REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Volleyball team picked up their first set win within Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) play Tuesday night in a highly competitive four set match against Occidental College.

The Bulldogs fell by a combined 11 points among the three sets lost as they saw the Tigers hold on for the 25-20, 21-25, 25-21, 25-23 victory.  U of R drops to 2-7, 0-3 SCIAC, while Occidental improves to 7-4, 3-1 SCIAC.

In the first set the Bulldogs opened the scoring up thanks to a kill from junior Saudya Reagor (Banning, CA). Senior Natalie Starlin (Las Vegas, NV) and sophomore Makayla Sorenson (Lakewood, CA) followed with a pair of attacks that moved the lead to 4-3 and 5-4, respectively.  After that Oxy was able to put together seven of the next nine points though as they jumped in front 12-7.  Reagor and Starlin tried to keep the Maroon and Grey in it with a trio of attacks that made it a four-point deficit.   

That was then followed by a 4-0 run by UR that got them within three at 19-16. A pair of hitting errors coupled with kills from Sorenson and senior Paige Davidson (Spanaway, WA) would keep the Bulldogs within striking distance.

It then became a two-point frame at 21-19 after Sorenson got a kill and two points off of her serve.  Graduate Angelina Hughes (Wildomar, CA) then got into the mix with her first kill that made it 23-20, but it wouldn't be enough to mount a comeback as Oxy would hold on for the 25-20 first set. 

In the second stanza it took the Bulldogs twelve points to get on level terms, but it was a part of a 6-2 run that gave the Maroon and Grey a 10-8 lead. During the run Sorenson, sophomore Kiki Stradford (Lake Forest, CA), Starlin, and Reagor all had kills.  After the Tigers tied the set at eleven, the Bulldogs won 12 of the next 18 points in what basically leveled the match, with the final point coming off the hand of Davidson who was able to get a kill off the front block. 

Redlands held a 7-5 lead in the third set with Starlin, Reagor, Davidson, and Sorensen all connecting.  The Tigers were able to weather the storm though as they would string together a 7-2 run that put them on top 12-9.  UR was able to get within one at 15-14 after a Laural Pittman (Granada Hills, CA) kill but again Oxy bounced back with five unanswered that opened the match up at 20-14.  Davidson and Hughes combined for back-to-back tallies to pull the Bulldogs within four and later Redlands was able to hold off three set points after a couple Stradford and Starlin kills and a Starlin ace.  But this final push wouldn't be enough as Oxy would capitalize on an attacking error to go in front 2-1.  

It looked like the Bulldogs would force a fifth and deciding set after a strong start in the fourth.  Reagor, Stradford, and Starlin all combined to help the Bulldogs jump out to a 6-4 lead. That then led to a back-and-forth with the Tigers before Oxy was able to extend their lead to 14-11. This advantage wouldn't hold though as UR would rally to win five of the next six points capitalizing on two Oxy miscues, while getting a pair of kills from Starlin and Sorensen.  This put Redlands on top 16-15 and they would hold this one point advantage up until 22-21 where three in a row would give Occidental a 24-22 lead.  Reagor tried to hold off a match point with a kill but it couldn't spark one final push as Oxy would get a kill to finish things off.  

Reagor had a season-high 14 kills on 31 attempts to hit .323 on the night.  Starlin's 22 digs were a season-high as well as she posted a double double with 11 kills.  First year Shelby Dawson (Fontana, CA) just missed tying her season-high of 30 assists with 29 in the match to go with 10 pickups, and Davidson had a double double with 10 kills and 12 digs.  Pittman in her first match back since September 18 was tough in the backrow totaling 17 digs, Stradford was big up front totaling five blocks (three solo/two assisted) and Bella Thornbury (Grass Valley, CA) combined for 18 assists and eight digs. 

The Bulldogs continue their busy week with a road matchup at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps this Friday, October 1 beginning at 7:00pm.