Riverside, Calif. - The women's volleyball team improved to 4-1 in Cal Pac play, with a straight set victory over Menlo College, 25-23, 25-20, 25-20.
The Golden Eagles were in control for the majority of the match. In Set 1, La Sierra looked to be cruising to victory, until the Oaks mounted a furious comeback. Midway through the set, the Golden Eagles used a 10-3 run to take a 19-11 lead. But the Oaks used an 11-4 run of their own, cutting the lead to 23-22 late in the first set. Lina Semaia finished the set off with two kills to take the early 1-0 lead in the match.
In similar fashion to the first set, the Golden Eagles jumped out to an early and comfortable lead. They maintained that lead throughout the set, extending it to as many as nine points. La Sierra led 23-14 when yet again the Oaks rattled off six unanswered points, cutting the lead to 23-19. Again, it was Lina Semaia securing the set victory with one of her 15 kills on the night.
Set 3 was the tightest of the three sets during the match. The set consisted of 13 ties and a total of five lead changes. With the set tied at 14-14, La Sierra put together a timely 10-3 run, taking a 24-17 lead. The Oaks survived three straight match points before dropping the set by a final of 25-20.
Leading the offensive charge with Semaia, was Robyn Miller who added 12 kills, in addition to nine digs and two block assists. Abby Latuhoi and Erin Miller also contributed six kills and five kills, respectively. Latuhoi led the team with one solo block and three block assists, while Erin Miller tallied a team-high 14 digs and two block assists.
Angie Gonzalez finished with 33 assists, while Chantel Washington pitched in with 11 digs, from the libero position. What won't show up in the stat sheet are the number of touches that Washington had to keep the ball in play, giving her tea
With the win, the Golden Eagles sit atop the conference standings, one match short of the halfway point in the conference schedule. They will be back in action on Tuesday evening, when they host Westmont College in a non-conference match.
