Stradford and Aminoff combine for 14 kills in match-up with Chapman

Image credits: Kylie Calabrese-Kenny
Image credits: Kylie Calabrese-Kenny

ORANGE, Calif. – The University of Redlands Volleyball team took on Chapman University Thursday night on the road falling in straight sets 25-16, 25-14, 25-15.

The Bulldogs who picked up their first win of 2022 against Occidental College this past week are looking to build off of that victory, but have now dropped two straight moving to 1-13, 1-9 SCIAC.

Junior Kiana Stradford (Mission Viejo, CA) and first year Avery Aminoff (Alexandria, VA) combined for 14 kills and eight blocks as they led the Maroon and Grey.  Stradford totaled 11 points with a team high eight kills, hitting .278 with eight digs, a solo block and four block assists.  Aminoff chipped in with six kills and three blocks assists.

Ella Goettsche (Eastvale, CA) added a couple kills with 13 assists and Lyric Waterman (Aurora, CO) provided a seven assist, two service aces, and three digs effort. 

Redlands kept it close in the early stages of the first set with Goettsche and Bailey Hoblitzell (Elk Grove, CA) collecting kills making it a two-point margin at 8-6.  CU started to pull away after that winning ten of the next thirteen points to go on top 18-9.  UR strung together a 4-1 run with Stradford connecting up front twice to pull the Bulldogs within six (19-13).  But five unanswered two points later by the Panthers would secure the opening set.

Chapman led 7-2 to open the second frame until the Bulldogs would rally with Stradford, Goettsche, and Kylie Martin (Centennial, CO) all converting up front making it a two-point game (9-7).  Five of the next six would go to CU as they stretched the lead back to six.  Aminoff attempted to spark a run with a pair of kills, but again Chapman would answer with another run this time winning eight of the next ten points that secured the second set. 

The tides turned in the third set with UR jumping out in front quickly 9-6, highlighted by three kills from Stradford and another from Katie Allbery (Spokane, WA).  The momentum would shift however as Chapman would rattle off twelve of the next thirteen points that made it an eight point game (18-10).  Paige Sugg (Federal Way, WA) ended the run with a kill to move the deficit to 18-11, but an ensuing 6-2 run by the Panthers would claim the sweep.                          

Redlands returns to the court this weekend, Saturday, October 15 when they host Caltech beginning at 3:00pm.