SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Pepperdine women's volleyball team (2-1) reverse-swept the hosting Sacramento State Hornets to wrap up the Sacramento State Invitational on Sunday.
After dropping two close sets, the Waves kicked things into gear with a blowout 25-12 third-set win, then a 25-14 win to push it to a fifth set. The Waves never trailed in the fifth set, yet held off one final push by the Hornets to complete the 15-12 fifth-set win.
Chloe Pravednikov led all players with 19 kills, which tied her career high. Fellow sophomore Maggie Beauer chipped in 12 kills — her third-straight match in double-figures. Beauer and Pravednikov made the Sacramento State Invitational All-Tournament Team for leading the Waves on offense throughout the weekend.
Additionally, Vanessa Polk chipped in seven kills and Ella Piskorz also added seven kills to go with a team-high eight total blocks. Freshman Tristen Raymond led Pepperdine with 24 assists, plus chipped in four kills, four digs, three blocks and was the first Wave to record five service aces in a single match since Grace Chillingworth did so in 2023.
Feeding off its frenetic home crowd, the Sacramento State Hornets climbed out of a four-point deficit to steal the first set 25-21, then won a convincing second set 25-16.
But with their backs against the wall, the Waves came out of the break firing on all cylinders. With Laine Briggs behind the service line, the Waves rattled off a 7-0 run capped off by a Briggs ace to make the score 8-1 — Pepperdine's largest lead of the afternoon. Back-to-back kills from Pravednikov extended the lead to nine at 11-2, and the Waves didn't look back in a dominant third set. Pepperdine led by as many as 14 points at 24-10, and although the Hornets saved two set points, setter Brynne McGhie found Raymond for a kill to take the third set 25-12.
The fourth set was Pepperdine's best offensive showing of the afternoon, as the team posted a .346 hitting percentage and 15 kills. However, Sacramento State kept pace in the early goings, tying the score on five different occasions before Pepperdine pulled away late. Leading 17-12, the Waves put the set out of reach with a 4-0 run thanks to kills from Beauer and Grace Jackson, plus a pair of aces from Raymond. Pepperdine led by as many as 11 points late en route to winning the fourth set 25-14.
Pepperdine never trailed in the fifth set. An early 3-0 lead with two unforced Hornets' errors and a block from Piskorz and Raymond gave the Waves a 5-2 lead. That three-point cushion was enough to hold off Sacramento State for the rest of the way. Polk's second kill of the frame gave Pepperdine a 13-9 lead — its largest of the set — but Sacramento State saved two match points to make the score 14-12. On match point, McGhie found Pravednikov for her 19th kill of the night to seal the come-from-behind win.
The Waves return to Malibu for their home opener against No. 18 UCLA on Tuesday at 6 p.m. Tickets and all pertinent information can be purchased at pepperdinewaves.com.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Pepperdine women's volleyball has reached 26 NCAA Tournaments since 1981 as one of the most successful collegiate programs on the West Coast. The 12-time WCC Champions Waves have consistently produced top talent with 21 All-American selections with honorees in six straight decades. With multiple Olympians going through the program, Kim Hill brought home the program's first gold medal at the 2020 Olympic Games.
