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PVF San Diego Mojo

Mojo Fall in Five Sets in Omaha

April 20, 2024 - Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF)
San Diego Mojo News Release


OMAHA, Neb. - The San Diego Mojo dropped a five-set thriller to the Omaha Supernovas on Saturday evening, 25-23, 21-25, 25-20, 23-25, 15-12, at the CHI Health Center. With the loss, San Diego fell to 7-9 on the season but remains in fourth place in the Pro Volleyball Federation standings and in playoff position, while Omaha improved 12-6, the second-best record in the league.

Temi Thomas-Ailara was one of four Mojo players to tally double-digit points with a match-high 24 kills and one block to go with 10 digs, while scoring on 24-of-54 swings (44 percent). Ali Batianelli scored 15 points with eight kills and a match-high seven blocks, and Kendra Dahlke scored 11 points on nine kills and two blocks. Willow Johnson, in her first match with the Mojo, scored 10 points with nine kills and one block.

Setter Nootsara Tomkom dished out 53 assists and had 19 digs and Shara Venegas had 17 digs with five assists.

The Mojo came out firing in set one, scored the first three points of the match only to have the Nova counter with four-straight points of their own to take the lead. San Diego went on a run, regaining the lead and pushing the advantage to four points at 13-9 after a four-point stretch that featured a Dahlke score, an Omaha attacking error, a Tomkom block and a kill by Thomas-Ailara. San Diego moved to within two points of winning the set, 23-19, but were unable to put the Novas away, as Omaha scored the final six points to win the frame, 25-23.

In set two, San Diego was again in control at the outset, jumping to a 6-3 lead courtesy of a kill by Morgan Lewis, a kill and block by Ronika Stone and three errors by Omaha. The lead crept to four at 9-5, but the Novas held steady and closed the gap to two points on multiple occasions before tying the score at 18-18. The sides traded points until Johnson's first kill with the Mojo put the away side up, 22-21. Thomas-Ailara followed with a huge swing to give San Diego a two-point lead. A block by Bastianelli and an Omaha receiving error closed out the set in favor of the Mojo, 25-21.

Both teams were fairly even in the early stages of set three, as neither side was able to build more than a two-point lead until a long rally ended with the Supernovas up 12-9, their biggest lead of the match to that point. Omaha slowly widened the margin, moving ahead 14-10, then 20-15. The Mojo was able to close the gap to three after a sharp angle kill along a block had the Novas ahead 22-19, but Omaha scored three of the next four points to win take the set, 25-20.

Omaha carried the momentum into set four, taking an early 6-2 lead and stretching the advantage to 9-5. San Diego remained composed and chipped away at the lead, tying the frame at 17-17 after a run highlighted by blocks from Johnson and Bastianelli and back-to-back kills by Thomas-Ailara. A kill by Johnson closed out a long rally to put the Mojo in front, 18-17, which San Diego extended to 20-17. Omaha put together a run of their own to score six of the next eight points, until a Johnson crosscourt strike tied the set at 23-23. An attacking error by the Novas led to set point for San Diego and an Omaha timeout. Stone scored coming out of the break to give the Mojo the set, 25-23, and force a fifth and deciding set.

The Supernovas were in control throughout set five, winning the first two points and never falling behind in the frame. San Diego managed to even the score at 2-2 after a Lindsey Vander Wiede block, then Omaha collected the next three points. The Mojo pulled to within one point multiple times during the remainder of the set, including a deep shot by Stone to make it 5-4 and a Vander Weide kill for San Diego's final point of the match that cut the Omaha lead to 13-12, but three service and two attacking errors ended each attempt at a comeback. The Novas recorded the final two scores to close out the match, 15-13.

San Diego returns home on Tuesday, April 23 when they will square off with Omaha for the fourth and final time in the regular season. First serve is set for 7 p.m. inside Viejas Arena with Omaha holding a 2-1 lead in the season series.

MATCH NOTES San Diego has played in three-straight five-set matches, all on the road with victories in the first two. The Mojo have won six of their last nine matches, including three five-set victories. San Diego is now 3-2 in this season in matches that have taken the full five sets. Ali Bastianelli's seven blocks set a Mojo single-match record. She has 12 blocks in her last two matches, the most for any San Diego player in a two-match stretch. Temi Thomas-Ailara has scored in double-digits in 13 of 16 matches, scoring at least 18 points in eight matches including six of the last nine. Nootsara Tomkom has tallied at least 40 assists in 10 times this season.



Pro Volleyball Federation Stories from April 20, 2024


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