FIVE-SET FIGHT

By Brandon Petersen

The Westcliff men's volleyball team showed resilience Tuesday night at Golden West College, rallying past Hope International in a five-set battle, 21-25, 25-19, 25-23, 24-26, 15-11.

After dropping the opening set, the Warriors responded with composure, winning two straight before falling in a tightly contested fourth set that forced a decisive fifth.

In the final frame, Westcliff steadied itself and closed strong to secure the 3-2 victory.

Gabriel Pizza led the way offensively with 23 kills on a .326 hitting percentage, consistently delivering in key moments throughout the match.

The Warriors finished with 58 kills as a team and hit .252 overall, improving their efficiency as the match progressed.

Westcliff found rhythm in the middle sets, hitting .280 in Set 2 and .214 in Set 3 before posting its most efficient stretch in the fourth at .324 despite the narrow loss.

In the deciding fifth set, the Warriors limited errors and capitalized on opportunities to pull away late.

Tom Dempsey added 10 kills, while M'hamed Mifdal contributed seven kills and five block assists to anchor the net defense.

Tiago Silva chipped in six kills on an efficient .357 clip, and Andrin Broder added seven kills and eight digs.

Setter Nikos Kalagasidis orchestrated the offense with 31 assists, keeping Westcliff balanced across multiple attacking options.

Defensively, the Warriors totaled 14 team blocks and 36 digs, holding Hope International to a .152 hitting percentage for the match.

The Royals were led by Alessandro Spendolini's 17 kills, but Westcliff's defensive pressure proved decisive in the closing moments.

With the win, the Warriors improve to 6-3 on the season.

Tomorrow, the Dubs travel up the road to Santa Clarita for a meeting with No. 1 The Master's.