Los Angeles, CA – To start off the weekend, the Occidental women's volleyball team hosted Simpson University from Redding, California for their third match in a short week.  Simpson took the extremely competitive match, 3-1 (25-17, 15-25, 25-22, 25-21).

Simpson started off with the first three points before Oxy found an opening on the court, allowing for a beautiful kill by Elizabeth Hermosillo.  The Tigers went on to take the lead with three back-to-back aces by Ariana Carranza.  Katelyn Cajigas ended the Red Hawks four-point streak with a kill.  Unfortunately, Simpson continued to find the corner pockets to maintain their lead.  Carranza and Aniya Hawthrone doubled up on the net for a block, followed by Skye Garcia earning a powerful kill to reduce the deficit.  Simpson's quick set to the middle attacker continued to be a weak point for the Tigers as it gave the defense little time to dive for the ball.  However, when the Tigers find the right rhythm, it proves how unstoppable they can be.  Garcia had a forceful kill in the open middle from Camille Thé.  Oxy tried to slow down Simpson's momentum with two timeouts, the last being at 23-17, but eventually the Red Hawks pushed through to take the first set 25-17.  Despite the loss of the first set, the Tigers brought the score to a tie four times.

In set two, Hermosillo and Lizzy Kerman had great defensive saves to keep the team in it.  The offense each contributed impressive kills, forcing Simpson to take their first timeout of the match, 9-4.  Oxy earned another point before the Red Hawks gained the ball, but the team quickly won it back and pulled ahead eight points 17-9 before another change of possession.  Simpson took their second timeout at 19-13.  The Red Hawks continued to battle back, forcing long rallies. A smart attack on the second touch by Thé caught the Red Hawks dead on their feet.  The Tigers' consistent play earned them the second set, 25-15.

The third set was extremely tight as each team was striving to find the upper hand.  Smart defense and strong offense had both teams scrambling on a few plays.  In the first half of the set, the score was brought to a tie seven times.  Simpson pushed Oxy to take their first timeout at 12-8 after five consecutive points.  The timeout clearly was a smart move by head coach Heather Collins as the Tigers rallied, causing the Red Hawks to take their own timeout as the Tigers had closed in on the score and were only one point away from dethroning them, 13-12.  Oxy took their second timeout when the score reached 20-16.  Later on, Garcia's ace brought the score to 23-20 which had Simpson take their next timeout to slow the Tigers' pushback.  Eliana Channell found a hole in the middle for a kill off of a set from Leena Albelo.  Simpson took the lead 2-1 with a set score of 25-22.

The fourth set proved to be even more intense than the third with the match on the line.  The Tigers maintained the lead for most of the set, but the Red Hawks kept the score tight, refusing to fall more than four points behind.  Eventually they took the lead at the very end of the set.  The pressure to stay alive didn't stop the Tigers from executing their game plan and they still went all out on their attacks.  Garcia had a spectacular kill across the court, bringing the score to 23-21 Red Hawks.  In the end, Simpson won 25-21 to walk away with the match.

Despite the loss, it was the best volleyball the Tigers played all week on top of a reduced bench due to injuries.  Nine Tigers contributed to the score, with two securing double-doubles: Garcia (15 kills and 11 digs) and Carranza (11 kills and 15 digs).  The team kept a positive mindset and supported each other from start to finish.  If the Tigers keep this up, they'll be a force to be reckoned with on the court.  
 

Player Highlights:

Hitting Percentage: Camille Th (1.000) and Aniya Hawthorne (.429) 

Kills: Sky Garcia (15) and Ariana Carranza (11)

Assists: Camille Thé (20) and Leena Albelo (20)

Aces: Ariana Carranza (4) and Sky Garcia (3) 

Blocks: Eliana Channell (2), Aniya Hawthorne (2), and Sky Garcia (2)

Digs: Lizzy Kerman (17) and Ariana Carranza (15)

Volleyball is back in action next Tuesday, September 19, 2023.  West Coast Baptist will travel to Oxy for the last game before the start of conference play.