By Michael Wells
Sports Information Director
LOS ANGELES — Alyssa Mort (Tucson, Ariz.) had nine kills on .500 hitting, Dana Michels (Kirkland, Wash.) hit .556 with six kills and the Occidental College women's volleyball team did just about everything right in a three-set sweep of Whittier on Tuesday, 25-16, 25-17, 25-13.
The Tigers (14-5, 7-4 SCIAC) served well, passed well and defended well. Madyson Cassidy (Arcadia) led the match with 13 digs, including a handful of diving saves, Logan Boyer-Hayse (Boulder, Colo.) led with 11 kills and four service aces and Mort, Michels and Aly Fritz (South Pasadena) each had a pair of block assists.
"We were really on our game," Occidental coach Heather Collins said. "I think it helped considerably to serve well to get them off the net, and we made smart decisions in terms placing tips where they needed to go, serving the people we needed to serve and attacking the way we needed to. ... We just made smart decisions in all areas of the game."
The Tigers hit .327, nearly .100 points better than their season average, .229. Fritz hit .800, Stephanie Gann (Tacoma, Wash.) hit .364 and Boyer-Hayse hit .296.
"I think overall our hitting was very strong even when the sets weren't perfect," Collins said. "Our hitters did what they needed to do to be successful."
All 13 Tigers played in the match. Emily Repsher (Sacramento) made two diving digs and had an assist coming off of the bench in the third set.
"She came in and served tough and made some good plays in chaotic situations," Collins said.
On the other side of the net, Whittier did not put its best foot forward. The Poets (8-11, 3-7 SCIAC) committed 19 attacking errors and hit just .089 as a team.
Alyssa Sialaris led the Poets with nine kills and Alyssa Acosta had 13 digs.
The Tigers play at No. 8 Cal Lutheran on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Oxy defeated the Regals and went 7-2 in nine matches at Cal Lu last year.
"It's really all about playing our game and focusing on what we need to do in terms of being disciplined and being aggressive," Collins said. "We need to have two really good days of practice."
