Honolulu, HI – The Hawaii Pacific University volleyball team battled but ultimately fell to Westmont in four sets (9-25, 19-25, 25-22, 16-25) on Saturday evening at the Shark Tank. With this loss, the Sharks dropped to 1-13 overall and 1-7 in PacWest play, while Westmont improved to 8-7 overall and 3-5 in the conference.
The Sharks struggled to find their rhythm in the first set, with Westmont taking advantage and winning 25-9. The visitors' efficient attack continued into the second set, where they hit .400 and claimed a 25-19 victory, despite a better showing from HPU.
HPU fought back in the third set, staying resilient and capitalizing on key plays to win 25-22. Sofia Cooper led the Sharks with 9 kills, while Ella Dotson and Lindsey Tapp added 8 and 7 kills, respectively. The Sharks also had a strong serving performance, with Lindsey Tapp recording a team-high 5 aces.
Westmont, however, regained control in the fourth set with a dominant performance, closing out the match with a 25-16 win. Sara Krueger led Westmont with 17 kills, while Audrey Hyde and Maddie Finnegan added 11 and 10 kills, respectively.
Match Stats:
- Kills: Westmont 60 | HPU 34
- Aces: Westmont 2 | HPU 6
- Blocks: Westmont 13 | HPU 7
- Assists: Westmont 56 | HPU 31
- Digs: Westmont 67 | HPU 42
Despite the loss, Tehani Pescaia contributed 18 assists for HPU, while Ella Schoene led the defense at the net with 4 blocks. Ella Dotson added 9 digs, with Lindsey Tapp and Taylor Kaoihana pitching in defensively with 8 and 6 digs, respectively.
The Sharks will look to regroup and find their form as they continue their PacWest schedule in search of their second conference win.
