LOS ANGELES — Claire Strohm put together one of the better performances of her career against one of the best teams in the country, and the Occidental women's volleyball team was competitive during stretches of its match with No. 6 Cal Lutheran on Tuesday.

But the Tigers struggled to close sets against the national powerhouse, losing 3-0 at Rush Gym. 

Set Scores: 25-21, 25-20, 25-21

Strohm finished with 15 kills on .273 hitting, nine digs and an ace. She had 11 kills on .389 hitting through the first two sets. 

Michelle Lawrence, a junior transfer from Colorado St. in her second season with the Regals, led Cal Lutheran with a match-high 16 kills.

Sarah Beene had 14 assists and Kandace Korver had 11 digs for Oxy.

The only SCIAC school to win a set against the Regals this season was La Verne, who took them to five games on Sept. 15.

Season Impact: The Tigers fall 2-7 overall and 1-4 in SCIAC play. Cal Lutheran improves to 14-2 and 4-0.

Game 1: Oxy played some of its best volleyball of the season for most of the first set, taking an 18-16 lead on one of Strohm's six kills in the set. The Tigers even tied the game at 21 after coughing up the lead, but the Regals rallied for the next four points, two of them aces, to take the game. 

Game 2: The Tigers got off to another hot start in the second set, Leading 13-11. Cal Lutheran started to rally though, winning 14 of the next 21 points to take a 2-0 lead. The Regals were led by the blocking of Michelle Lawrence and Monica Lundgren who combined for two blocks during the Cal Lu's run.

Cassandra Guidice brought the Tigers within two pionts at 21-19 with back-to-back aces.

Game 3: The Tigers led early and stayed within four points the entire set. Lawrence led Cal Lu with six kills.

Next Match: Oxy continues a busy stretch of games with a 7:30 p.m. match at Caltech on Thursday. The Tigers play at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Friday and then a pair of matches against UC Santa Cruz and West Coast Baptist at home on Saturday.