Jonas Holt
Sports Editor
The No. 15-ranked La Verne Leopards volleyball team claimed a dominant 3-0 victory over the Redlands Bulldogs Tuesday evening at Frantz Athletic Court, propelling them to second place in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
The Leopards, who improved to 12-3 overall and 4-1 in SCIAC play, swept the Bulldogs in straight sets, 25-14, 25-9, 25-20, in a highly anticipated matchup that helped them leapfrog Redlands in the standings.
“The big thing for us is that we’re not doing anything different for anybody,” head coach Jeff Hendershot said. “We just have to focus on our game and play smart, clean volleyball.”
The Leopards wasted no time establishing dominance in the opening set, fueled by a six-point run that was capped by an ace from sophomore setter Malia Capistrano.
With momentum firmly on their side, the Leopards forced Redlands to call an early timeout at 7-2. A block from sophomore middle blocker Zacky Coaston and freshman opposite Kimi Watanabe-Mayhew extended the lead to 11-3.
“Our culture is so strong this year, and all of us are just so focused on working together and being selfless,” Coaston said.
Despite the Bulldogs’ efforts to fight back, including a kill from freshman outside hitter Elizabeth Moyer, the Leopards remained in control, and went on another six-point run to close out the first set, 25-14, after forcing the Bulldogs to commit multiple errors.
The second set started much like the first, with sophomore outside hitter Lauren Gott leading the charge for the Leopards. However, a string of early errors allowed Redlands to briefly grab a 5-2 lead, forcing a Leopards timeout. After regrouping, the Leopards found their rhythm again with a kill from All-American junior outside hitter Mya Ray and an energy boosting block from Watanabe-Mayhew that tied the set at 5-5.
From there, it was all La Verne. Gott and Ray added crucial kills, and another string of Redlands errors helped push the Leopards to a commanding 12-7 lead, prompting a Bulldogs timeout. La Verne continued to pile on, with Coaston and Ray leading a surge that left Redlands struggling to keep up. The Bulldogs were unable to stop the Leopards’ relentless attack, dropping the second set 25-9 after a kill from Gott.
“After the loss to Whittier, we had to change our mindset and work on things, and ever since then we’ve been coming out strong and taking care of business,” Gott said.
The third set saw a determined Redlands squad fight to avoid the sweep. Senior outside hitter and opposite Allison Whiteman kicked things off for La Verne with a kill, and an ace from Capistrano put the Leopards ahead 6-1. The Bulldogs, however, clawed their way back into the set, cutting the deficit to 9-8 before La Verne called a timeout.
The Bulldogs briefly took the lead at 17-16 with a kill from freshman outside hitter Kaitlyn DeLong and a block from sophomore middle blocker Makaila Brooks. But the Leopards quickly responded with a block from junior middle blocker Kat Bloomer and a kill from Ray, swinging the momentum back in the Leopards’ favor.
After a long rally, Ray’s 13th kill of the night gave the Leopards a 21-20 lead, and another block from Ray and Bloomer sealed the Bulldogs’ fate. Ray then closed the match with one final kill, securing a 25-20 win in the third set, and another sweep.
“We just have to continue to be ourselves and we’ll continue to get the job done like tonight,” Ray said. “Being able to work together continuously is what is going to help us win these big games.”
With the victory, the Leopards now turn their attention to their 7 p.m. Friday SCIAC showdown against nationally ranked No. 11 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. The Leopards return home for a 6 p.m. game Saturday against the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens.
“We’re excited for Friday, another nationally ranked opponent, awesome environment over there, it’ll be a fun match.” 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.
Liberty Belle is a senior photography major and marketing minor. She is also the photography editor of the Campus Times. She has previously served as photography editor of La Verne Magazine and a staff photographer for both publications.
