and cutting the lead to two at 24-22. After a timeout, Point Loma got a Keturakis kill for a 25-22 win.
 
In the second set, the Sharks 16-12 lead was evaporated by the Sea Lions who knotted the set at 17, 18 and 19. But a kill from Pyle gave the service back to HPU with the lead and freshman Cara McClean of Beaverton, Ore./Southridge served out the lead to 24-19. The Sea Lions collected two quick points that set up Christie with a kill to win 25-21.
 
The third set featured Point Loma getting out to a 16-11 lead, followed by the Sharks getting a 6-2 run to pull within a point at 18-17 on a Collie ace. But after giving PLNU a point, the Sharks roared back with a 6-0 to pass the Sea Lions at 23-19 on an ace by junior libero Amanda Acosta of Exeter, Calif./Extra Union. The teams traded points before Ferris notched a kill to close the set 25-21 in favor of the Sharks.
 
The fourth set was a heartbreaker for HPU and was a hand-wringer for both squads. HPU jumped out to a 14-5 lead in the set, only to have the Sea Lions respond with a 5-1 runs to cut the lead to 15-10. The Sharks pushed the advantage to 20-15 when PLNU made another run to tie the set at 22-all.
 
Then it became interesting. The teams traded points when a HPU fought off a set point for Point Loma  at 24-23 with a kill by Ferris. The Sharks responded by having match point twice only to get tied by the Sea Lions, then fighting off three PLNU set points. The Sharks had a final set point up 30-29, but a kill by Schlect ended that hope and the Sea Lions responded with a 3-0 run to take the fourth 32-30.
 
In the final set, HPU's early lead was negated on a 6-1 run by Point Loma for an 8-4 lead. It was bleak for the Sharks after a Collie service error gave PLNU a 10-7 lead. But back-to-back attach errors by the Sea Lions keyed a 5-0 run capped by a McClean service ace for a 12-10 lead. But the Sea Lions responded with two points to tie the set at 12 on a kill by Ashlynn Fresques.
 
A kill by Christie and an attack error put HPU at double-match point 14-12, then a double-block from Fox and Schlect cut HPU's lead to one at 14-13. On the ensuing service, Collie put the match away on a powerful cross court kill to give the Sharks an upset win.
 
HPU's celebration for the win will be shortlived. The final homestand continues on Friday night when the Sharks host Azusa Pacific visits the Priory's James Castle Gym. The match has a special start time of 6 p.m. Friday evening.