SAN MARCOS, Calif. -- Kelsey McIntire recorded a career-high 15 kills and Rachel Andrews added 12, but after leading 2-1 in the match, the 24th-ranked Sonoma State volleyball team dropped the next two sets, including a narrow 15-13 fifth set to lose 3-2 to Westmont College on Friday afternoon at The Sports Center in San Marcos.  The Seawolves open the season a 0-1 while the Warriors, ranked at No. 16 in the NAIA national poll, remained undefeated on the year at 8-0.

After struggling in the first set, losing 25-14, the Seawolves won the next two, 25-22 and 25-23.   Up 5-2 in the fourth set, the Seawolves surrendered nine of the next 10 points to fall behind 11-6.  Westmont maintained its momentum and claimed the fourth set 25-18 to tie the match at two sets apiece.

In the decisive fifth set, Westmont posted an 8-3 lead before the side change and then extended their advantage to 10-4. Sonoma State scored the next four points to pull within two.  The two teams traded points until a service ace by Andrea Barnes cut the Warriors' advantage to just one (13-12).

An attack error by Andrews gave Westmont match point (14-12). Andrews kept Sonoma State's hopes alive when she blocked an attack by Westmont's Libby Dahlberg to make the score 14-13. The two hour match ended when Westmont's Cassidy Rea blocked an attack by Emily Papale.

The Seawolves hit just .181 as a team, as opposed to a .238 output by the Warriors.  Caiti Wiesner and Tate Battistini fired nine kills in their Sonoma State debut and Morgan Annala dropped in eight.  Ashleigh Phelps and Barnes each had three aces from the service line and, defensively, five Seawolves had double-digit digs led by the 15 of true freshman Megan Bohorquez.

Sonoma State is back in action Saturday with two matches, taking on Johnson & Wales at 10:00 am before a 2:00 pm matchup with Fort Lewis.