Pepperdine-Oregon State Box Score 
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Senior outside hitter Rachel Grochmal posted 14 kills and 16 digs to lead the Pepperdine women's volleyball team to a 3-1 victory (25-16, 19-25, 25-17, 25-17) over Oregon State and the championship of the season-opening Colorado State Asics Classic on Sunday.
The Waves improved to 3-0 after sweeping #24 Colorado State and Cal Poly earlier in the weekend. Oregon State (2-1) had also won twice, meaning Sunday's encounter was for the outright tournament championship.
Senior setter Kiah Fiers (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif./Peninsula HS) was named tournament MVP after averaging 10.30 assists and doing a masterful job of getting all of her hitters involved. Five teammates averaged between 3.4 and 1.5 kills per set over the weekend. Sophomore outside hitter Lilla Frederick (Huntington Beach, Calif./Cornelia Connelly HS) and Grochmal (Brea, Calif./Brea Olinda HS) also made the all-tournament team after averaging 3.40 kills and 3.20 kills per set, respectively.
Against the Beavers, Frederick had 13 kills and nine digs, Fiers had 45 assists and eight digs and sophomore libero Stevi Robinson (Hermosa Beach, Calif./Mira Costa HS) posted a match-high 19 digs.
The Waves also got contributions from sophomore opposite Kristen Seaton (Terre Haute, Ind./South Vigo HS), sophomore middle blocker Kim Hill (Portland, Ore./Portland Christian HS) and freshman middle blocker Victoria Adelhelm (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif./Santa Fe Christian HS), who had nine, eight and seven kills, respectively.
The Waves outhit the Beavers .271 to .166.
Pepperdine scored the first four points of the match and never trailed in the first set. With a 14-11 advantage, the Waves went on a 10-1 run that saw two kills apiece from Adelhelm and Hill. The second set went the Beavers' way after it was tied 15-15. Oregon State scored the next four points, three on Wave attack errors, and Pepperdine wasn't able to close the gap.
A big run at the start of the third set allowed Pepperdine to take an important 2-1 lead. Tied 2-2, the Waves scored the next eight points, which included three kills by Hill and two by Grochmal. Another good beginning to the fourth set helped Pepperdine end the match. Back-to-back kills by Frederick and Grochmal made the score 8-4, and two kills by Frederick followed by a Hill service ace made it 11-5.
After beginning 2009 as the top team listed in the "also receiving votes" category in the AVCA's 2009 preseason poll, the Waves have a good case to be in next week's top 25 after winning their first three matches, including a win over the #24 Rams that ended their 28-match home winning streak.
Pepperdine won its sixth straight in-season tournament dating back to 2007.
The Waves are co-hosting a tournament next weekend with USC. Pepperdine will play its first two home matches of the season (Northern Arizona on Thursday, Sept. 3, and Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday, Sept. 5) in Firestone Fieldhouse and will also visit the Galen Center to play the Women of Troy on Friday, Sept. 4.
