DES MOINES, Iowa – Drake volleyball continued their historic march through the NIVC with their first-ever home postseason win this evening. The Bulldogs came back from a third-set deficit to sweep the visiting Pacific Tigers (25-22, 25-17, 25-21).
 
The Bulldogs and Tigers battled through a back-and-forth first set. Drake built multiple three-point leads before the Tigers stormed back. The two teams traded points until Haley Bush and Mariana Rodrigues sparked a 3-0 run to go up 18-14. The Bulldogs held on after another Tiger charge and won the first set with a Taylor Oberpriller kill, 25-22.
 
In the second period, the Bulldogs went wire-to-wire to go up two sets to none. Drake built a commanding 7-1 lead in the early stages of the set with all seven points coming off Pacific errors. The Tigers did their best to come back and got within two points midway through the stanza, but Drake's firepower was too overwhelming as Kacie Rewerts deposited the set-winning kill.
 
Pacific finally got in a rhythm in the third set. The Tigers blitzed Drake with an 8-1 run to take a 12-9 lead. The continued to build their advantage and were atop the Bulldogs by as many as four. Trailing 18-17, Drake got back on track with a Tiger error and Mariana Rodrigues kill. Rodrigues and Bush eventually provided the final blows as Drake secured the sweep, their 18th of the year, with a 25-21 third set.
 
Mariana Rodrigues led all players with 14 kills on a blistering .462 hitting percentage. Oberpriller and Bush each added seven kills while the latter led the Bulldogs with nine digs. Kacie Rewerts was dominant at the net with a
match-high eight blocks while Addison Beagle dished out 27 assists.
 
"In the postseason anything can happen," Drake head coach Darrin McBroom said after the NIVC quarterfinal victory. "I'm proud of how our players hung tough under pressure in the third set and came through. [We got a] big night for Mariana [Rodrigues], leading team with 14 kills on a high percentage. Pacific is a really good team that serves tough, and we knew we'd be tested. We discussed maintaining exposure. Going forward, we're really trying to stay healthy and fresh and keep our edge."
 
Drake's NIVC title chase will continue on the road in the semifinals. The Bulldogs will travel to Davidson on Sunday, Dec. 11 for a berth in the NIVC Championship match on the line.
 
NOTES

• Drake picked up their third postseason win of all time and first at home.
• Thursday's win came in the inaugural meeting between Drake and Pacific.
• Drake added to its record-breaking season with the team's 29th win.
• Haley Bush now has 496 kills, a Drake single-season program record. She is just four kills award from becoming the first Bulldog volleyball plyer to record 500 kills in a single season.
• Kacie Rewerts had eight block assists tonight to eclipse 300 career block assists (305).
• Addison Beagle added 27 assists to her single-season program record of 1,513.
• Mariana Rodrigues led all players with 14 kills on a .462 hitting percentage.
• Bush registered a team-high nine digs.
• Pacific assistant coach Katie Walker was an assistant on Darrin McBroom's staff at Drake for three seasons (2019-21).