Alyssa Cole
Staff Writer
The La Verne Leopards crushed the Caltech Beavers Wednesday at Frantz Athletic Court in a quick three-set sweep, 25-4, 25-12 and 25-14.
At the start of the match head coach Jenna Panatier switched things up, trying different starters and different rotations.
“These kind of games we get to work on fun things,” Panatier said.
Junior setter Arlette Scott started the serves off for the Leopards with a great run giving the team a quick lead of 9-2.
The team immediately gained a groove and did not let up at all as the Beavers began to fall apart.
The team had great communication and held it down defensively, giving them the advantage to set up impressive plays on the court offensively.
Junior outside hitter Tiffany Johnstone and junior middle blocker Rachel Bailey both had great kills at the net, leaving their opponents at a freeze, closing the first set at 25-4.
“I’m trying new things, like demanding the ball more,” Johnstone said.
The Leopards again took the lead at the beginning of the second set at 5-2.
However some small errors on La Verne’s part put the ball into the Beavers’ possession more than in the first set.
The Beavers took a timeout down 21-11, hoping it could help shake the momentum of the Leopards, but no matter what, they could not create a steady stride.
The Beavers continued to get shut down at the net by junior middle blocker Catie Logan and sophomore outside hitter Laura Aronson.
Aronson played a remarkable game covering the court with not only strong kills offensively, but also generating quick saves to keep the ball in play for La Verne defensively.
“It’s important we stay at a constant, and do a good job talking the whole time,” Aronson said.
The Caltech Beavers were able to catch a groove at the beginning of the third set leading 5-2.
The Beavers were able to rally a bit more with the Leopards in what ended up being the final set of the game.
For a short time, the ball was going back and forth in possession but the Leopards eventually pulled away to a lead of 22-13. A match-ending kill by Aronson ended the final set at 25-14.
The volleyball team currently holds a 5-4 record in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
Logan had the most of the Leopards 28 kills, completing 12 with a .579 hitting percentage.
La Verne outpaced the Beavers in digs 37 to 29.
They will face the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Athenas for the second time this season at 6 p.m. tonight on Frantz Athletic Court.
The Leopards beat the Athenas in a three-set sweep the last time they played on Sept. 24 in their second SCIAC game of the season.
However, they will still need to bring the same power from tonight’s victory to win once again.
“We need to win that game,” Panatier said.
An even more vital match will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday at home when the women face the Occidental Tigers.
In the first match on Sept. 27, the Leopards fell short on the road against the Tigers with a loss of 3-1, and are eager to redeem themselves and prevail this time around.
“We will need to stay focused on our goals,” coach Panatier said.
The Leopards currently hold a 15-9 overall record and a 5-4 record in SCIAC, good for fourth place in the conference standings.
Alyssa Cole can be reached at alyssa.cole@laverne.edu.
