HOT START

By Brandon Petersen

Inside a sweltering Momentous Sports Center that felt more like a sauna than a gym, Westcliff volleyball opened its 2025 season with a hard-fought effort before falling 3–0 (25–10, 25–21, 25–23) to La Sierra on Friday afternoon.

Head coach Greg Wakeham pointed to the conditions — with triple-digit heat outside and no air conditioning inside — as an early test of grit and conditioning for his young squad.

He said the Warriors may have been surprised early, but competed at the level they needed to, and now must focus on tightening things up.

Wakeham added that close sets such as the 25–23 third frame show the team is not far away, and that the match was about showing the players what life is going to be like this season and what it will take to win.

Westcliff's offense found its rhythm as the match wore on, improving from three kills in the first set to 11 in the third.

Senior outside hitter Samantha Carelock (three blocks) carried the attack, finishing with a team-high nine kills, 13.5 points, and three blocks while serving as what Wakeham described as the team's spiritual leader.

She was backed by Stacy Folas and Joliayns Roman (14 digs), who chipped in five kills apiece, while setter Amaya Ruiz Keovilaysane added 12 assists and a pair of service aces.

Defensively, libero Renee Lepage collected nine digs, with Roman adding 14 more to keep rallies alive.

Despite the straight-sets result, the Warriors showed growth as the match progressed, pushing La Sierra deep into the third set before narrowly falling 25–23.

Wakeham said the opener was less about the scoreboard and more about preparation, noting that Westcliff is not very far away from where it needs to be.

Westcliff (0–1) will look to rebound with better execution and conditioning next Wednesday when it travels to Arizona to take on OUAZ.