No. 21 Comets Battle No. 4 Mesa in Tight Sets

SAN MARCOS, CA (9/19/2025) -- The Palomar College women's volleyball team stood toe-to-toe with one of the state's elite programs on Friday night, but ultimately fell short in a competitive 3–0 loss to No. 4 San Diego Mesa College. Despite the sweep, the Comets made the Olympians earn every point in a match defined by close margins and long rallies, with set scores of 25–23, 25–17, 25–23.

Pushing the Olympians to the Wire

The first and third sets showcased Palomar's fight. In the opener, the Comets traded points late before Mesa slipped away with a 25–23 win. The finale played out much the same, with Palomar battling to the last serve before dropping another 25–23 heartbreaker.

Offensive Highlights

Freshman Teiora Tinoisamoa led the attack with eight kills on .316 hitting, while Emma Bambe added seven kills and six digs. Setter Caden Pinto directed the offense with 27 assists and chipped in five kills of her own on .500 efficiency.

Freshman Reese Maffitt contributed five kills and three aces, while Sierra Schoenwald was sharp in the middle, tallying five kills on .455 hitting. Fellow freshman Kate Johnson added three kills and two aces.

Competing Against the Best

Though the box score showed a sweep, the Comets' ability to push the state's No. 4 team to the brink in two sets underscored their growth and resilience. Palomar out-dug Mesa 38–49 and tallied five aces, but could not quite string together enough runs to close out the tight frames.

At 8–3 overall and 1–1 in conference play, Palomar proved Friday that it belongs in the state rankings and is capable of competing with California's top programs.