Pepperdine Women’s Volleyball players gather in a huddle to encourage one another before facing University of California, Santa Barbara on Sept. 18 at Firestone Fieldhouse. The Waves defeated the Gauchos 3-1. Photos by Gabriella Anzelc
Pepperdine Women’s Indoor Volleyball faced University of California, Santa Barbara at Firestone Fieldhouse on Sept. 18 for their only home game of September. With the advantage of being in front of a home crowd, the Waves took home a victory, winning 3-1 over the Gauchos.
In the opening set, Santa Barbara gained the first game point over Pepperdine with a kill.
Santa Barbara continued to have a “tight-net” defense, putting them in the lead until Pepperdine quickly ended their serving streak. Laine Briggs, senior defensive specialist and libero, delivered the first long run of serves giving the Waves their points back.
Senior defensive specialist and libero Laine Briggs (No. 21) celebrates with her teammates, junior outside hitter Chloe Pravednikov (No. 3), Mariia Nikol Dvornikova (No. 22) and outside and opposite hitter Maggie Beauer (No. 12). The Waves secured points on the board against University of California, Santa Barbara during their only home game of September at Firestone Fieldhouse on Sept. 18.
Briggs has carried an important mindset since freshman year as a player and teammate. Reflecting on what contributes to her success, she said the support of her teammates is important.
“What I’ve learned over the four years is to lift up my teammates and stay positive,” Briggs said. “Knowing I can lean on them and they can lean on me.”
In the second to last play of the first set, junior middle blocker Ella Piskorz delivered a powerful kill that set the tone for the rest of the game. Piskorz has established herself as one of Pepperdine’s most well-rounded players, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
Junior middle blocker Ella Piskorz rises above the net to deliver a powerful kill to the Gauchos. Piskorz recorded multiple kills during Pepperdine’s victory game over University of California, Santa Barbara on Sept. 18 at Firestone Fieldhouse.
When leading the Waves not only in blocks, but also kills, assists and defense, Piskorz reminds herself how grateful she is to play at Pepperdine and carries a deep sense of gratitude each time she steps on the court.
“I try to lead by example,” Piskorz said. “I might not be the loudest on the court, but I’m always trying to find another way to score.”
The Waves came through with 14 kills in the first set, while the Gauchos trailed behind with only 12. Pepperdine scored game point through a fast-paced rally, and a hit into the net from Santa Barbara. The first set ended with a score of 25-19 making Pepperdine 1-0 for the first set.
As more Pepperdine fans filled the stands to support the Waves, the energy inside Firestone became more electric, giving the team the momentum they needed to keep their play just as striking.
The Waves carried their rhythm into set two with consistent movement on the court. Pepperdine played closer to the net and took advantage of open spaces on the court, delivering well-placed tips and pushes and keeping Santa Barbara on their toes.
Pepperdine’s defense had to make smart decisions about how to receive some aggressive serves and defend sharp hits. With solid passes and strong sets from sophomore setter Tristen Raymond, junior outside hitter Chloe Pravednikov was able to deliver a forceful kill that brought the Waves up 10-14. The Waves ended set two on a10-point loss, falling 25-15 against the Gauchos.
Though the previous set did not go as expected, the crowd did not let the Waves mishaps ruin the energy. With a total crowd of 658, Firestone Fieldhouse held the highest-attended home match since Sept. 13, 2024, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
The Waves moved into their third set playing gritty and daring. Pepperdine refused to let the ball get its way on the court, keeping the rallies alive with one arm and flat- handed saves. Freshman outside hitter Mariia Nikol Dvornikova had consistency with tips and pushes over the net into empty spaces. The Waves dominated, winning set three with the score 25-20 against the Gauchos.
As the Waves pushed for a breakthrough in the last set of the game, the Gauchos felt the pressure. Briggs stayed on her feet with constant movement and defense, ready to provide support to her teammates on the court. The scores of the two teams continued to climb point by point.
By the fourth set, the Waves had gained a solid 11 blocks, the number which seemed to rack up quickly as the end of the game was nearing. The Waves commanded their victory in the fourth set, winning 25-19 against the Gauchos.
“First off, amazing crowd,” Head Coach Scott Wong said. “It’s fun to see the environment and energy here.”
Wong recognized the crowd for generating an energetic arena environment as the Waves worked to dominate the court, and finish out the match.
“Although it took our girls a bit to get settled, we had great runs and it was exciting to see how gritty our team got,” Wong said.
Wong emphasized his excitement for seeing the Waves match the toughness of the game, putting pressure on the other team and fighting for victory.
Maggie Beauer, junior outside and opposite hitter, collected 14 kills.
“Emphasizing teamwork, looking at each other and staying together, knowing that they trust me, so why shouldn’t I trust them?,” said Beauer.
Dvornikova followed with 11 kills. Leading in defensive effort on the court, Briggs had 15 digs and Charis Kai, junior defensive specialist and libero, followed with 9 digs. Totaling with 66 points overall, 48 kills, 45 assists and 47 digs compared to the Gauchos with 45 digs, the Waves led the game ending in a victorious 3-1.
Just one day after facing Santa Barbara, the Waves returned to the court for a quick turnaround match againt No. 19 University of Southern California at the Galen Center on Sept. 19. Pepperdine swept USC 3-0, claiming it’s first victory over the Trojans since Dec. 3, 2005 according to Pepperdine Athletics.
This story was copy edited by Lila Rendel.
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Contact Dalainey Moore via email: dalainey.moore@pepperdine.edu