SAN DIEGO – Over the last five years, the Pacific West Conference regular season women's volleyball championship has been awarded to either Chaminade University or Point Loma Nazarene University.
 
On Thursday, the two conference heavyweights and the top two favorites in the preseason poll squared off in the first of their two 2026 meetings.
 
Round 1 went to the Sea Lions, ranked 16th in the AVCA poll, as the Silverswords opened their four-match Southern California road trip with a 25-21, 19-25, 25-22, 25-20 defeat at Golden Gymnasium.
 
Tabby Allen (Leander, Texas/Rouse) put down a team-high 13 kills for the 'Swords who fell to 7-6 overall and 1-2 in the PacWest. Reina Krueger (Fort Collins, Colo./Liberty Commons) and Lillie Hinton (Spicewood, Texas/Lake Travis) added 10 more each with Krueger also recording five blocks and Hinton four.
 
Adding nine kills apiece were Allison Panter (Denver, Colo./Portland State University/Denver School of Science and Technology HS), and Malena Mihalik (Santa Fe, Argentina/San Eugenio). Panter's total matched a season-high while she also had three assists and three blocks,
 
Lilinoe Paschoal (Paukukalo, Maui, Hawai'i/Baldwin) had 30 assists with Kyra Pagud (Honolulu/Moanalua) getting 12 digs.
 
Gianna Callari and Kaitlyn Cabral had 14 kills each for Point Loma (7-3, 3-1 PacWest).
 
After dropping the opener, the 'Swords grabbed a 12-3 lead early in the next set, only to see the Sea Lions charge back and close within a point at 17-16 and 18-17. But Hinton's kill followed by a PLNU attack error gave them some breathing room where Panter and Allen combined for three kills to help CUH pull away and even the match.
 
However, Point Loma got a big lead to start the third set to take the match lead then Sea Lions setter Sophia Baugh became an attacker in the fourth with three crucial kills midway through the fourth to help the home team take the match.
 
Chaminade out-hit Point Loma with a .273 to .220 hitting percentage by forcing 25 hitting errors and out-blocked them, 11-to-6. However, they had just two aces to 13 service errors and surrendered eight aces.
 
The 'Swords had 52 kills, 49 assists and 44 digs while the Sea Lions had 58 kills, 54 assists and 56 digs.
 
The Silverswords will make the drive up the coast for a Saturday afternoon meeting at Concordia University Irvine which starts at noon Hawai'i time.