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Volleyball splits at Leo Invitational

La Verne freshman outside hitter Delaney Lynch prepares to spike the ball against UC Santa Cruz outside hitter Tatum Novitsky as junior middle blocker Kelsi Robinson, freshman libero Kristen Sanchez and freshman setter Madison Hickey watch in the second set Saturday at Frantz Athletic Court. The Leopards ultimately squished the Banana Slugs, 3-0, in game one of the Leopard Invitational. Later that day, the Leopards fell short to the Juniata Eagles, 3-1. / photo by Kristina Bugante
La Verne freshman outside hitter Delaney Lynch prepares to spike the ball against UC Santa Cruz outside hitter Tatum Novitsky as junior middle blocker Kelsi Robinson, freshman libero Kristen Sanchez and freshman setter Madison Hickey watch in the second set Saturday at Frantz Athletic Court. The Leopards ultimately squished the Banana Slugs, 3-0, in game one of the Leopard Invitational. Later that day, the Leopards fell short to the Juniata Eagles, 3-1. / photo by Kristina Bugante

Camila Rios
Staff Writer

The No. 21 ranked La Verne volleyball team came out strong against No. 2 ranked Juniata at the annual Leopard Invitational Saturday at Frantz Athletic Court, but the Leopards were unable to defeat the Eagles, losing 3-1 in game two of the invitational.

La Verne won the first set and had a lead late into the second but Juniata came back to win three straight sets.

“Teams like that are really good at sustaining what they do for the long haul,” head coach Jenna Panatier said. “As we get better, that’s something that we’re going to be able to do as well.”

In the first set, La Verne junior middle blocker Kelsi Robinson and senior outside hitter Ashlyn Cross each scored four kills. Robinson got in on a pair of blocks, giving La Verne a 5-0 point advantage.

Juniata got within one, 16-15, but the Leopards scored three straight points to add on to their advantage.

The Leopards then closed out the set with a 4-0 run that helped seal the set, 25-20.
Robinson totaled seven kills and six blocks.

“After winning the first set I was just thinking about how to execute in the following games and using what worked in the first set,” Robinson said. “Throughout the next few sets I focused on keeping energy and intensity.”

Juniata came out with a 4-1 lead in the second set, but La Verne bounced back to take a 22-19 lead.
The Leopards could not maintain their momentum, however, as Juniata took over the second set and scored six consecutive points on five kills and an ace to win the set.

“They were such a good team, we have to keep working on us and being consistent with the things we have,” senior libero and defensive specialist Monica Lopez said.

The teams went back-and-forth in the beginning of the third set until Juniata scored three points in a row putting them up, 18-15.

The Eagles went kill-ace-kill to take the set, 25-20.

In the fourth and final set, Juniata scored 10 of the first 12 points for a comfortable lead.

La Verne was able to string five consecutive points together behind three kills by senior outside hitter Brittany Yaxley, but it was not enough to come out on top.

“As the sets went on, I still had faith in my family because we put in so much hard work,” Lopez said. “When it ended and we didn’t get the result we wanted, I wasn’t too upset because I know that we learned from it.”

Yaxley led the Leopards with 11 kills. Cross was right behind her with 10 kills.

“We’re going to continue to play really tough opponents which just means that we all have to keep our mentality at a high level,” Panatier said.

In game one of the invitational, La Verne swept UC Santa Cruz, 3-0.

The Leopards also defeated the Whittier Poets Tuesday, 3-2.

Their overall record is now 15-3 in Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play.

The team will return to action at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Frantz Athletic Court, as they host the No. 6 ranked Cal Lutheran Regals.

Camila Rios can be reached at camila.riosgomez@laverne.edu.

Camila Rios
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