CHENEY, Wash. - The Nevada Women's Volleyball team came up short in their opening game of the EWU Tournament Friday morning, falling to Pacific by a final score of 3-0.
Following the loss, Nevada now owns a record of 1-3 on the season, however, they will have the opportunity to bounce back this evening, as they are set to face the host school, Eastern Washington, at 7 p.m.
Sia Liilii led the way for the Pack offensively, accumulating 13 kills throughout the match, while Nicanora Clarke tallied 11 kills of her own. The reigning Mountain West Freshman of the Week, Tehya Maeva, finished first on the team with 20 assists, while also managing to finish tied for third on the team in digs (7). Defensively, Hikialani Kaohelaulii had a strong outing, leading the Pack with 14 digs in the match. Jordan Schwartz also had a solid performance defensively, tallying a match-high three blocks in the contest.
Pacific got off to a strong start in the first set, as the Tigers jumped out to a 5-1 lead over the Pack. Nevada quickly battled back, using a 7-5 run to trim the deficit to just two points.
Pacific responded with a 7-0 run, taking a 17-10 advantage, and forcing the Pack to take a timeout. Nevada significantly elevated their play out of the timeout, earning 10 of the next 14 points, as they trailed 21-20. Pacific took control down the stretch, going on to win the first set over the Pack, 25-21.
Nevada started off the second set by building a quick 4-1 lead over the Tigers; but Pacific earned four of the next five points to even the set at 5-5. The back-and-forth play continued, as the two squads found themselves deadlocked at 14-14 just over halfway through the set.
Pacific used a 6-1 run to take a 20-15 lead; however, Nevada once again battled back, reeling off a 4-0 run of their own to make it 20-19. Pacific managed to close out the set in strong fashion, earning five of the next eight points to secure a 25-22 victory over the Pack, as Nevada faced a 2-0 deficit heading into the third set.
Similar to the second set, the two teams went back-and-forth to begin the third set, as they found themselves tied at 8-8. Pacific reeled off a 11-7 run to take a 19-15 lead, but Nevada was able to put together a strong comeback, earning the next four points to even the set at 19 points apiece. Nevada continued to fight; but they came up just short, falling in the third and final set, 25-23.
Up Next
Nevada returns to the court later this evening, as they are slated to face Eastern Washington at 7 p.m. Friday evening.
