Sagehens Come Back to Defeat Cal Lutheran in Five-Set Thriller
 
CLAREMONT, CA. — After falling behind 2-0 in the match, Pomona-Pitzer volleyball came back to defeat Cal Lutheran in five sets (21-25, 24-26, 25-21, 25-21, 15-13) Friday night at Voelkel Gymnasium.
 
Season Impact: The win improves the Sagehens' season record to 10-6 overall, including 5-1 in SCIAC play. 
 
Samantha Grabb led Pomona-Pitzer with a career-high-tying 17 kills on a .261 clip, also adding an assist, a block and an ace. Chloe Gill posted 14 kills for the Sagehens while Tene Ariyo and Paige Mountanos each added nine. Kylie Mies dished out a season-high 27 assists to go with 25 digs. 
 
Teams traded points to start the match, until a 5-0 run gave the Regals a 9-3 advantage. But Pomona-Pitzer responded, with an Ariyo kill and a Corrina Benson ace capping a 7-0 run to give the Sagehens a 12-10 lead. Cal Lutheran started to pull away late, but a Grabb kill kept Pomona-Pitzer within two, 20-18. The Regals, though, went on to take set one, 25-21. 
 
Cal Lutheran again jumped out to an early 8-3 lead in set two before a Gill and Charlotte Sekerka block and a Grabb kill brought the Sagehens within a pair, 9-7. Pomona-Pitzer later used a 4-0 run, capped by a Kellan Hayes kill, to come within a point, 14-13. The Regals took a 23-16 lead late, but the Sagehens refused to quit, as a Mountanos kill finished a 7-0 run to tie things up at 23-23. Cal Lutheran managed to hold on, though, taking set two 26-24 and a 2-0 match lead. 
 
Another Mountanos kill followed by a trio of Sagehens blocks capped a 4-0 run early in set three, giving Pomona-Pitzer a 9-5 advantage. The Regals fought their way back, taking a 13-12 lead midway through the set. But the Sagehens started to pull away, with a Hayes block and a Regal attack error putting Pomona-Pitzer up 19-14. A pair of Grabb kills late sealed the 25-21 set-three win for the Sagehens. 
 
Pomona-Pitzer established control in the fourth set early, as a pair of kills from Gill put the Sagehens up 14-7. Pomona-Pitzer extended its lead to nine, 20-11, after a Mikayla Hsieh ace. The Regals fought their way back within three, 24-21, but another kill from Gill gave the Sagehens set four, 25-21. 
 
The fifth and final set remained close from the get-go, as an Ariyo kill and another Hsieh ace tied things up at 5-5. Cal Lutheran went on to take a 10-8 advantage, but the Sagehens put together a 5-0 scoring run highlighted by kills from Grabs and Anna Krebs. The Regals came back within a point, 14-13, but a Cal Lutheran attack error sealed the 15-13 set-five win for the Sagehens and the 3-2 match win. 
 
Up Next: The Sagehens travel to take on La Verne tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 12, at 6:00 p.m. PT.