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PVF San Diego Mojo

San Diego Mojo Win Five Set Thriller against Rise

March 4, 2024 - Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF)
San Diego Mojo News Release


SAN DIEGO -The San Diego Mojo reigned victorious in five sets, 19-25, 25-27, 25-10, 25-19, 15-9 against the Grand Rapids Rise on Monday night at Viejas Arena. San Diego improved to 2-5 on the season, while the Grand Rapids Rise have a 3-4 record.

Lindsey Vander Weide scored a team-high 20 points, with Temi Thomas-Ailara at her heels with 18 points. Grace Loberg also stood out in her first start of the season with a team-high 33 passes and digs and scored 9 points, including the winning point of the match. Shara Marie Venegas Medina had a huge match with 24 passes and digs.

Set 1: The Mojo had a slow start to the match, but came back to tie the score at 3-3. Shara Marie Venegas Medina made her presence felt with some great digs, helping the Mojo gain some traction. The entire team made incredible saves during the set's longest rally, winning the point with a powerful cut shot kill by Vander Weide to level the match, 7-7. Battling point-for-point, the Mojo scored on a block by Hannah Tapp, bringing the score to 15-18. The Rise took the first set after playing a scrappy game 25-16.

Set 2: San Diego went into the set strong with two massive stuff blocks on back-to-back points by Tapp and Vander Weide, opening the set with a 3-0 advantage. Vander Weide scored on an ace to bring the score to 15-10. After a scrappy point for the Rise that included two digs by setter Nootsara Tomkom, the Mojo scored on a kill by Ronika Stone, moving ahead 17-13. Temi Thomas-Ailara came in swinging, scoring on two consecutive kills, then Ronika Stone followed with an ace to put the Mojo ahead 22-16. Thomas-Ailara closed the set out 25-19 with a kill.

Set 3: Continuing their momentum, the Mojo started the set leading, as Tapp scored on a stuff block to bring the score to 5-1. The Mojo went on a three-point run with a kill by Thomas-Ailara, a stuff block by Stone and a service ace by Thomas-Ailara, putting them ahead 9-3. Vander Weide scored three out of four consecutive points to increase the Mojo lead to 16-8. Three kills from Thomas-Ailara, Loberg and Vander Weide brought the score to 22-15, and San Diego closed out the set, 25-17.

Set 4: Vander Weide scored four consecutive Mojo points to the start of the set with two kills, two aces and a dig to assist Thomas-Ailara in her line shot kill, giving the Mojo a 6-3 lead. Tapp quickly followed suit, going on a run of her own with back-to-back kills and stuff block to increase the Mojo lead to 8-3. Stone guided the Mojo to a 13-11 lead with a service ace, directly followed by a block from Tapp. A back-line kill by Grace Loberg took the score to 19-17, followed by a back-row kill from Thomas-Ailara. The Mojo fought hard at the end, but lost the se, 25-22, with the last four points scored by Rise outside Symone Abbot.

Set 5: The Mojo came in prepared for the final set, scoring the first three points of the frame. Stone registered a kill to finish the longest rally of the set, placing the Mojo ahead, 7-3. Vander Weide made a key overpass kill to bring the score to 10-5, a pivotal point in the game. Nomaris Velez-Agosto was subbed in for the first time in the match and made several key digs. Loberg made a cut shot kill vital to the success of the Mojo after a long rally, putting the squad ahead, 14-8. Loberg proceeded to close the match out with another kill, bringing the final score to 15-9.

Next up, the Mojo close out the five-match homestand on Monday, Mar.11 when San Diego will face off with the Orlando Valkyries at Viejas Arena at 7 p.m. PT.



Pro Volleyball Federation Stories from March 4, 2024


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