TUCSON, Ariz. – The Pacific volleyball program put up a valiant effort but ultimately bowed out in the second round of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship after a 3-0 (26-24, 25-19, 25-17) defeat to Arizona on Saturday night at the McKale Center.
The early game looked promising for the Tigers (19-13) by scoring the first five points of the match and holding a lead all the way until the 16-12 mark. At that point, Arizona (21-9) used a 7-0 run to turn its deficit into a 19-16 advantage. A balanced attack allowed Pacific to claw back to a 23-22 lead and then stave off Arizona's first set point attempt but could not rally the last two points needed.
Playing in their final collegiate games, graduates
Darina Kumanova and
Margherita Giani led Pacific offensively with eight kills apiece. The former of which also led the team with two service aces and moved her Pacific total to 171 – giving her the third most in Pacific program history.
Senior
Jenna Heller turned in Pacific's lone double-double of 14 assists and 14 digs. Heller will end her career No. 6 on the career assists list and tenth for career digs. She is the only player in Pacific history to rank in the top 10 for both career digs and assists.
Graduate
Alexa Edwards, with her 1337 career digs, places seventh all-time and joins Elaina Oden (1985-96, 1988-89) and Lexi Elman (2013-16) as the only Tigers to rank top 10 in digs and kills.
Fellow senior
Megan Nishimura, making her second straight start at libero, tied Heller for the team-high 14 digs in the match.
Senior
Abby Miller contributed five kills in her final Pacific match.
Tigers Tickets
Tickets for upcoming events can be purchased through the
PacificTigers.com tickets tab, or by calling the Box Office at
209-946-2474. Groups of 10 or more are eligible for a group discount and exclusive fan experiences.
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