Box Score LA VERNE, CA: #23 La Verne got pushed to the brink but staved off a fierce Pomona-Pitzer rally in the fourth set to hold on for a 3-1 win in Friday Night SCIAC Volleyball Action.
Down 23-22 in the fourth, the Leopards (11-2, 7-1 SCIAC) strung together three consecutive points on tense, long rallies to clinch their seventh consecutive win in SCIAC action. While Pomona-Pitzer (7-7, 3-3 SCIAC) dropped the first set 25-19 after trailing as much as nine points (20-11), the Sagehens would go blow-for-blow with the 23rd ranked team in the country the rest of the way. The second set saw the Hens leading late at 19-17 before an 8-0 run would give the Leopards their eighth-consecutive set won in SCIAC play. Pomona-Pitzer would break through in the third with a 25-21 victory including three consecutive kills by Freshman Sophie Janssen (16-16, 17-16, 18-16) that would give the Sagehens a lead they would not relinquish for the rest of the set. In the fourth and final set, Pomona-Pitzer would fight from down five at 16-11 to regain the lead at 23-22 but it was all Leopards the rest of the way to get the 25-23 win.
The Sagehens were led tonight by the frontline trio of Junior Stephanie Sun, Sophomore Kate Porter (pictured), and Junior Sarah Gamble who combined for 33 of the team's 49 kills ( Sun – 14, Porter – 10, Gamble – 9) and eight of the team's 10 kills ( Sun – 3, Porter – 3, Gamble -2).
"I was very pleased with our effort tonight" said Head Coach Valerie Townsend. "We had a game plan, stuck to it and gave ourselves a chance. We need to use this momentum moving forward in conference play and against Austin College tomorrow."
The Sagehens will be back in action tomorrow at 1pm for a non-conference game versus Austin College in Voelkel Gymnasium.
