THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Cal Lutheran defeated Occidental College  in straight sets on Saturday evening at Gilbert Arena, with scores of 25-9, 25-17, 25-22.

Occidental began the first set with an early 3-1 lead, sparked by a kill from Abby Werbel and a service ace from Ariana Carranza. However, Cal Lutheran quickly regained momentum, tying the score and going on a 6-1 run, highlighted by multiple kills from Kennedy Smith and a service ace.

Cal Lutheran extended their lead with a series of successful plays, including a 10-2 stretch that put them ahead 14-4. Despite efforts by the Tigers, including a late kill by Jasmine Shum and a block by Sloane Shoop and Anna Curtis-Revelle, Cal Lutheran maintained control.

The Regals opened the second set with a series of effective plays, gaining an early lead. Occidental responded with a kill by Corinne Van Haeren, assisted by Lila Payne, which helped keep the score close initially. However, Cal Lutheran extended their advantage to 7-3, capitalizing on a series of kills from their lineup. Shum contributed for the Tigers with a kill to bring the score to 7-4.

Midway through the set, Occidental faced challenges in maintaining momentum as Cal Lutheran continued to build their lead, reaching 15-7. Despite efforts from Carranza and Werbel, who delivered crucial points, Cal Lutheran maintained control with consistent offensive execution. Occidental managed to reduce the gap slightly with late kills by Curtis-Revelle and Carranza, but Cal Lutheran closed the set at 25-17.

Occidental began the third set by stabilizing their play after Cal Lutheran's initial 5-0 run. Van Haeren recorded the first point for the Tigers with a kill assisted by Payne. Despite Cal Lutheran extending their lead to 10-1, Occidental responded with a series of service aces and opponent errors, closing the gap to 14-11 behind contributions from Payne and Shoop.

As the set progressed, Occidental capitalized on errors from Cal Lutheran, with Shum delivering key points to bring the score to 17-17. Eyleen Sanchez's service ace gave Occidental a brief 18-17 advantage, but Cal Lutheran managed to level the score. Occidental continued to fight back, with Curtis-Revelle and Elizabeth Hermosillo making crucial plays to tie the game at 21-21.

The Tigers overcame a 10-1 deficit in the set to take a 22-21 lead on a service ace by Hermosillo. In the closing moments, Cal Lutheran regained momentum, and despite the Tigers' efforts, including a kill from Curtis-Revelle, Cal Lutheran secured the set with a 25-22 victory.

Occidental Top Performers

Jasmine Shum  
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- six kills (2 errors, 23 attempts, .174 hitting percentage)  
- four digs  
- one solo block  
- 7.0 points  

Lila Payne  
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- eight assists  
- six digs  
- one service ace  

Ariana Carranza  
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- 10 digs  
- two kills (3 errors, 14 attempts)  
- one service ace  
- 3.5 points  

In their next match, Occidental will face Caltech on Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. in Los Angeles, California.