Box Score SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — The fans who made their way to the Igloo to watch the young, scrappy, aggresive bunch of Lady Penguins take on Pacific West Conference foe Holy Names University, were treated to a classic five set nailbiter that would ultimently slip away from Dominican University of California (25-20, 23-25, 25-19, 23-25, 17-15). Dominican and Holy Names relit the rivalary fire that dated back to the California Pacific Conference days, and picked up right where they left off, with the Lady Penguins trying to avenge a straight-set non-conference loss to the Hawks in early September.

The Lady Penguins jumped out early in set one, but the first year PacWest member Holy Names made it close as both teams battled back and forth throughout the first go-around. With neither team mounting more than a two point lead after the 4-1 Dominican run to begin the set, a Holy Names block courtesy of Tatum Bales and Mele Lepa Holani made it 19-16 and forced a Dominican timeout. Dominican Volleyball Head Coach Gayle Stammer picked an opportune time for the break, as her team roared back with four unanswered points to take a 20-19 lead. The Lady Hawks answered in kind — rolling off six unanswered of their own — and brought set one to a nailing biting 25-20 conclusion. In the first, junior Jessica Jones notched 5 kills to go along with two digs. She was backed offensivly by fellow junior Hannah Stocking-Siagkris, who totalled three kills and four digs. Setter Kelsey Lardner lead the team with six digs and eight assists.

Set two provided just as much excitment. The Lady Penguins seemed to be playing catch-up the entire second set but after a time out by Dominican with the scored tied at 23, Dominican banged out the last two points, pocketed set two, and headed into the intermission tied at one set apiece. Jones continued her strong play, racking up four more kills. Stocking-Siagkris lead the charge in the second set with five kills and nine digs. Lardner continued setting up her hitters, with 13 assists in set number two.

Holy Names took the momentum early in set three, and ran away with it. The Hawks mounted a 7-1 lead before the Lady Penguins were forced to hault their run with a timeout. Five consecutive points later and Dominican had clawed their way back to a 10-7 deficit. Jones put the team on her back once again, adding four kills to her night. Stocking-Siagkris also added four kills, and Lardner continued her night with nine assists. It was all in a losing effort, however — the Hawks went on to win set three by the final of 25-19.

Dominican fought their way to a 8-4 advantage — in a must-win set four — on the strength of three service aces by Libero Sari Kwan and forced an early Hawks timeout. After a Jones kill, Holy Names Head Coach Dwight Comb recieved a yellow card for walking onto the court in a dispute with the referre. It might have only fired up the Hawks, as they rallied back and eventually tied the set at 18 apiece. They got a dose of the Lady Penguin resilance, as Dominican tied it up at 21 and again at 22 before freshman Laura Price delivered the set-winning kill and gave Dominican a 25-23 victory that set the stage for a decisive fifth set.

It would be only natural for the two rivals to play the full five sets before a winner was decided, and the way Thursday night went, no one in the Conlan Center should have been surprised that neither team took more than a three point lead in set five. As it turned out, the Lady Penguins — for as tenacious and scrappy a bunch they are — couldn't deliever the final blow leading 15-14. They allowed the Hawks to hang around, and ultimently battled their way to a 17-15 set five win, giving them the match. Jones finished with a team-high 23 kills, Stocking-Siagkris found herself with a double double (14 kills, 25 digs) and sophomore Samantha Rains contributed with 12 kills. Freshman Sari Kwan played well in the back row again — 21 digs — but it was her four service aces that highlighted the night in a losing cause. In an emotional game, Dominican found themselves on the losing end a classic finish, falling to its PacWest rival and falling to an even .500 in conference play.

The Lady Penguins begin a road trip that doesn't see them return to the friendly confines of the Conlan Center until Oct. 19, when they square off against Academy of Art University. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 PST and coverage will be available at www.dominicanathletics.com/live. Be sure to "Like" us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @dominicansports, and find the Lady Penguins on Instagram by searching "dominicansports."