RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The Chaminade University women's volleyball team was hoping for a marquee win that would vault them atop the Pacific West Conference standings.
 
California Baptist had other ideas, defeating the Silverswords, 25-22, 22-25, 25-20, 25-20, Saturday at Van Dyne Gymnasium.
 
The loss dropped Chaminade to 12-4 overall and into a tie for fourth place in the Pacific West Conference at 5-3 while the Lancers (13-3, 6-2) moved into a first-place tie with BYU-Hawai'i.
 
CBU, the preseason pick to win the conference and boasts one of the tallest lineups in the West Region, got 12 team blocks and forced 28 Chaminade attacking errors.
 
Middle blocker Abbie Gortsema (6-foot-4) had nine total blocks while outside hitter Lauren Hackett (6-2) had four blocks along with a team-high 16 kills and Jenna Perry (6-1) had 14 for the Lancers.
 
But the despite the size differential, the 'Swords more than held their own as Keani Passi put down a match-best 19 kills with 13 digs and three blocks while Kim Spring had 12 kills and seven digs. Daisia LaBrie, returning to her hometown, put down eight kills with four blocks. Suncica Bakic contributed with seven kills and six digs.
 
Kasse-Ann Kiriu-Dela Cruz, making her first career start at setter for the Silverswords, and Skyler Curry each had 24 assists, season-highs for both.
 
Early on, it was the Silverswords who established the block. A night after getting 14 in the win at Azusa Pacific, Cassie Rushlow, another Riverside native, LaBrie, Bakic and Passi all had helped to reject CBU attacks and built the lead to 18-11 led. However the Lancers scored eight straight to jump ahead 19-18. After trading several points, California Baptist was able to register consecutive points in the end to go up 1-0.
 
CBU carried the momentum into the second set, jumping out to a 12-6 lead. But it was Chaminade's turn to answer as Spring, Rushlow and Passi combined for four kills, tying the set at 13. Passi then slammed down an overpass, giving the Silverswords their first lead of the set at 14-13. The teams traded several points before CBU was able to get consecutive points for a 22-21 advantage. Passi then rattled off two straight kills, followed by a Johnson block for set point at 24-22. The 'Swords took the set on a CBU attack error to tie the match at one set each.
 
In the third, the Silverswords opened up a 10-7 advantage with Bakic putting down two kills while Passi had a kill and ace. But behind a raucous home crowd of 509, the Lancers went on an 8-3 run to take a 15-13 lead and continued to roll eventually winning the set to take an all-important 2-1 lead.
 
In the fourth, the teams again went back and forth as the set was tied at 11. But California Baptist's size once again became a factor as it forced the 'Swords into three attacking errors to open up a 17-11 lead. Chaminade made one final push, getting a service error and kills from Johnson and Bakic to close to 21-18. But the Lancers fed Hackett three times including on match point as CBU closed out the set for the win.
 
Chaminade did manage to hold its own in the blocking category, recording seven team blocks on the night. They also held a slight advantage in kills (53-52) and assists (50-47).
 
The Silverswords return home to McCabe Gym for the first time in nearly three weeks and will open a three-match home stand Friday against Fresno Pacific. GoSwords.com will have live streaming audio coverage.