Riverside, Calif. - After splitting two matches on Day 1 of the La Sierra University Invitational, the women's volleyball team dropped both matches on Day 2. The day started with a straight set loss to Aquinas College (25-18, 25-15, 26-24), followed by a 3-1 loss to The Master's University (25-18, 25-17, 21-25, 25-19). The losses drop the Golden Eagles record to 3-5 on the season as the team has a week off before hitting the road for their next five matches.
Aquinas def La Sierra, 3-0
It was the second match within a week between the two teams who met at the Hope International University Summer Slam, with a similar result. The Golden Eagles struggled to find their rhythm early in the match, before a competitive Set 3 that could have gone either way.
On highlight for the Golden Eagles, despite the loss, was the play of outside hitter Ashlin Orosco (JR/Walla Walla, WA) who led all players with 18 kills, only four errors, on 39 attempts, for a hitting percentage of .359. She was the lone La Sierra player to reach double figures in total kills, with Kiana Krumm (JR/Riverside, Calif.) the closest behind with a total of nine kills in the match. Angala Jensen (JR/Colorado City, Colo.) assisted on 32 of the 39 kills by the Golden Eagles, while Trinity Wyscarver (FR/Corona, Calif.), from the libero position, led the team with 15 kills.
The Master's def La Sierra, 3-1
Similarly, The Master's, who defeated the Golden Eagles at last week's tournament, repeated history in defeating La Sierra in four sets. Despite getting of to a better start than they did in the morning match, the Golden Eagles were unable to sustain the pressure, allowing the Mustangs to come from behind to take the first two sets. In Set 1, the Golden Eagles held a 12-5 lead but that was erased rather quickly with the help of 11 unanswered points by the Mustangs. La Sierra did push the match to a fourth set, with a victory in Set 3, and put themselves in a position to force a deciding set until a late run by The Master's secured the match victory.
Outside hitters Orosco and Krumm led all players with 17 kills and 16 kills respectively. Angala Jensen assisted on 47 of the team's 52 kills, while contributing 10 digs in the match. Wyscarver led the team with 11 digs, with Emily Morgan (SR/Redlands, Calif.) adding nine digs of her own to go along with a match-high three service aces.
The women's volleyball team now has a week between matches to regroup and get back on track. The Golden Eagles will be on the road for their next five matches, starting with next week's match at Vanguard University, on August 30. The team returns home on September 18 versus San Diego Christian.
