The University of Redlands women's volleyball team jumped into action with two matches on Friday at the Pacific Coast Classic in Claremont. With a solid and persistent effort, the Bulldogs came away victorious by defeating Mt. Aloysius College (PA) and Franklin & Marshall College (PA).
Against Mt. Aloysius, the Bulldogs cruised to a straight-set triumph without trailing by more than two points at any given time, which resulted in an impressive 25-12, 25-19, 25-10 decision to start the day. While utilizing nearly every available player, Redlands gained at least one kill from 12 of them. Leading the offense, junior outside hitter Melanie Fyda (Chicago, IL) knocked down six kills at a clip of .385. Senior setter Jackie Andrade (West Seattle, WA) distributed 11 assists, while sophomore defensive specialist Ally Busch (Long Beach, CA) added seven digs and seven assists.
Later in the day, Redlands overcame Franklin & Marshall in a four-set victory by scores of 25-18, 25-14, 17-25, 25-18. Amidst a much more defensive struggle, the teams combined for 118 digs, with Busch pacing the Maroon and Gray with 16. Sophomore defensive specialist Emily Vankoll (Moraga, CA) offered 14 digs to the winning effort as well.
The Bulldogs rallied for an opening-set comeback over the Diplomats, with well-timed kills by junior right-side hitter Maloree Kupp (Sunnyside, WA), sophomore middle blocker Hannah Lanyon (San Diego, CA), and junior middle blocker Sofia Olsson (Cupertino, CA). Redlands also capitalized on F&M's hitting errors, including one that resulted in a wall of a block by Lanyon and junior outside hitter Christina Casey (Sherwood, OR).
The second set saw the Maroon and Gray pull away early and stay in front, thanks in part to quality serving by junior setter Emily Marty (Chula Vista, CA), who notched four aces on the match.
After dropping the third set, the Bulldogs quickly recovered in the fourth by leading from start to finish. First-year outside hitter Paige Davidson (Spanaway, WA) and Casey stepped up the firepower to help Redlands secure its second win of the day.
Davidson and Fyda provided seven kills apiece, while Olsson added six and Kupp supplied five. Andrade and Marty shared the setting duties, amassing 26 assists collectively.
Redlands (2-0) heads back to Claremont for day two of the Pacific Coast Classic on Saturday, September 1. The Bulldogs take on Union College (NY) at 9:30 a.m. and Brandeis College (MA) at 2:15 p.m.