SportsVolleyball

Volleyball forces fifth set, gets win

Junior middle blocker Kelsie Sievers spikes the ball for a kill during the fourth set. This created an 18-14 lead for the Leopards, causing Cal Lutheran to call a time out. The Leopards went on to dethrone the Regals in five sets Friday at Frantz Athletic Court. / photo by Breanna Ulsh
Junior middle blocker Kelsie Sievers spikes the ball for a kill during the fourth set. This created an 18-14 lead for the Leopards, causing Cal Lutheran to call a time out. The Leopards went on to dethrone the Regals in five sets Friday at Frantz Athletic Court. / photo by Breanna Ulsh

Mark Acosta
Sports Editor

La Verne women’s volleyball team, currently ranked No. 15, came back to beat No. 17 Cal Lutheran in a five-set thriller at Franz Athletic Court Friday night.

The packed house was full of energy from the opening serve, as Southern California Intercollegiate Conference play kicked off.

After La Verne got down two sets to one, they rallied to win the fourth set and force a fifth.

The fifth went back and forth initially, but was later controlled by the Leopards, who were able to complete the comeback.

“My team has incredible grit, incredible heart,” head coach Jenna Panatier said. “They have been working their butts off all season long to get to this point.”

The game was a total team effort, as the Leopards got significant contributions from several players.

Junior outside hitter Delaney Lynch led the Leopards with 12 kills, and senior outside hitter Marisa Rojo contributed 10 kills of her own.

Junior middle blocker Kelsie Sievers also had double-digit kills with 10, to go along with seven block assists.

Junior setter Natalie Barragan had a team-high 19 assists to go along with 12 digs.

“It was a roller coaster. We came out strong and then had a hard time,” Barragan said. “But we said we can either roll over and give up, or say we have nothing to lose and go for it.”

After winning a back and forth first set 25-18, the Leopards did not have an answer for Cal Lutheran in the next two sets.

“We had no other choice, otherwise we would lose,” Rojo said. “We knew we had it in us. We just had to come out the way we did the first game.”

The second set did not start the way the Leopards wanted, as Cal Lutheran made seven straight points, but the Leopards were able to claw their way back into the set.

After getting the deficit to only four points, 15-19, Cal Lutheran did not seize control and La Verne took the set 20-25.

In the third set, Cal Lutheran picked up where they left off set two. They started the set strong, and La Verne could not find its rhythm. The Regals led by as many as 14 points in the set, and the Leopards were never able to climb back into it, losing 15-25.

“The sets that we lost, we were not playing like ourselves,” sophomore outside hitter Mireya Rojo said. “We knew we had to do something about it and stop making mistakes.”

La Verne turned up the energy in the fourth set. Facing elimination, they came out strong and traded points early with Cal Lutheran.

Both teams were on their game and there were multiple lead changes throughout the set until La Verne led 11-10. From this point on, the Leopards never trailed again in the set.

Despite Cal Lutheran’s effort to keep it close, La Verne finished off the set 25-23 to force a fifth. By the fifth set, the gym was so loud that all that could be heard were fans and students riled for the final set.

Again, the Leopards and Regals went back and forth trading points early on. Neither team was backing down, and the set came to a 6-6 tie. La Verne used a 6-0 run to take the momentum away from Cal Lutheran.

After a few points, the Regals were able to get it to 14-10, and Marisa Rojo sealed the victory with a kill to win the set and complete the comeback, 15-10.

The Leopards continue SCIAC action at 5:30 p.m. Saturday against Caltech.

Mark Acosta can be reached at mark.acosta@laverne.edu.

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