Freshmen Ciara Turner and Tessa Martin led the Warriors with a combined 39 kills to help Westmont to a 3-2 Golden State Athletic Conference win over The Master’s (7-21, 2-17 GSAC) on Tuesday night in Murchison Gymnasium. Turner, a middle blocker, recorded 23 kills while posting an attack percentage of .348. She also posted five blocks. Martin tallied 16 kills and a .255 attack percentage.
The win, which avenged a five-set loss to the Mustangs in Santa Clarita on October 5, improved the Warriors’ record to 14-14 overall and 8-11 in conference play.
The Warriors led in the first set by four points (14-10) and looked to be on their way to a 1-0 advantage in the match. When the Mustangs evened the score at 17-all, Turner produced three kills in a row to put Westmont up 20-17. However, The Master’s tied the set again 21-21 and eventually prevailed 27-25 on back-to-back kills by Dominique Franz (7 kills) and Jenna Kapuscinski (13 kills).
In the second set, Westmont built a 19-13 advantage only to have the Mustangs pull to within two points at 23-21 on a kill by Tori Callihan (18 kills, .455 attack percentage). A kill by Martin made it set-point for the Warriors, but a service error drew the Mustangs to within two at 24-22. Turner went on the offensive again, but this time her attack was turned away with a block by Jillian Anderson and Sarah Oskam, prompting Westmont head coach Jim Smoot to call for a timeout. Turner fired again on the first play after the break and delivered a kill to tie the match at one set apiece.
Down 4-7 in the third set, the Warriors finally got the ball moving in their direction with a 17-4 run. Westmont’s Marie Trudelle (10 points, .240 attack percentage, 4 aces, 4 blocks) served the final five points of the run, three of which went for aces. Westmont closed out the third set 25-15 to claim a 2-1 lead in the match.
With the fourth set tied at eight-all, The Master’s rattled of four straight points to take a 12-8 advantage. Westmont was unable to tie the set until Alison Sharp (9 kills, 15 digs) delivered a kill to make it 22-22. Four unrequited set points resulted in a 27-27 score before Franz and Kapuscinski once more produced set-ending back-to-back kills to force a decisive fifth set.
The Mustangs struck first in the final set, turning a 2-1 deficit into a 5-2 advantage. However, the Warriors surged back with a 10-2 run that was capped with a kill by Kayta Goyich (8 kills, .278 attack percentage, 3 blocks).
A Westmont attack error and a service ace by the Mustangs, drew The Master’s to within three before Martin produced another kill to put the Warriors up 13-9. A kill by Callihan and an attack error by Turner made it a 13-11 game, resulting in another Westmont timeout. The Warriors gained match point (14-11) when Turner and Goyich teamed up for a block on a Kapuscinski attack, then won the match on the next point, the result of a Mustang attack error.
Westmont setter Candace Adema recorded 58 assists in the match which equals her personal best. Adema had 58 assists against Concordia on September 14 and against Azusa Pacific on October 12. Her 1201 assists this season puts her in eighth place on the Warriors single season record book.
The Warriors will conclude their season on Saturday by hosting third-ranked Fresno Pacific (26-2. 17-1) in Murchison Gymnasium at three in the afternoon.
