Women’s volleyball: Lions having trouble

IRVINE - The Vanguard University women’s volleyball team dropped a

College of Notre Dame de Namur, 30-28, 30-24, 30-17, in the first round

of the Crown-Plaza Labor Day Volleyball Festival Friday at Concordia

University.

Megan Godfrey and Carly Birkhauser each had nine kills for VU (1-2),

while Jennifer Johnson paced the attack with 16 assists.

Later in the afternoon, the Lions dropped a five-game thriller to

Briar Cliff (Iowa) College, 26-30, 30-25, 23-30, 30-21, 15-12, at

Concordia University. Godfrey delivered 25 kills and Johnson added 26

assists.

Thursday night, Vanguard saw a fifth-game lead disappear to Palm Beach

Atlantic College (Florida) and lost at home, 27-30, 30-28, 30-24, 27-30,

15-13, in nonconference action at The Pit.

The Lions led, 12-9, in the fifth game, but the Sailfish (4-3), ranked

ninth in the NAIA preseason poll, stormed back to pull out the win.

Godfrey led the Lions with 19 kills and 20 digs, while Birkhauser

added 11 kills and 22 digs.

VU setters Johnson and Lacey Roberts each had 24 assists, while

Sonrisa Peace and Jelsin Olson each stuffed the middle with four blocks

apiece.

Brandi Lykosh led Palm Beach with 16 kills, Amelia Bittner added 12

and Thais Prandini chipped in 11.

The Lions will continue Crown-Plaza Labor Day Volleyball Festival

action today at Concordia against the University of Texas-Permian Basin

at 11 a.m., followed by a 3 p.m. matchup with Dominican College.