CLAREMONT, Calif. – The University of Redlands Volleyball team fell in straight sets Tuesday night on the road against Pomona-Pitzer 25-15, 25-20, 25-8 despite holding leads through the middle of the first and second sets.
The Bulldogs and Sagehens went back-and-forth in the opening frame with eleven different ties. During that stretch Avery Aminoff (Alexandria, VA) had two kills, Bailey Hoblitzell (Elk Grove, CA) and Ella Goettsche (Eastvale, CA) added one each with Lyric Waterman (Aurora, CO) providing a service ace.
Despite the very competitive start for Redlands, Pomona-Pitzer went on a 15-4 run to win the first set 25-15. The four points the Bulldogs won came off three Sagehen errors and a kill from Hoblitzell.
In the second set the Bulldogs were able to overcome a slow start, where the Sagehens won five of the first seven points, by going on an 8-3 run before taking a 10-8 lead. During the push Paige Sugg (Federal Way, WA) and Kiana Stradford (Mission Viejo, CA) each posted two kills and Delani Nevarez (Highland, CA) won a pair of points with a couple aces.
The Sagehens matched the Bulldog run and re-took the lead after six unanswered. Redlands, down four, 14-10, scored three straight after that to get within one after Kylie Martin (Centennial, CO) and Aminoff went back-to-back with kills.
The Bulldogs looked to be out of the second set following another Sagehen run moving the score to 21-16 lead, but they continued to battle and got within two, 22-20, thanks to a kill from Aminoff and a trio of Sagehen errors. This comeback would fall short however as UR conceded the final three points and fell behind two sets 25-20.
Continuing the theme of the match, the Bulldogs were tied in the third set multiple times within the first few points, but that's as close as they would get as PP would rattle off an 18-1 run that completed the sweep for the Sagehens. Sugg and Martin each had a kill in the opening seven points, but those were the only kills of the set.
The Bulldogs defense played well in the opening two sets, holding the Sagehens to .184 and .186 hitting percentages, but were unable to finish it off in the third where Pomona-Pitzer hit .312. Redlands only committed 10 hitting errors to the 12 from Pomona-Pitzer in the opening two sets. The challenge was the 13 kills in the first two sets versus the 29 kills the Sagehens had.
Sugg and Aminoff each had a team-high four kills with Sugg adding seven digs. Laural Pittman (Los Angeles, CA) again led the team in digs with 17, her fourth 15 plus dig game of the season and her third in the last four games. Nevarez and Samantha Gradowitz (Bakersfield, CA) each got their first extended runs of the season, posting a seven-dig, two-ace and an eight-dig, three-assist game respectively. Each of those numbers were career-highs for both Nevarez and Gradowitz.
The Bulldogs get a few days off before returning to Currier Gym for a SCIAC match-up against Whittier College on Friday, October 21 beginning at 7:00pm.