MERCED, Calif. - The fourth-seeded University of California, Merced women's volleyball team beat third-seeded La Sierra University 3-1 (25-15, 25-18, 23-25, 25-13) in the California Pacific Conference Semifinals Monday night inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium.
With the win, the Bobcats (6-6) advance to the conference championship match for the second straight season and for the third time in the last four years. A win in Tuesday night's match would mark the Bobcats first ever title and it would also send them to the NAIA National Championships.
Out of all the semifinals in recent years, this victory was the most dominant for the Bobcats.
Serena Choi ran the Bobcats offense to a .306 success rate, while Lexus Lagumbay helped anchor a stellar defensive effort and was key in limiting La Sierra to just a .088 hitting percentage.
Choi and Lagumbay each recorded their first double-double of the season. Choi's double-double consisted of a career-high 46 assists and a team-high 16 digs, and she became the first Bobcat with at least 45 assists in a postseason game since Brooke Wheeler accomplished that feat in the 2016 semifinals. Choi also had two blocks and two service aces.
Lagumbay's double-double was made up of a season-high 14 kills and 14 digs. The junior, who tallied double-figure kills for the second straight match, hit a stellar .444 in the win.
Olivia Harden was a key contributor nearing a career-high with 13 kills, while Olanasaze Ojo added nine kills and a pair of blocks, one solo.
Back row players Madison Mayoralgo (11 digs) and Destiny Lei Ramilo (4 service aces) also shined in the victory. Lei Ramilo's four service aces, two in the first set and two in the fourth set, were impressive by UC Merced postseason standards. The freshman is the first Bobcat with at least four aces in a playoff game since Valeria Martinez powered across that same mark in the 2014 championship game. Entering the day, the Bobcats as a team combined for just four total service aces in their last three postseason games dating back to 2018.
Another impressive postseason tally was the Bobcats victory margin in the opening set and the 25-15 win was the biggest set win in the program's eleven-match postseason history (until the fourth set).
The 25-15 win was backed by a set-ending 12-1 run. Valentina Evans both started and ended the run via the kill. Her first kill tied the set 14-14, while her second kill captured set point approximately five minutes later. Evans also had a block in the run, while Lagumbay and Lei Ramilo had two kills and two aces, respectively.
A pair of UC Merced runs also highlighted the second set. The first run was an 8-1 run that turned a 2-5 deficit into a 10-7 lead, while the second run saw the Bobcats score five straight points late in the set and extend their lead to a set-high nine points at 23-14. After a couple rallies, Evans got the Bobcats to 24 points and it was a La Sierra service error to officially end the set at 25-18 and put the Bobcats up 2-0 in the match.
Looking for the semifinal sweep, the Bobcats got off to a strong start and back-to-back kills from Harden and Choi garnered a four-point advantage at 11-7. A few minutes later with Choi behind the service line, the freshman delivered an ace and then Teola Nowak put home a kill to take the biggest lead of the frame at 14-8. However, Nowak's kill was followed by a 6-0 La Sierra run and the score was even, 14-14. Neither team could gain separation after that and there were nine lead changes the rest of the way, the last one playing in favor of La Sierra. The Golden Eagles broke a 23-23 tie before scoring set point on their first opportunity, extending the match.
The fourth set was all UC Merced and the Bobcats once again set an impressive tally, winning the set 25-13 for the highest victory margin in postseason history. Prior to the 25-13 win, the 25-15 win in the first set was the top mark.
The Bobcats never trailed in the fourth set and led by five points as early as the 6-1 mark and by eight points at 16-8. Ojo extended the lead with a solo block to go up 19-10, and soon after an Edwena Wong service ace gave the Bobcats a double digit lead, 21-11. Wong's ace came amidst a 4-0 scoring run. Ojo and Choi combined for a block to get to 23 points, and then back-to-back La Sierra errors finalized the match.
The Bobcats are now 3-1 all-time against La Sierra in the postseason, the wins coming in the 2014, 2019 and 2021 season. La Sierra is the Bobcats most common postseason opponent.
The California Pacific Conference Tournament Championship is tonight. First serve against second-seeded University of Saint Katherine is scheduled for 7:30pm inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium.
