HONOLULU, Hawaii - An impressive all-around effort led to the first win of the season for Cal Poly Pomona volleyball as the Broncos defeated Hawaii Pacific on Saturday night.
CPP will carry a 1-2 record into Monday's matchup against Hawaii Hilo, which represents the final opponent of the Broncos' island trip.
On Saturday in Honolulu, CPP totaled 14 blocks - the highest total for the program since 2013.
Desi Martin led the way with eight block assists while
Kristen Hamlin and
Alexandra Gresham contributed six apiece. Senior setter
Alina Smith also starred, collecting 38 assists to boost the Broncos' offense.
Three Broncos finished with double-digit kill totals, including
Andrea Bosnic's team-high 14. Hamlin added 11 kills and Blaine registered 10 of her own.
CPP kept a sizeable advantage through most of the first game and wrapped up a 25-18 result in that frame. Another Broncos' lead opened up for the visitors in the second game but after CPP led 24-18, Hawaii Pacific rattled off a 4-0 run to close the gap. The Broncos called a timeout and then Gresham provided the decisive kill to give CPP a 2-0 edge.
The two teams traded points in the third game but the Sharks closed it out strong, breaking a 22-22 tie and taking the frame by a 25-22 score. Neither team backed down in the fourth game as HPU worked to extend the match. CPP stretched its lead to 24-21 but the Sharks rallied for a pair of points to stay alive. Martin provided the final point of the match, using a Smith assist to notch the kill.