In the wake of this morning's upset over #1 ranked Fresno Pacific, the CSUSM volleyball team struggled to get going again this afternoon against #12 Point Loma, falling in straight sets 22-25, 18-25, 22-25.

The Cougars held tough and showed some resiliency despite falling behind early in each set. In the final set, the Cougars rallied from a 7-point deficit to close the gap at 22-23, but never were able to retake the lead.

Head Coach Andrea Leonard thought the loss was a good learning experience for her young team after the emotional rollercoaster of knocking off the NAIA's top squad. The teams appeared to be competitively matched, but the general consensus afterwards was that the Cougars beat themselves with mistakes, including 13 service errors. The opposing Sea Lions also notched 11 aces against the Cougars.

NAIA kills leader Taylor Degraaf led CSUSM with 11 kills on the match, and Brittany Thompson shined with 5 kills, 4 assists, and an outstanding .833 attacking percentage.

The Cougars record now stands at 8-4, and they will take the court again Saturday in the Concordia Labor Day Festival with matches against San Diego Christian and #5 ranked Biola.