Pepperdine-Florida Gulf Coast Box Score 
MALIBU, Calif. - Pepperdine women's volleyball coach Nina Matthies edged closer to her 500th career victory as her #21st-ranked Waves earned a 25-21, 25-16, 25-15 win over Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday afternoon at Firestone Fieldhouse. The win was #499 in Matthies' 27-year career.
The Waves, who outhit the Eagles .360 to .200, improved to 5-1 this season. FGCU dropped to 1-5.
Sophomore middle blocker Kim Hill (Portland, Ore./Portland Christian HS) had 12 kills on 20 errorless swings, good for a .600 hitting percentage. Senior outside hitter Rachel Grochmal (Brea, Calif./Brea Olinda HS) contributed 11 kills and four service aces and sophomore outside hitter Lilla Frederick (Huntington Beach, Calif./Cornelia Connelly HS) posted 10 kills and nine digs.
Senior setter Kiah Fiers (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif./Peninsula HS) had 40 assists and six kills and sophomore libero Stevi Robinson (Hermosa Beach, Calif./Mira Costa HS) added 13 digs and two service aces.
In the tightly contested first set, the Eagles broke out to an 11-7 lead after a three-point run. Pepperdine didn't tie the set until 15-15 on a kill by sophomore opposite Kristen Seaton (Terre Haute, Ind./South Vigo HS). It was still tied at 18-18 when the Waves then rolled off four straight points on a kill by Hill, two service aces by Grochmal and a kill by Frederick. The Waves closed out the set on a kill by freshman middle blocker Victoria Adelhelm (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif./Santa Fe Christian HS), and then a block by Adelhelm and Seaton. Pepperdine had a .314-.278 hitting edge in the first set.
"It was a tough start and I think you have to expect some residual effect from last night," said Matthies, referring to the Waves' three-set loss at #16 USC on Saturday night. "After the first part of the first game we refocused and stuck to the game plan. Our serving and passing got better and we settled down nicely. Stevi and Lilla helped keep us in the game, Kiah was very good again and our middles were fabulous. Everybody pitched in and helped us today, and we're learning with every match."
Pepperdine started nicely in the second set, as each of their first five servers scored points off their serve. Robinson had a service ace as part of a 4-0 run that gave the Waves an 11-5 lead. Florida Gulf Coast would get no closer than four points the rest of the set. A kill by Fiers put the Waves up by nine at 23-14, and Fiers also ended the set with a kill. The Waves outhit the Eagles .357-.167 in the second set.
The third set went back and forth for a while and was tied at 13-13. All of a sudden, momentum shifted the Waves' way as they scored 12 of the next 14 points to end the match. Tied at 13, Grochmal and Adelhelm combined on a block, and that was followed by a triple block by Grochmal, Hill and freshman Brittney Clark (San Jose, Calif./Presentation HS). Hill had five of her kills down the stretch and Fiers added three more kills during the run. The Waves had a .405-.138 hitting advantage in the third set.
The match was part of the end of a three-day, four-team tournament that Pepperdine co-hosted with USC. The Waves finished second after winning two of three matches. The Women of Troy won the tournament with three home victories, including a three-set win over Northern Arizona on Saturday.
Next weekend, the Waves host their annual Pepperdine Asics Classic from Friday-Sunday (Sept. 11-13) with Army, Seattle and UC Riverside. Matthies will go for win #500 on Friday (Sept. 11) against Seattle at 7 p.m.
