Box Score SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — They sport black T-shirts that read “New Team, Same Dream.”

Well, after two Pacific West Conference games this week, members of the Dominican University of California women's volleyball team are dreaming big. Predicted to finish dead last in the PacWest this season in a preseason coaches poll, the Lady Penguins are tied atop the league standings following a 25-14, 25-19, 25-17 victory over Academy of Art University on Saturday night in the Conlan Center.

With a sweep of Notre Dame de Namur on Thursday, it marked the first time since Nov. 1, 2008 when it was a member of the NAIA California Pacific Conference that Dominican (3-6/2-0) has won consecutive matches in straight sets.

Hannah Stocking-Siagkris, who had only 17 kills last season, had a game-high 16 kills against the Urban Knights (3-7/0-2), giving her a team-high 87 this season.

“I'm healthy now,” said Stocking-Siagkris, who was hurt most of last season with assorted injuries and illnesses. “We're a more mature team now but we're training a lot harder. We're really focusing on discipline and I have to hand it to our new recruits for providing a great spark for us defensively.”

Freshmen Jade Santos and Sari Kwan combined for 25 digs against the Urban Knights while Jessica Jones contributed 10 kills and four blocks, sophomore Samantha Rains added nine kills and nine digs and junior Kelsey Lardner produced a game-high 33 assists.

Dominican Head Coach Gayle Stammer credits the turnaround to her team's focus – they had 40 kills compared to only 12 errors vs. ART U – and the speed of her offense plus a tough non-conference schedule that prepared them for PacWest play. That included losing to two nationally-ranked NCAA Division II teams (Sonoma State, UC San Diego) in the Sonoma State Seawolf Spike tournament the previous week.

“We have stronger ball control all the way around,” said Stammer. “It's just a test for us. It's going to be a test for us how far we come along every single week we come to practice to get better and improve. That's what we enjoy doing.”

In the first set on Saturday, the Lady Penguins snapped a 15-set losing streak dating back three years to Academy of Art in convincing fashion. Stocking-Siagkris and Jones sparked Dominican with five kills apiece and teammate Lardner set them up with 10 assists. In addition, Santos had eight digs, two on the same point that ended with a Stocking-Siagkris kill.

In the second set, Academy of Art closed within a point, 16-15, when Stocking-Siagkris, Jones, and Ashlee Sand keyed a finishing flurry that ended with a Rains point at the net. Lardner had 13 assists in the second-set triumph and Kwan added six digs.

In the final set, the Urban Knights twice closed to four points in the late stages but Stocking-Siagkris responded with kills both times then Lardner served two straight service aces before the Penguins closed out the win.

The Lady Penguins are off until Friday, Sept. 21 when they return to the Conlan Center to play William Jessup University (NAIA) in a non-conference match at 7 p.m. Live stats and video for that game and throughout the season will be available at http://www.dominicanathletics.com/live.