No. 21 Comets Cruise Past Jaguars in Conference Sweep

CHULA VISTA, CA (9/24/2025) -- After a hard-fought battle against No. 4 San Diego Mesa, the Palomar College women's volleyball team wasted no time getting back in the win column. The No. 21-ranked Comets swept Southwestern College on the road Wednesday night, 25–14, 25–16, 25–13, to improve to 9–3 overall and 2–1 in Pacific Coast Athletic Conference play.

Commanding from the Start

The Comets seized control early, building large leads in each set and never allowing the Jaguars to find momentum. Palomar hit an efficient .338 as a team while limiting Southwestern to just .103.

Offensive Balance

Freshman Kate Johnson continued her strong debut season with a team-high nine kills on .400 hitting, while Reese Maffit added eight kills and two aces. Emma Bambe provided seven kills and a match-high five aces, showing her versatility on both ends.

Setter Caden Pinto orchestrated the offense with 25 assists and added four kills on perfect hitting. Teiora Tinoisamoa chipped in five kills and three blocks, while Janice Garcia made the most of her appearance, going 2-for-2 in attacks for a perfect 1.000 hitting percentage.

Defense and Serving Shine

The Comets' serve put constant pressure on Southwestern, finishing with 13 aces as a team. Libero Kiana Merrill tallied two aces and three digs, while the defense collectively held the Jaguars under 20 points in every set.

Resetting the Tone

The sweep provided the perfect reset for Palomar after their close loss to Mesa, reinforcing the Comets' depth and resilience. Now sitting at 2–1 in PCAC play, the Comets will look to keep climbing the standings as their conference slate continues.