POMONA-PITZER 3, OCCIDENTAL 0

LOS ANGELES — Megan Olayinka and Olivia Rioseco defended well at the net, combining for four blocks, but Allie Frappier and a balanced Pomona-Pitzer attack were too tough for the Tigers at Rush Gymnasium on Tuesday.

Frappier, the SCIAC kills per set leader (5.8 prior to the match), dominated the first and third sets, recording all of her 13 kills during the two games. The senior transfer from Yale hit .267 on the night.

Claire Strohm led the Tigers with seven kills and 15 digs. Rioseco added six kills and Sarah Beene totaled 17 assists. 

Getting Better: After a slow start to the season, the young Occidental women's volleyball team has played .500 volleyball from Oct. 4-21. Oxy has nine freshmen out of 14 players on its roster, including a handful that are key contributors. 

Game-by-Game Breakdown

Game 1 (25-15, PP): Oxy's Beene and Tiareh Cruz each had three assists, distributing the ball well to six different players that recorded kills. The Sagehens quickly jumped out to a double-digit lead led by Frappier who had five kills and a pair of service aces in the set. Strohm had six digs in the frame for the Tigers.

Game 2 (25-16, PP): Kelli Derrah and Samantha Cahill combined for two blocks as Pomona-Pitzer continued its momentum from the first set, jumping out to a quick 6-0 advantage. The closest Oxy got after recovering from the run was 8-5. The Tigers attack struggled as they hit -.194 as a group. 

Game 3 (25-23, PP): Oxy played its best volleyball of the night in the third set. Alex Melikian tied the game at 18 with a kill and Amanda Herold did the same after a rotation error, getting Oxy to even at 19. The Sagehens got a two-point edge with consecutive blocks by Sarah Gamble and Cahill and were able to hold off the Tigers. 

Next Match: The Tiges return to action at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Saturday at 6 p.m.