Pepperdine University
6-3,0-0WCC
James Madison
2-5,0-0Sun Belt
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Madison | 22 | 20 | 25 | 19 | 1 |
| Pepperdine | 25 | 25 | 21 | 25 | 3 |
Pravednikov, Dvornikova Pace Women’s Volleyball Past James Madison
9/12/2026 3:04:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - It'll be a happy flight home for the Pepperdine women's volleyball team (6-3) after the Waves took down James Madison (2-5) in four sets on Saturday.
Freshman Mariia Nikol Dvornikova had a dozen kills and Chloe Pravednikov had an additional 12 to pace Pepperdine's offense. Ella Piskorz tacked on nine more, and Maggie Beauer tallied eight.
Proud our fight today as JMU did a nice job throwing a few different weapons at us, stated Head Coach Scott Wong. It really made us dig deep and play some really good volleyball.
Set one was similar to last night's match against Eastern Kentucky, a close back-and-forth the whole way. The Waves were down two when Irelynd Lorenzen and Ella Piskorz went back-to-back in the kills department and tied things up at 13 apiece. JMU was starting to pull away from Pepperdine after a kill from Addie Norman that made it 20-16. The blue and orange rallied and rattled off a 6-1 that was capped with a Dvornikova kill, and suddenly Pepperdine held a 22-21 advantage. That run would ultimately catapult the Waves to a set victory, as Ryan Gilhooly subbed in and delivered a service ace to top off a 25-22 set one win.
Set two started as a tug-of-war, and a Beauer kill helped knot the set up at 11 each. Later on, facing a 20-18 deficit, the Waves caught fire and blazed through a 7-0 run to win 25-20 and hold a 2-0 match advantage. Pravednikov had two kills while Piskorz and Raymond each had one during the run.
It was a different story in set three as James Madison grabbed momentum from the start. The Dukes were up just two points at 8-6 after a Raymond kill, but JMU found its groove for a 10-0 run and was in command with an 18-6 advantage. Pepperdine wouldn't go down without a battle, and after trading points with the Dukes, the Waves rattled off a 7-0 to close the gap within six, 21-15. Pepperdine soon went on a 4-0 run and suddenly were down just three, 23-20, and looked to complete what seemed to be an insurmountable comeback. JMU's Ana Toumazatos quickly dissipated the steam the Waves had with a kill, and James Madison forced a fourth set.
Pepperdine wouldn't waste much time in the fourth, holding an 11-4 lead once Dvornikova blasted a kill. JMU would come as close as three points (17-14 and 19-16), but the Waves overpowered the Dukes as a Pravednikov kill helped put the match away, and Pepperdine rolled to a four-set victory.
GAME NOTES
- Each squad had 62 digs.
- Piskorz led all players with 10 blocks.
- Raymond racked up 41 assists, nearly double of the next-best (JMU's Grace Wenrich, 24).
After playing six matches in 12 days, Pepperdine will have some time to recover before hosting UC Santa Barbara next Friday, September 18. Fans can click here to purchase tickets and are highly encouraged to wear white and help white out Firestone Fieldhouse.
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.
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