Jonas Holt
Sports Editor
The no. 9 nationally ranked Leopards got back to their winning ways in their Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener Sept. 27 with a commanding 3-0 sweep of the Caltech Beavers, after a challenging 1-2 outing against multiple nationally ranked foes at the Washington University Bear Invitational in St. Louis.
Before the match, junior outside hitter Mya Ray was honored for surpassing 1,000 career kills during the Bear Invitational the previous weekend.
“It was really special, especially being here at La Verne. It’s such a proud moment for me, seeing all my hard work pay off,” Ray said. “Having my family and teammates there made it even more meaningful, it was a moment I’ll never forget.”
Ray, a two time All-American, is a cornerstone of the Leopards’ offense. Ray received a special plaque in a pregame ceremony, celebrating her milestone achievement.
She currently sits at 1,082 career kills, which places her sixth all-time in La Verne’s storied volleyball history. Ray added to her impressive tally against Caltech, finishing the match with nine kills, seven digs, and three blocks.
The Leopards were determined and poised to bounce back from their two losses as they came out firing in the first set, opening with five straight points, including an early kill by Ray.
“Obviously you don’t like to lose, but you sit back and learn from it,” head coach Jeff Hendershot said. “We learned some hard lessons in St. Louis so we’ve been working to fix the issues and make changes like we did today.”
The Beavers responded, chipping away at the lead and eventually tying the set at 15-all.
However, a well-timed timeout and strategic plays helped the Leopards regain their rhythm. A double block from sophomore outside hitter Lauren Gott and junior middle blocker Kat Bloomer gave La Verne a two-point advantage, and a kill from senior outside hitter Allison Whiteman pushed the lead to 18-16.
The Leopards then pulled away with a five-point run to make it 24-19. Junior setter Vanessa Marquez set up Ray for the final kill, sealing the first set, 25-20.
“We have respect for everyone in this conference, we just have to focus on our side and make sure there’s no drop off and play up to our high standards and level,” Marquez said.
The second set saw the Leopards take firm control early, with Bloomer contributing a key tip for the first point, followed by a Beaver error that made it 5-1.
Junior outside hitter Lexi Giacobbe added back-to-back kills to extend the lead to 7-1, and from that point on, it was all La Verne.
The Beavers struggled to find any rhythm, and a block by sophomore middle blocker Zacky Coaston put the Leopards up, 15-4.
The Leopards continued to steamroll the Beavers in the second set taking it 25-10 and gaining a commanding two sets to none lead over the Beavers.
“We just had to remember who we are as a team and take it play by play and we’ll be fine,” Gott said.
With La Verne comfortably ahead, coach Hendershot rotated in players who don’t typically see much action, giving them valuable court time. Even with the new lineup, the Leopards continued to dominate.
“Just because they don’t always play doesn’t mean they aren’t working hard and doing their part in practice,” Hendershot said. “Any time we have the chance to get those players on the court, we want to, it’s great to see them contribute, and we love giving them that opportunity.”
The Leopards controlled the tempo and methodically outplayed the Beavers to cruise to a 25-19 victory in the third set, completing the sweep.
With this victory, the Leopards improved to 9-2 overall and 1-0 in SCIAC play. The undefeated SCIAC record didn’t last for long as the Leopards were upset by Whittier on Saturday, 3-1, but then bounced back with a 3-0 sweep over the Chapman Panthers on Tuesday evening.
The Leopards are now ranked No. 14 in the country with a record of 10-3 overall and a 2-1 SCIAC record. They return to the court at 7 p.m. Friday at Cal Lutheran and return home at 7 p.m. Tuesday against Redlands.
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.
