Claremont, Calif. - Senior libero Heidi Leonard (Del Mar, Calif. - pictured) had 40 digs to lead a strong defensive effort, but the Pomona-Pitzer Volleyball team fell 3-2 to Occidental on Friday evening at the Rains Center.

Occidental improves to 8-3 overall and 1-0 in the SCIAC with the win, while the Sagehens slip to 3-9 overall and 1-2 in the SCIAC with the loss. Set scores with 25-19, 22-25, 25-17, 23-25, 15-10.

Junior Logan Boyer-Hayse had five of her match-high 19 kills in the fifth set, all of which were assisted by Jessie Altman, who had 53 assists on the day.

Occidental controlled the first set, but Pomona-Pitzer regrouped and led throughout the second set, finishing it off when senior Carly Hite (Buffalo, N.Y.) had a kill down the left sideline. The Tigers committed only two attack errors as a team in the first set, but the Sagehens held force them into 11 errors in the second set.

The Tigers took control of the third stanza midway through and won 25-17, but the Sagehens once again bounced back and earned a 25-23 win when senior outside hitter Jordan Hammond (Tulsa, Okla.) ripped a kill off an assist from senior setter Kenzie Aries (Escondido, Calif.).

The fifth set, though, saw Altman assist on the first seven points for the Tigers as they edged in front 8-6 when the teams switched ends. Occidental earned the next two points to pull ahead 10-6, and a Sophie Tweed-Simmons (Beverly Hills, Calif.) pulled the Sagehens within 10-7. The Tigers got the lead to 13-8 before consecutive Pomona-Pitzer points gave the home team some hope, but Stephanie Gann finished off the match with a kill.

Hammond finished with a team-high 15 kills and only one error in 40 attempts and also had four blocks, while junior middle hitter Erin Toothaker (Portland, Ore.) also ahd a solid hitting day with seven kills and one error in 23 attempts. Freshman Ellen Yamasaki (Salinas, Calif.) did a little bit of everything for the Sagehens, tallying nine kills, 16 digs, four blocks and 21 assists, as she saw time at both outside hitter and setter.

Aries had 20 assists and 15 digs in her time at setter, while freshman Kirea Mazzolini (Phoenix, Ariz.) helped the defensive effort with a team-high five blocks as the Sagehens made Occidental battle for every point. Boyer-Hayse did have 19 kills, but needed 64 attacks to get them.

Pomona-Pitzer will next be in action when it travels to Redlands for a 7:30 p.m. contest on Tuesday.