The University of Redlands volleyball team notched its first Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) victory of the 2012 season with Tuesday's 3-1 performance over the visiting Beavers of Caltech. Highlighted by a refreshed starting six, the Bulldogs utilized 16 players in the 25-20, 15-25, 25-13, 25-12 win, allowing for significant playing time for all contributors.
Redlands came out firing in the first set, with a freshman-laden lineup making its debut in Currier Gym. The Bulldogs broke an early three-all tie and jumped out to an 18-9 lead before Caltech found its rhythm for a six-point run. Nonetheless, the Maroon and Gray staved off the opponents and captured the first-set triumph. Among the newcomers, freshman setter Lauren Ellingwood (Kirkland, WA) served as the ball-distributor with nine assists.
However, Caltech's offense erupted in the second stanza, unleashing an impressive mark of .438 en route to 25-15 decision. Junior middle blocker Paige Logan (Los Altos, CA) led the charge and eventually paced the Beaver attack with a .414 effort, which came off of a team-high 14 kills with only two errors.
With the match tied at one set apiece, the Bulldogs made the necessary adjustments as Head Coach Mari Winter reinstated her regular lineup. Down 3-6, the Maroon and Gray enjoyed an 11-1 run to take a comfortable lead. During this stretch, Redlands put away six kills, with junior outside hitter Morgan Buckner (San Rafael, CA) crushing four of them. She finished the night with a stellar .556 hitting percentage with six kills.
The Bulldogs continued to put the ball away, recording an impressive hitting percentage of .407 during the 25-13 showing in the third set.
Redlands' offense stepped up even more in the fourth frame, notching a clip of .429 with 11 kills and only two errors. Tied at four-all in the frame, the Maroon and Gray uncorked a stellar 16-3 run to put the match out of reach for the Beavers.
Sophomore middle blocker Maddi Clark (Escondido, CA) led the Bulldogs with eight kills, while freshman middle blocker Ashton Martin (Redlands, CA) boasted the best hitting percentage of the night at .667.
Tough serving also played a part in the victory, as junior libero Brittney Overgaag (Palm Desert, CA) notched five of the team's 16 aces.
In addition to Logan, Caltech (0-7, 0-5 SCIAC) gained double-digit kills from freshman outside hitter Catherine Jamshidi (San Diego, CA), who tallied 12 on the night. Junior setter Rachel Hess (Lancaster, PA) distributed the ball for the Beavers, notching a match-high 26 assists.
Redlands (5-6, 1-4 SCIAC) heads to Pomona-Pitzer Colleges on Friday for an important conference showdown with the Sagehens at 7:30 p.m.
