Stockton, Calif. – Continuing their stellar play at the Raney Courts, the Pacific sand volleyball team made short work Sacramento State, 5-0, and Stanford, 4-1, on Sunday, April 13, to remain perfect at home. The pair of dual match victories ran Pacific's record to 8-1 on the year and 9-0 all-time in Stockton at their home facility.
Pacific 5 – Sacramento State 0
Picking up where they left off a week prior, the Tigers made short work of the visiting Hornets to open their day at Raney Courts. For the second-consecutive season, the Tigers defeated Sacramento State on their home sand courts, this time, however, in a sweep of the action as Pacific won all five matches played.
In the match the Tigers wasted little time putting the Hornets into a hole as Pacific's first two teams on to the courts blasted the Hornets in a pair of sweeps to take the 2-0 lead. Playing at the No. 3 spot, the Tigers' team of Mia Feiner and Gillian Howard were on and off the court before they could break a sweat winning 10 and 9 over Lauren Aikels and Chelcy Motes. Trying to keep pace, the veteran team of Katy Tagart and Megan Birch gave up just two more points to the Hornets' No. 4 team winning 11 and 10 to spot Pacific the big early lead in the overall match.
Needing just one point to put the match away, the Tigers grabbed the win at the No. 5 duo with the new team of Jessica Diederich and Anne-Sophie Bauer. The fresh pairing swept the match against Lexie Skalbeck and Courtney Dietrich. With the match in hand, Pacific put the finishing touches on the Hornets at the top two spots in the order, winning a pair of close contests to complete the overall match sweep.
Pacific 4 – Stanford 1
With their early morning victory in hand, the Tigers returned to the court in the afternoon to face the Cardinal who were coming off of a 3-2, midday, win over Sacramento State. Just as they did to the Hornets to start the day, Pacific jumped on Stanford early and never looked back en route to their sixth home victory of the 2014 season.
Kicking off the match in dramatic fashion, the opening two contests of the afternoon went to a third and decisive set of play with the two teams splitting the wins at No. 3 and No. 5. Remaining perfect in 2014 in nine matches played, the team of Feiner and Howard persevered to take down Madi Bugg and Kelsey Humphreys, 15-10 in the third set to grab the first point of the day for Pacific.
Tied at one, the Tigers put the Cardinal away in the second session of matches with sweeps at both No. 1 and No. 5 to secure the overall victory for the Tigers. The winning point came for Pacific at the No. 5 spot when Diederich and Bauer outfought the team of Morgan Boukather and Megan McGehee, 23-21 and 21-16 to pick up their second win of the day in their first day as partners. The point for the Tigers came on the heels of a win at No. 1 where Lexi Elman and Kat Schulz dismantled the Cardinal's top team of Brittany Howard and Carly Wopat, 21-18 and 21-9.
Pacific 5, Sacramento State 0
1. Lexi Elman / Kat Schulz (PAC) def. Kayla Beal / Katie Aprile (CSUS), 22-20, 21-14
2. Alicja Wilk / Kimmy Whitson (PAC) def. Madeline Cannon / Sloan Lovett (CSUS), 21-16, 15-21, 15-10
3. Mia Feiner / Gillian Howard (PAC) def. Lauren Aikels / Chelcy Motes (CSUS), 21-10, 21-9
4. Katy Tagart / Megan Birch (PAC) def. Morgan Stanley / Kendall LaVine (CSUS), 21-11, 21-10
5. Jessica Diederich / Anne-Sophie Bauer (PAC) def. Lexie Skalbeck / Courtney Dietrich (CSUS), 21-16, 21-11
Pacific 4, Stanford 1
1. Lexi Elman / Kat Schulz (PAC) def. Brittany Howard / Carly Wopat (STAN), 21-18, 21-9
2. Kimmy Whitson / Alicja Wilk (PAC) def. Jordan Burgess / Lauren Birks (STAN), 18-21, 21-18, 15-12
3. Mia Fiener / Gillian Howard (PAC) def. Madi Bugg / Kelsey Humphreys (STAN), 21-18, 16-21, 15-10
4. Kyle Gilbert / Inky Ajanak (STAN) def. Katy Tagart / Megan Birch (PAC), 22-20, 17-21, 15-5
5. Anne-Sophie Bauer / Jessica Diederich (PAC) def. Morgan Boukather / Megan McGehee (STAN), 23-21, 21-16
