Jonas Holt
Sports Editor
The Leopards, ranked No. 11 in the nation, fended off a fierce challenge from the Edgewood Eagles to win in five sets, capping off the Whittier Invitational on Saturday at Frantz Athletic Court. With the victory, the Leopards improved their undefeated record to 7-0.
Despite entering the match as favorites, the Leopards found themselves in a roller coaster of momentum shifts throughout the contest, which ended 3-2 (25-18, 25-21, 17-25, 20-25, 15-12).
“When you’re ranked No. 11 in the country, you’re going to get everyone’s best game,” head coach Jeff Hendershot said. “And Edgewood just gave us their best game.”
Freshman opposite Kimi Watanabe-Mayhew got the game underway with a kill. The Leopards jumped to a 6-0 lead, highlighted by an ace from sophomore setter Malia Capistrano and a powerful kill from junior outside hitter Mya Ray.
Edgewood managed to score their first point with a kill from sophomore middle blocker Payton Millin but couldn’t contain the Leopards’ surge, falling behind 11-4 before calling their first timeout of the game.
Out of the break, the Eagles responded with six straight points, capped by an ace from setter Mia Hinkamper.
The Leopards regrouped after a kill from sophomore outside hitter Lauren Gott, reclaiming control for good and eventually taking the first set, 25-18, after three consecutive points.
“I was definitely a little nervous coming in as a freshman, but just staying calm, taking deep breaths, and being myself has really helped me settle in and come into my own,” Watanabe-Mayhew said.
In the second set, the Eagles started stronger, scoring four straight points to take a 4-1 lead. But once again, the Leopards found their rhythm with kills from Ray and Gott, regaining the lead, 6-5.
A block from Ray stretched the advantage to 14-8. However, errors allowed the Eagles to claw their way back to 18-17.
Late in the set, an ace from Capistrano gave La Verne a much-needed cushion at 21-20. Senior outside hitter Allison Whiteman sealed the set with a kill and an ace, giving the Leopards a 25-21 win and putting them up two sets to none and what seemed to be firm control of the game.
“We come out strong in these matches, but we just can’t let our guard down and have to be playing at 110 percent all the time,” Ray said.
The third set saw the Leopards get comfortable and drop in intensity, thus giving Edgewood life and momentum as the Eagles came out firing on all cylinders.
Edgewood capitalized on the Leopards’ drop in intensity. Eagles’ middle blocker Abbey Falk delivered a critical block, pushing the Eagles to an 18-15 lead, forcing a Leopards timeout.
Out of the break, Edgewood’s defense held firm, with Falk continuing to shine, and they took the set, 25-17, to cut the Leopards’ lead to 2-1.
Momentum shifted further in the Eagles’ favor in the fourth set, as they jumped to a 13-7 lead, fueled by strong blocking and kills from graduate student outside hitter Cassidy Spies and Millin. The Leopards struggled with errors, and despite a brief rally, they couldn’t close the gap, losing the set 25-20 as Edgewood forced a decisive fifth and decisive set.
With the match on the line and an upset looming as the Eagles had all the momentum, the Leopards regrouped. Whiteman and Ray provided key kills, giving the Leopards an early 9-7 advantage.
“I’ve been in so many pressure moments and all those moments in my past prepared me for the new ones, so I was ready to step up and win this game in our home gym,” Whiteman said.
A sneaky tip from junior middle blocker Kat Bloomer extended the lead to 10-7, and Ray’s kill put them in the driver’s seat at 12-8.
Though the Eagles fought back to 13-10, Ray’s final kill brought the Leopards to match point, and an ace from Ray closed out the match, 15-12, allowing the Leopards to survive the upset with a hard-fought victory.
The Leopards’ run in the tournament improved their season record to 7-0, solidifying their status as a national contender. Now ranked No. 8 in the nation, the road ahead will only become more challenging.
In a couple of weeks, La Verne will travel to Missouri for the Washington University Invitational, where they’ll face three nationally ranked opponents.
The Leopards will take on No. 4 Wisconsin-Whitewater, No. 21 Cornell (IA), and finish with a match against tournament host No. 14 Washington-St. Louis.
“It’s going to be like an NCAA regional out there in Missouri, so this is going to be a great opportunity and test for us,” Hendershot said.
Jonas Holt can be reached at jonas.holt@laverne.edu.
Jonas Holt is a senior journalism major with a concentration in print and online journalism. He is sports editor of the Campus Times, a staff writer for La Verne Magazine and staff photographer for both publications. He has previously been a staff writer for the Campus Times.
Emily Casillas is a junior photography major with a concentration in sports photography. She is a staff photographer for both the Campus Times and La Verne Magazine, as well as La Verne Athletics. Her work can also be found at Shot2byEmily.
