No. 20 Palomar Takes Down No. 17 MiraCosta in Statement Road Win

OCEANSIDE, CA (10/1/2025) -- The No. 20-ranked Palomar College women's volleyball team earned its biggest win of the season Wednesday night, upsetting No. 17 MiraCosta College 3–1 (25–17, 17–25, 25–19, 25–22) in a top-25 showdown. The victory pushed the Comets to 11–3 overall and 4–1 in Pacific Coast Athletic Conference play, solidifying their spot among the state's rising programs.

Setting the Tone

Palomar opened strong, taking the first set 25–17 behind aggressive serving and balanced attacking. After MiraCosta answered in the second, the Comets regrouped to claim the third and fourth sets, closing out the match with clutch points down the stretch in a tight 25–22 finish.

All-Around Effort

Setter Caden Pinto was the engine behind Palomar's upset, recording 27 assists, 13 digs, and a career-high 11 service aces to lead the charge. Freshman Sierra Schoenwald dominated in the middle with eight kills on .368 hitting and a team-best seven blocks, while Teiora Tinoisamoa added nine kills and five total blocks.

Kate Johnson tallied six kills, 15 digs, and four aces, and Reese Maffitt chipped in eight kills and nine digs. Defensively, Kiana Merrill anchored the back row with 16 digs, helping hold the Spartans to a .011 team hitting percentage.

Statement Made

The win marked Palomar's second over a ranked opponent this season and continued the Comets' steady climb in the state standings. With the victory, Palomar improves to 4–1 in conference play and will now turn its attention to another ranked test on Friday, when they travel to face No. 16 San Diego Miramar College.