No. 21 Comets Open Conference Play with Road Win at Imperial Valley

EL CENTRO, CA (9/17/2025) --  The Palomar College women's volleyball team carried its non-conference momentum into league play Wednesday night, defeating Imperial Valley College 3–1 (25–16, 25–15, 23–25, 25–23) in their Pacific Coast Athletic Conference opener. The win pushes the No. 21-ranked Comets to 8–2 overall and 1–0 in PCAC action.

Fast Start, Tight Finish

The Comets dominated the first two sets, using crisp offense and aggressive serving to jump out to a 2–0 lead. Imperial Valley responded in the third, edging Palomar 25–23 to extend the match. The Comets regrouped in the fourth, closing out a hard-fought 25–23 win to secure the road victory.

Balanced Production

Freshman Teiora Tinoisamoa paced the offense with 12 kills on .269 hitting. Emma Bambe matched her with 12 kills of her own while adding 11 digs for a strong two-way effort. Setter Caden Pinto was everywhere, dishing out 42 assists, adding 11 digs, and even contributing six kills and three aces.

Freshman Kate Johnson chipped in six kills and six digs, while Sierra Schoenwald provided six kills and three blocks. Off the bench, Janice Garcia gave the Comets a spark with two kills and two blocks in limited action.

Defensive Backbone

The back row was steady once again, with libero Kiana Merrill leading all players with 21 digs and three aces from the service line. As a team, the Comets collected 72 digs and nine aces while holding Imperial Valley to just one set win.

Looking Ahead

With their first conference victory secured, the Comets will now prepare for a marquee showdown at home on Friday night when they host No. 4 San Diego Mesa College.