SAN DIEGO, Calif.- After a hard-fought contest, the Pacific volleyball team (10-7, 2-3 WCC) fell to San Diego (9-6, 5-0 WCC) 3-0 on the road to conclude their weekend trip in Southern California. The Tigers return home next week to host both Portland (6-11, 1-4 WCC) and Gonzaga (3-13, 0-5 WCC) for Homecoming weekend in Stockton.
 
San Diego came out with an imposing offense, eager to protect its conference win streak. They hit .313 in the first set to the Tigers .135 to capture the first set 25-18. The Toreros remained sharp in the second set, hitting .300 to collect the 25-14 win. In the must-win third set for the Tigers, they hit .143, a significant improvement from the second set, but couldn't get over the proverbial hump and fell 25-21.
 
Fifth year senior Biamba Kabengele led the Tigers with 12 kills. Senior Darina Kumanova hit a team leading .294 on the day while collecting seven kills. Senior Alexa Edwards bolstered the Tiger offense with eight kills of her own and a service ace.
 
The cornerstone to Pacific's defense, junior Megan Nishimura, had a brief appearance in the first set, but missed the rest of game action on Saturday afternoon. In her absence the Tigers had to re-adjust. Junior Jenna Heller stepped up, making way for the Tiger offense to succeed with 21 assists on the day. Her nine digs led the team, while freshman Zoe Morales also stepped in to help, collecting eight digs on the day for her season high.
 
Kabengele collected five blocks of the 10 on the day for the Tigers. Sophomores Emily Van Groningen added three and Logan Blutreich added the remaining two. 
 
The first set was close through the first ten, with both teams trading leads and notching multiple ties. The Toreros broke through at fifteen and stormed to 20 first. They led by as many as five, but the Tigers weren't shying away. A kill from Kabengele brought Pacific within four before San Diego captured the first set.
 
San Diego moved swiftly in the second set, jumping out to a 6-1 lead. The Tigers pivoted after a Kabengele kill to kickstart the offense as they moved to take momentum from the Toreros. Junior Ramonni Cook jumped right in shortly after, collecting two kills to keep the Tigers within seven. The Toreros quickly took the second set, but the Tigers were ready to make a shift in the third.
 
The Tigers changed the narrative in the third set, keeping toe-to-toe with San Diego through nine. When the Toreros went up by four, the Tigers rattled off three points in a row, including Edwards' ace to pull within one. Pacific never let the Toreros build a true lead, always responding to whatever they threw at them. The Tigers fought to the end, refusing to back down through claiming three points when San Diego was at match point.
 
Pacific comes back to Alex G. Spanos Center next week, first hosting Portland on Thursday and then Gonzaga on Saturday.