CLAREMONT, Calif. (Oct. 30, 2010) – The Black and Orange have struggled since leaving the friendly confines of Rush Gymnasium, dropping three of four on the road in Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play, the latest heartbreaker a four set decision to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. Despite the loss the Tigers clinched second place in the conference, the highest finish for Oxy since 1992, and return home this week to finish off the regular season.
The Athenas played well in the opening set, battling out to a big lead before cruising to a 25-15 win. The CMS defense was phenomenal, handling everything the Black and Orange could throw at them.
In set two, the Tigers countered with an offensive adjustment that was able to stifle the home squad, Logan Boyer-Hayse and Stephanie Gann returned to midseason form, finding the gaps in the defense to push Oxy to a 25-17 win.
The next two sets could not have been closer, with both teams refusing to back down, but it was the Athenas who held on in this exchange for the 25-15, 17-25, 26-24, 27-25 win.
CMS (18-10, 8-5) was led by Kendra Huff and Bennett Jones who knocked down 16 kills apiece.
The Black and Orange was led by Boyer-Hayse, who had been struggling of late, with 21 kills and her freshman counterpart Gann, who also seemed to finally find her rhythm, slammed home 19 kills.
But the defense is what again kept the Tigers in the match, led by freshman Madyson Cassidy who had a match high 35 digs. Jessie Altman also played one of her best matches of her young career, with a match high 53 assists.
Oxy (24-7, 9-4) looks to close out one of the best regular seasons in school history at home Tuesday (Nov. 2nd) night when they face the Whittier College Poets on Senior Night. First serve is scheduled for 7:30pm
The Tigers will then travel to Cal Lutheran this upcoming Friday (Nov. 5th) for the semifinals of the SCIAC tournament. Oxy is the #2 seed in the tournament, the first postseason birth of any kind since 1983, but will not know who they face until after the Tuesday night as there are still three teams in contention for the #3 seed.
