Despite a late start to the match, the University of Redlands volleyball team maintained its focus and determination to dismiss the visiting Cyclones of Mills College in straight sets, 25-13, 25-11, 25-16. Due to the opponents' difficult travels from Pasadena, the match began at 8:30 p.m. but the Bulldogs made the most of the meeting by earning the non-conference victory.
With an aggressive offense and tough serving, the Maroon and Gray quickly built a 10-5 lead in the opening set. During this stretch, senior outside hitter Sam Dodson (Alamogordo, NM) fired off four of her 10 kills of the night.
With the score at 15-10, junior libero Brittney Overgaag (Palm Desert, CA) led the charge with two of her four service aces, blowing open the first stanza en route to the 25-13 decision.
Junior outside hitter Morgan Buckner (San Rafael, CA) maintained the team's momentum with her effective serving, creating a 6-1 start to the second frame. In addition, freshman middle blocker Marisa Gile (Yucaipa, CA) found her rhythm for two of her season-high 10 kills in the first seven points. She finished the match with a stellar hitting percentage of .529.
With a well-balanced attack, Redlands continued to roll with a match-high clip of .438 on offense. Freshman middle blocker Ashton Martin (Redlands, CA) stepped up her offense with five of her 11 kills coming in the second set, as the Maroon and Gray notched the resounding win at 25-11.
The third stanza saw a tighter start but the Bulldogs broke a seven-all tie when Martin found the hardwood. She finished the night with a hitting percentage of .556.
Redlands never looked back as Buckner and Gile combined for 10 of the team's 16 kills during the solid third-set victory.
Overall, the team racked up 12 service aces. Besides Overgaag's quartet of winners, sophomore defensive specialist Courtney Johnson (Dana Point, CA) provided three for the Bulldogs.
Freshman setter Lauren Ellingwood (Kirkland, WA) distributed the ball well, finding four hitters for 10 or more kills. She totaled 34 assists on the night.
Redlands (7-12) returns to Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) action on Saturday with a 3 p.m. showdown against the Poets of Whittier College.