Los Angeles, CA – Occidental women's volleyball hosted Cal Lutheran University on Tuesday night for a four-set match. The Regals took the first two and final sets for a 3-1 win. The match was competitive with two of the sets going over 25 points. The set scores were 26-24, 25-6, 25-27, and 25-16.
Sets one, two, and four saw strong volleyball from both sides. The progression of the team over the season can be seen in their increased court coverage, communication, and their ability to fill in when needed.
In the first set with Ariana Caranza serving, the team went on a four-point score streak to bring the score to a tie at 12-12. The set would go on to come to a tie 11 times, with Oxy finally taking the lead at 21-20, forcing CLU's first timeout of the night. After a couple more points, the Regals took another timeout at 23-20 which stalled the Tigers' momentum enough for them to make a comeback. The Regals eventually claimed the first set 26-24.
Set two saw the Regals dominate, scoring six points before the Tigers got on the board. They went on to score 12 consecutive points while the Tigers tried to find their bearings after falling in the tightly contested first set. With a setter out, Lizzy Kerman filled in as one of the setters for the team. She did an amazing job, but was certainly missed on defense and offense. Kerman is truly an exceptional all-around player that always goes above and beyond for her team.
The Tigers struck first in the third set with a block assist from Skye Garcia and Aniya Hawthorne. Despite the score from the second set, the Tigers had their momentum back and took a four point lead before letting the Regals score. Leena Albello brought the score to a tie 11-11 with an ace. With Albello back in as setter, the team returned to their familiar positions and were able to stay competitive. After taking a timeout at 14-11 when CLU was up, Hawthorne and Kerman each had kills that kept the Regals on their feet. With the Regals closing in on match point, Oxy took another timeout at 22-19 to slow down their opponents rhythm. The rallies were intense, with powerful kills and defensive saves. Eliana Channel and Garcia had a block to bring the score to 24 all. Kerman came in with a kill that carried across the net to drop short and prevent a Regals return, giving the Tigers the lead at 25-24. The Regals took two timeouts in close succession, but it didn't stop the net-hitting ace that Kerman delivered to win the set 27-25.
It was clear that the Regals had no interest in going into a fifth set. The rallies were decisive, but each team pushed for the advantage. CLU claimed the match with their final set win, 25-16.
The team competes next on Friday at Whittier College at 7 p.m. before returning home on Saturday for a 6 p.m. match against Caltech.
