While utilizing 14 players, the University of Redlands volleyball team rolled to its first Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) victory of the season with a 3-0 decision over visiting Caltech. The Bulldogs progressively improved with each set's lineup, winning by scores of 25-16, 25-14, and 25-12. In addition, the Maroon and Gray offense bettered its hitting percentage with each stanza, going from .129 in the opening set to .231 in the final one.
During the first frame, Redlands broke a four-all tie with a kill by sophomore middle blocker Marisa Gile (Yucaipa, CA). Tough serving propelled the team to a 10-5 lead, with senior outside hitter Morgan Buckner (San Rafael, CA) notching two aces in the process.
Buckner joined forces with sophomore outside hitter Ashton Martin (Redlands, CA) to create an effective attack through the final points of the set, resulting in the solid 25-16 performance.
With junior outside hitter Ariana Scott (Lakewood, CA) making her Bulldog debut, Redlands continued to shine in the second frame. As sophomore setter Lauren Ellingwood (Kirkland, WA) distributed the ball, Scott knocked down her first two swings for an early 3-1 lead.
The Maroon and Gray never trailed, with junior libero Courtney Johnson (Dana Point, CA) leading the defensive effort and sophomore outside hitter Haili Hannah (San Diego, CA) adding to the offensive fire power. Leading 18-14, Redlands pulled away with seven straight points, as freshman defensive specialist Jazzy Kealoha (Honolulu, HI) fired off impressive serves.
The third-set lineup welcomed freshman setter Ellie McLeod (Redlands, CA) to the court, serving as the team's setter. She led the Bulldog offense to its strongest hitting performance of the night and connected with freshman middle blocker Allison Jensen (Redlands, CA) for two of her five attacks.
While uncorking three kills in a row in the early part of the stanza, Redlands jumped out to a 4-1 advantage and never looked back.
Overall, Scott led the offense with seven kills, while Buckner and Jensen recorded five apiece.
Senior setter Alisha Cornick (Hollister, CA) earned 10 assists in the first set, while Ellingwood and McLeod contributed nine and eight, respectively. Johnson finished the night with 17 digs.
Redlands (4-5, 1-1 SCIAC) heads to Pasadena on Friday to again face the Beavers at 7:30 p.m. Fans may follow the action through Caltech's live stats and live web-streaming.
