By: Ella Deshautreaux and Angelina Sanchez
SAN DIEGO – The San Diego Mojo gave the home fans their money’s worth on Saturday night, taking down the Vegas Thrill in five sets, 25-23, 25-18, 21-25, 19-25, 15-10, at Viejas Arena. San Diego (9-15) collected a second-straight home victory, while Vegas (9-15) fell for the sixth time in the last seven matches.
Opposite Yasmeen Bedart-Ghani was stellar in her third home match with the Mojo, leading the team with 20 points and earning her second double-double of the season with season highs of 17 kills and 12 digs. She collected three service aces in the match, equaling the San Diego single-match record, while also accounting for three blocks. In five matches with the Mojo, Bedart-Ghani has tallied eight aces, tied for the eighth-most in team history.
Middle blocker Ronika Stone posted three blocks on the night, bringing her season total to 65 to establish a new Mojo single-season record with four regular-season matches to play. Rookie standout Maya Tabron had a match-high five blocks to go along with nine kills and 11 digs.
DaYeong Lee gathered her 12th double-double of the season, one shy of the San Diego record, with 48 assists and 13 digs, while Kendra Dahlke gathered her 10th of the season with 10 kills and 12 digs.
The Mojo found themselves down 5-0 early in the first set with a quick offensive attack from the Thrill forcing Mojo head coach Tayyiba Haneef-Park to take the first timeout of the set. Stone worked hard to stop the momentum as she scored San Diego’s first point with a block, but a quick rally by the Thrill led the Mojo into their second timeout of the set, down 8-3. As the Mojo chipped away at the deficit, back-to-back kills and an ace by Bedart-Ghani cut Vegas’ lead to three points at 12-9. The Mojo finally found their groove in a six-point run later in the frame to tie the set at 18-18. The sides traded points from their until the Mojo closed out the set with a Dahlke kill and a Regan Pittman block to win it, 25-23. Pittman and Bedart-Ghani led the team with four kills each in the first set, while the Mojo hit .281 and tallied six blocks as a team.
Despite collected the first point of set two, San Diego found themselves down early once again as Vegas grinded out a seven-point run to move in front 7-1. The Mojo rallied and moved in front 11-10 after a six-point run was punctuated by a Tabron block and then a kill. Bedart-Ghani’s second ace of the night put the Mojo ahead by three points, 15-12. Despite attempts by the Thrill to fight back, a block by Lee kept the Mojo up three, 18-15, and the Mojo pushed the lead to 21-17. It was all San Diego from there, as the home side went on two claim the set, 25-18.
For the third time in the match, the Mojo found themselves down early in a set, 5-1. This time the Mojo answered early, quickly taking the lead, 7-6, courtesy of consecutive kills by Pittman. Vegas responded and pushed ahead 17-12 only to have San Diego trim their lead to two points, 18-16. The Thrill captured five of the next seven points and did not look back, closing out the set with a 25-21 victory.
The Mojo opened the fourth set with a bang as Bedart-Ghani picked up her 12th kill of the match. However, San Diego found themselves down 10-5 against Vegas’ aggressive offense and maintained the five-point advantage late in the set, leading 16-11. San Diego continued to fight, but the Vegas momentum was too strong, as the Thrill won the set 25-19 to tie the match to lead to a winner-take-all fifth set.
Vegas scored the first point of set five before a rally was ended by an explosive kill from Pitman tied the score, 1-1. From there, both teams battled to take control of the set but neither side could wrestle control. A clutch block by Dahlke gave the Mojo 7-5 lead as the teams switched sides. Riding the momentum, the Mojo offense and defense were relentless, winning a long rally with Bedart-Ghani picking up yet another kill. The crowd rose to their feet as the Mojo reached match point, 14-10, before ultimately closing out the match, 15-10.
Next, the Mojo will hit the road for a rematch with Vegas at Lee’s Family Forum on Friday April 25 at 7:00 p.m. PST. The match will air live on Roku Channel.
ABOUT SAN DIEGO MOJO
San Diego Mojo are a women’s professional volleyball team in San Diego, Calif. and is a founding member of Pro Volleyball Federation, the premier women’s professional volleyball league in North America. The Mojo are led by 2024 PVF Coach of the Year and three-time Olympian Tayyiba Haneef-Park and play their home matches at Viejas Arena on the campus of San Diego State University. The team is owned by longtime San Diegan and UC San Diego alum Gary E. Jacobs, a co-founder and Chairman of the Board of the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High Charter School and managing director of Jacobs Investment Company (JIC).
ABOUT PRO VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION
Pro Volleyball Federation is the leading professional volleyball league in the United States. PVF sets the standard for the sport, offering the largest number of franchises, unmatched attendance, extensive broadcast coverage and substantial championship prize money. It combines top-tier talent, including NCAA stars and international athletes, with cutting-edge production and technology to provide fans with an unmatched viewing experience. As a vital link between collegiate volleyball and the professional stage, PVF is dedicated to shaping the future of the sport and increasing visibility for its athletes. For more information, visit ProVolleyball.com.
Sign up for Mojo updates here.