FRESNO, Calif. – For the second consecutive day, the Chaminade University women's volleyball team took both matches at the D2 West Region Volleyball Showcase at Fresno Pacific University's Special Events Center.
The Silverswords swept Chico State, 25-22, 25-14, 25-20, in the morning then survived a five-set thriller (25-12, 16-25, 25-19, 22-25, 15-11) against Simon Fraser in their final match of the tournament.
The 'Swords were one of five West Region teams and the only Pacific West Conference school to go 4-0 in the six different showcase locations.
Chaminade also improved to 6-0 on the season.
Reigning PacWest Player of the Week
Emma Tecklenburg (Plano, Texas/Plano Senior) had 27 kills and 21 digs on Saturday while
Rachel Reedy (Temple City, Calif./Arcadia) had 26 kills and hit .345.
Alana Handy (Burlington, Wash./Bethune-Cookman Univ./Burlington-Edison) contributed with 26 kills and 27 digs on the day.
Brooke Bell (Escondido, Calif./North Idaho College/Calvin Christian) went for 22 kills and 10 total blocks.
Fresno Pod All-Tournament Team honors went to Handy (3.36 kills and 4.07 digs per set in four matches) and Reedy (3.50 kps, .400 hitting percentage).
Match 1 vs. Chico State
Like the 'Swords, the Wildcats came into the match undefeated at 6-0. After a back-and-forth battle, CSUC took a 22-21 lead but Bell and Tecklenburg each had two kills and a 4-0 CUH run to finish the set gave them a 1-0 lead.
The Silverswords stunned the Wildcats in Set 2 by scoring eight of the first nine points and led 16-3 when Chico State could finally muster natural points.
Down two sets, CSUC fought back from down 16-8, closing to 18-16. But Chaminade would maintain a four-point lead the final stages of the set to complete the sweep.
Tecklenburg had 13 kills and nine digs in the match while Handy went for 11 and 12. Tecklenburg also had three of the team's eight service aces while Bell had four total blocks.
Chaminade held Chico State to a .209 hitting percentage while hitting .336, amassing 50 kills to Chico's 32.
Kim Wright led the Wildcats with nine kills.
Match 2 vs. Simon Fraser
It was the second meeting between the two squads with the 'Swords winning in three on Aug. 23 on the Big Island. And for a while, it appeared the scenario would repeat itself after Chaminade rolled to a 25-12 first set win.
But the Clan had other ideas, taking the lead and not relinquishing it the rest of the way to tie the match, just the second set lost by the 'Swords all season.
SFU grabbed the momentum early in Set 3, jumping out to a 6-1 advantage. Chaminade whittled away at the deficit then overtook them on a 4-0 run to put them up 13-10 to help give them a two-sets-to-one lead.
A 7-1 Clan run in the fourth helped them square the match to force a deciding fifth set. Simon Fraser then seemed poised to hand the Silverswords their first loss of the year, grabbing an 8-5 lead. But Handy helped key a 7-0 surge with two kills and a block assist to put the 'Swords up 12-8 from which Simon Fraser could not recover. Handy ended the match with her 15th kill.
Three other Silverswords hit double-digits in kills led by Reedy's career-high-tying 16 while Bell set a career-high with 14. Tecklenburg added 14 as well along with 12 digs. Meanwhile Handy also had 15 digs and three blocks while Bell had six blocks and Reedy four.
Danielle Wiley (Peoria, Ariz./Centennial) and
Skyler Curry (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Westlake) combined for 54 assists.
Claire Zanon (Beaverton, Ore./Jesuit) contributed with 14 digs.
Betsie de Beer had a team-high 17 kills for Simon Fraser.
With momentum on its side, Chaminade now looks forward to the start of PacWest action which underway next week. The Silverswords will open conference play Friday against Notre Dame de Namur as they look to match their best-ever start (7-0 in 1996), followed by Dominican on Sunday. Both matches will be at McCabe Gym.
