CLAREMONT, CA. – For the first time since 2013, the Pomona-Pitzer Volleyball team came away with a win over CMS by the score of 3-2 on Friday night at Voelkel Gymnasium.
 
Season Impact: with the win, the Sagehens improved to 16-10 overall and 11-5 in SCIAC play.
 
The Sagehens celebrated senior day in spectacular fashion after being the Athenas for the first time since 2013 and it was the first time the two teams went into a fifth set since 2009.
 
The Sagehens hit .297 for the game led by Paige Mountanos who had 20 kills and hit .386 for the night. Kellan Hayes led the defense at the net with seven blocks while Jenny Jenks had 51 assists and Corrina Benson with 22 digs.
 
The Athenas got on the Sagehens early with a 6-2 lead in the first set that forced the Sagehens to chip away and get back to within one point at 14-13 midway through the first.  CMS responded with four-straight points to take control of the set and held off Pomona-Pitzer for the opening set of the match, 25-21.
 
Pomona-Pitzer responded well with an 11-2 lead to start the second set to get back even with CMS in the match.  CMS went on a run midway through and got with two points at 16-14 and eventually took the lead at 19-18 after a run of five-straight points, but the Sagehens regrouped late and back-to-back kills by Paige Mountanos put the Sagehens on top 25-23 and even at 1-1.
 
A back and forth third set between the two teams that saw a lot of mini runs to swing momentum. CMS led late 22-19 and despite the Sagehens closing the gap to 24-23, CMS got the final point of the set to take a 2-1 lead with a 25-23 win.
 
The Sagehens showed that they were not folding after going down 2-1 against CMS and dismantled the Athenas in the fourth set. The Sagehens started out with a 10-4 lead and after CMS brought it closer to 12-8, the Sagehens ended the set with a 13-4 run to win by the margin of 25-12 to forth a fifth set against CMS for the first time since 2009.
 
Pomona-Pitzer carried its momentum into the fifth set and opened on a 10-2 run that gave them a huge advantage to get the upset.  But CMS came back and tied the set at 12-12 to add more drama to the Sixth Street Rivalry. CMS went up 15-14 with a chance to hold off Pomona-Pitzer, but a huge kill by Mountanos kept the Sagehens alive and then back-to-back attack errors ended the set and gave the Sagehens the five-set win over their rivals on senior night.
 
Up Next: The Sagehens have earned a spot into the SCIAC Postseason Tournament and will await their opponent with results to come on Saturday.