Box Score: Broncos 3, Dixie State 1

POMONA -- There are times during a season when a coach can see her team grow up. Cal Poly Pomona volleyball coach Rosie Wegrichwitnessed a growth spurt that improved in less than eight hours.

After being a disappointing three-game loss earlier in the day, the Broncos played their best effort in the young season with a 3-1 victory over reputable Dixie State College of St. George, Utah. 

The Broncos featured four players in double figures kills in their 23-25, 25-12, 31-29, 25-12 victory, but perhaps more importantly, they fought through some adversity in a pivotal Game 3 winner.

"What I saw from our Game 3 performance was a team that took a stand,'' said Wegrich of her team's 31-29 win. "Twice we fought back when Dixie had a shot at the win and we hung in there and found a way to win. Those are the kinds of things you can't teach in practice. You have to gut it out on the court against your opponent.

"The girls played well tonight. We kept our mistakes to a minimum and really hustled.''

Junior Kristin McNeesehad 14 kills for the match, but the sophomore combination of Lindsay Poulos and Diana Lake put forth a sound performance. They combined for a 23-7-54 effort and freshman Jessica Doerner stepped it up with 13 kills on a .344 attack effort over a team favored to win the Pac West Conference.

After Dixie State opened with a two-point win in Game 1, the Broncos were on all cylinders in Game 2. The hit .310 (18/5/42) and took command into intermission with the match tied at 1-1.

Game 3 featured 15 ties and neither team could pull away from each other. A Doerner kill put CPP ahead 24-22, only to have DSC climb back on a kill and a CPP attack error.

DSC had its opportunities -- leading 25-24, but Poulos answered with a kill to tie at 25-25. At 28-27 DSC, Lake fired a kill of her own. 

The game's final tie was at 29-29, but a kill from Taylr Kreutziger and a service ace from Lake gave CPP an all important 31-29 win and a 2-1 advantage.

The Broncos had 20 block assists as Kreutziger led the way with six and Doerner had five. Lake also had four service aces on the night.

CPP, now 2-1 overall, completes the weekend with a match against Northwood, with first serve at 7 p.m. Saturday night.

Dixie State fell to 1-1. Brita Ford had 11 kills.