DES MOINES, Iowa – The Pacific volleyball team concluded the 2022 season Thursday evening, falling to Drake, 25-22, 25-17, 25-21, in the quarterfinals of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) at the Knapp Center.
"I am so proud of this team and how hard they fought together this year," Head Coach
Greg Gibbons said after the match. "They bought into a growth mindset and overcame adversity throughout the season."
Biamba Kabengele, the lone team member to register a double-digit kill total, tallied 13 kills to lead the Tigers (18-14) offensively. Reaching double-digit kills in 11 of the last 12 matches of the season, Kabengele finished the season with a career-high 342 kills, ranking second-best on the team. The senior from Burlington, Ontario, also racked up a career-highs in kills per set (3.42), blocks (36), and points (399.5).
Alexa Edwards and
Darina Kumanova also contributed to the offensive efforts throughout the match, as the duo recorded nine and eight kills, respectively. Kumanova also added two service aces as the Tigers accumulated six during the contest.
Defensively, the Tigers recorded three total blocks, while
Jadyn Tubbs led the team in digs with 11.
After a tightly contested first set, the Bulldogs (29-7) took advantage of errors committed by the Tigers in the second set. Jumping out to an early 7-1 lead, the Bulldogs quickly took control of the second frame and cruised to a 2-0 advantage while tallying a .278 hitting percentage in the process.
The Tigers held strong throughout the third set, taking a four-point lead, 16-12, midway through the frame. The Bulldogs, however, rallied, winning five of the following six points to tie the set at 17. Embarking on a 13-5 run, the Bulldogs quickly closed out the set and secured the three-set win to move on to the NIVC semifinals.
Finishing the season with 18 wins, Pacific concludes the campaign with the program's first winning season since 2017. The Tigers also recorded the most wins in a season since earning 24 back in 2014. The Tigers will return 11 players from this season's roster as the team looks ahead to 2023.
