MALIBU, Calif. — Kicking off West Coast Conference play against San Diego, the Pepperdine women's volleyball team (6-6, 0-1 WCC) fell in four sets against the Toreros at home on Thursday night.

The Waves rebounded after dropping the first set with an emphatic 25-17 second-set rout, yet the Toreros claimed the next two sets to hand Pepperdine its first conference loss. In the battle between the top two teams in the Preseason WCC Coaches' Poll, USD out-hit the Waves .283 to .188 and both teams finished with 9.0 blocks apiece.

Chloe Pravednikov was one of two Waves in double-figures with 11 kills, while Vanessa Polk set a season-high with 10 kills while tying the team high with five total blocks. Freshman Tristen Raymond flirted with a triple-double with seven kills, 22 assists and 12 digs, while fellow freshman Ryan Gilhooly set a new career high with seven kills as well. In the back row, Laine Briggs led all players with 13 digs, seven assists and an ace.

Pepperdine and San Diego played a close first set that saw the Waves rally back from an early three-point deficit. Pepperdine used a 4-0 run in the early goings to pull within one, then Gilhooly tied the match at 10 all with the second of three kills of hers in the set. But the Toreros responded with a 5-0 run that gave them the lead for good. The Waves got within two points off a Pravednikov kill to make the score 22-20, yet San Diego took the first set 25-20.

The second set saw the Waves play their best volleyball of the evening. Hitting .393 with 14 kills, Pepperdine had six different players record kills in the bounce-back setin which the Waves never trailed. Raymond and Irelynd Lorenzen teamed up for a block to give Pepperdine an early 9-4 lead, then the Waves led by as many as six points thanks to a strong showing from their middles. Polk and Ella Piskorz combined for five kills midway through the proceedings, helping the Waves keep the Toreros at arm's length for the remainder of the set. Back-to-back kills from Pravednikov on the left side gave the Waves their first match point, then Brynne McGhie dialed up an ace on match point to give Pepperdine a 25-17 second-set win.

However, San Diego responded in the third set by taking an early 3-1 lead and forcing the Waves to play catch-up for the rest of the way. Trailing 13-9, the Waves made a push to get back in the set. After the Waves sided out, Gilhooly went back to serve in a 4-0 run. The freshman dropped in an ace that flummoxed San Diego's back row, then Polk's swing found the floor to tie the score at 13.

A block from Piskorz and Polk finally helped the Waves reclaim a 16-15 lead, but unfortunately for Pepperdine, the Toreros closed the set on a 10-3 run to go up two sets to one.

The final set was all San Diego, as the Toreros were the first to 10 points while building a significant lead. San Diego led by as many as 14 points in a decisive 25-11 fourth-set win.

Pepperdine closes out the weeklong homestand against Seattle on Saturday at noon. All schedule updates can be found on the women's volleyball team's schedule page on 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.