STOCKTON, Calif. — San Diego volleyball (14-9, 10-3 WCC) stayed strong on Saturday afternoon to win a back-and-forth battle against Pacific, taking down the Tigers (15-9, 7-5 WCC) in five sets at the Alex G. Spanos Center to earn its third consecutive West Coast Conference victory.

The Toreros dropped the first set 25-21, then rallied to take 25-17 and 25-16 decisions in the second and third frames. After Pacific prevailed in a close 25-23 fourth frame, San Diego bounced back with a decisive 15-4 win in the fifth to secure the 3-2 decision.

Freshman Nemo Beach and senior Leyla Blackwell led the charge for the Torero offense by combining for 27 kills (14 from Beach, 13 from Blackwell).

Blackwell also headlined the Toreros' defensive efforts, racking up a remarkable season-high 11 blocks (one solo).

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set - Pacific, 25-21

• San Diego trailed Pacific early on in Saturday afternoon's first frame until a Tiger attack error tied it and a kill from Beach put USD up 11-10.
• The Toreros held that advantage until late in the set, when a San Diego ball handling error broke a 17-17 tie and gave Pacific a 18-17 lead.
• USD was within two down the stretch at 23-21 but got no closer, suffering a 25-21 defeat to fall behind 1-0 in the match.

Second Set - San Diego, 25-17

• Pacific led Saturday's second set until Beach tied it at 7-7 with a kill and Blackwell and setter Isadora Tercariol teamed up for a go-ahead combo block.
• The two teams traded points through the midpoint of the frame, with neither squad able to create separation until a 5-0 USD run — fueled by kills from Olivia Bennett, Blackwell, and Amber Stivrins, a service ace from Stivrins, and a Tiger attack error — moved the score to 20-15 in the visitors' favor and prompted a Pacific timeout.
• Two kills from Beach and another Tiger attack error then sealed the win for USD in the second, tying the match at one set apiece.

Third Set - San Diego, 25-16

• USD struck first in Saturday afternoon's third set and raced to an early 5-2 lead before the Tigers fought back and made it 5-5.
• Kylie Pries moved the Torero lead back to three with a service ace before Beach made it a five-point advantage near the midpoint of the set with another clutch kill.
• Pacific rallied to tie it at 13-13, 14-14, and 15-15, but Stivrins and Pries restored order with a flurry of kills and service aces, moving the score to 19-16, USD.
• San Diego closed the third frame on a 6-0 run, securing a 25-16 decision that put it ahead 2-1 in the match.

Fourth Set - Pacific, 25-23

• The Tigers took an early lead to begin the fourth frame before trading points with the Toreros as it got underway, resulting in a 10-10 tie.
• USD trailed by three near the set's midpoint at 15-12, but climbed back within one at 16-15 after Madi Allen notched a service ace.
• Pacific pulled away down the stretch to create a late lead that San Diego could not overcome, dealing the Toreros a match-tying 25-23 in the fourth.

Fifth Set - San Diego, 15-4

• USD began Saturday afternoon's fifth and final set strong, racing to an early 5-1 lead before the Tigers opted to take a timeout.
• Pacific scored a single point coming out of the break but San Diego immediately responded, embarking on a stirring 7-0 run to make it 12-2 in its favor.
• The Toreros' last-second surge was powered by a service ace from Haylee Stoner, a kill from Pries, back-to-back combo blocks from Blackwell and Pries, two Pacific errors, and a kill from Stivrins.
• One last error from the Tigers brought things to match point before Blackwell came up big to finish it, hammering a clutch kill to secure her team a 15-4 win in the fifth set and a 3-2 victory over Pacific in the match.

TORERO TIDBITS

• Blackwell hit .435 as she added her most blocks since September 9th.
• Bennett paced the match with 22 digs.
• Pries had a match-high three service aces and chipped in eight digs.
• Tercariol contributed a team-high 28 assists.
• Saturday afternoon marked just the Toreros' second five-set match of 2023 and their first since their September 9th matchup with UC Davis at the Trojan Invitational. USD is now 2-0 in five-set matches this season.
• San Diego has now won three straight matches dating back to October 28.

UP NEXT
The Toreros are set to return home next week to host San Francisco for their second-to-last home game of 2023. First serve on Thursday night at the Jenny Craig Pavilion is set for 7 p.m.