The University of Redlands volleyball team posted double figures
in total team blocks for the sixth time this season as the Bulldogs
pushed past the visiting Tigers of Occidental College on Saturday
afternoon. Despite trailing at least once in every set, the Maroon
and Gray swept a much-improved Oxy squad by scores of 25-22, 25-18,
25-20.
With the win, Redlands moves one step closer to clinching the
program’s first-ever Southern California Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference (SCIAC) championship with only three matches to
play.
In the opening stanza, the Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead but
the Tigers fought back to tie it at 14 all. A back-and-forth battle
ensued before Occidental took a two-point lead off of a Bulldog
attacking error at 20-18. After trading rallies that resulted in
another tie at 22, Redlands looked to the consistent play of junior
middle blocker Megan Phillips (Vista, CA), who gave her team the
lead by knocking down one of her 10 kills of the match. Now serving
for the Bulldogs, Phillips rattled off the next three points as
Oxy’s offense amassed three consecutive errors.
During the second set, both teams rallied for minimal leads and
then Redlands tied the score at 13 when senior right side hitter
Katy Douglass (Roseville, CA) crushed one of her nine kills of the
match. This inspired another Redlands run with Phillips at the
service line as the Bulldogs captured the next four points for a
17-13 advantage. With the lead in hand, the Maroon and Gray never
looked back as it remained ahead through the end of the set,
earning the final points off of kills by senior outside hitter Ali
Massei (San Carlos, CA) and Phillips.
Despite facing a relentless Oxy squad, Redlands quickly recovered
from an early deficit and took the lead at 16-15 in the third set.
The Tigers struggled with too many attacking errors, which allowed
a patient Bulldog squad to storm ahead by a score of 22-18. The
Maroon and Gray took advantage of opportunity with Hamilton
crushing her 10th kill of the day and then Douglass ripping a ball
cross-court for the match-winner.
Overall, Redlands posted 14 total team blocks, with Phillips,
Massei, Douglass, and junior middle blocker Kirby McCord
(Huntington Beach, CA) each contributing five block assists. McCord
entered the match during the first set and made an immediate impact
with her blocking while also adding five kills at a .308 clip.
Phillips posted a .500 hitting percentage with 10 kills as Douglass
rattled off nine kills at a .444 mark. Senior setter Kelina Smith
(Kurtistown, HI) continued to distribute the ball well, earning 34
assists.
With the win, Redlands (18-4, 10-1) remains comfortably atop the
SCIAC standings with three matches to play. The Bulldogs host
Caltech on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. for Senior Night in Currier
Gym.
Second-place Cal Lutheran (15-10, 7-3 SCIAC) takes on Pomona-Pitzer
Colleges (12-11, 6-4 SICAC) tonight at 6 p.m. The University of La
Verne (17-12, 7-4 SCIAC), who currently sits in third place, enjoys
a bye before heading to Pomona-Pitzer on Tuesday.
