Leos send Pitzer back to Henhouse

by Tim Tevault
Editorial Director

The University of La Verne women's volleyball team had the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens running around like chickens with their heads cut off Tuesday night, easily raising its Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference record to 11-0.

With several key kills by freshman Mandy Sedia, sophomore Amy Kratochvil, junior Amy Smith and sophomore Adele Jones, the Leopards dominated the Hens by scores of 30-25, 30-18 and 30-19.

Game one of the match was the closest, as Pomona got off to a quick lead. The Leopards quickly bounced back, and the fight for the lead became neck and neck with the game tied at 16, 20 and 25. This was put to an end by Smith, who closed out the round with a tip and a kill.

Jones' height also proved to be a great asset to the Leopards, as she provided many of the blocks during game one.

In game two, the Hens showed signs of weakness, as the Leopards took the game and ran with it until the end. Not even Pomona's Katherine Hopkins' eight kills could stop La Verne's championship might. The Leopards' endurance shined, as Jones and Kratochvil provided the majority of game two's kills.

Game three showed the Leopards teasing Pomona at times, sending them running around the court. This game showcased some of the night's most impressive volleys, but ULV took the lead running once again. Kratochvil and Stacey and Sarah Lupu shined in this game, bringing their hitting percentages to .158, .200 and .571, respectively.

Sedia, who had the majority of the kills for the night, also contributed greatly to the final game, with a total of 14 kills and a percentage of .417. Smith, who sported a knee brace, was also on a roll, as she conjured up a total of seven kills and a solid percentage of .600, ULV's highest of the night.

During the course of the match, it was announced that Jones had been named SCIAC's Female Athlete of the Week. Head coach Don Flora said Jones and Sedia were two of the key players in the past week's games.

"(Sedia) has made a lot of progress in her technique," he said.

Flora also said this marks yet another solid SCIAC week.

"We've continued to attain our goals of being undefeated in conference," Flora said, adding that the all the women played in the last two games Tuesday.

"The entire team is contributing to our success," Flora said.

Last weekend, the Leopards were given a chance to add to their SCIAC record by facing off against the University of Redlands Friday and Claremont Mudd-Scripps Saturday. The weekend was a mirror of the team's performance last year, as it dominated the court in both games.

In Friday night's match-up against the Bulldogs, Stacey Lupu dominated, with a total hitting percentage of .520 and 15 kills. Along with Jones, who had a percentage of .412, Stacey Lupu helped lead the Leopards to a win with scores of 30-22, 30-20 and 30-25.

The Bulldogs put up their biggest fight in the final game, but it was not good enough. Lauren Reid garnered 14 kills and a percentage of .262.

Saturday's game was similar, as ULV pounded CMS with scores of 30-15, 30-20 and 30-11. The Athenas' attempt at defeating the Leopards was put to a halt when Stacey Lupu once again dominated the court for ULV.

Lupu's hitting percentage of .688 was the biggest threat of the evening. Right behind her was Smith with .600, Jones with .500 and Sedia with .429.

On the Athenas' side, Heidi Amundson was the most daring, with five kills and eight errors for a -.130 percentage.

On the horizon for the Leopards next week is a conference rivalry match against Cal Lutheran. Flora said the team will "throw the record out the window" for the match and play simply for the thrill of beating a rival.

Right now, the team is in first place in the conference and is guaranteed a tie for the SCIAC title even if they lose every match from now until the end of the season. That said, Flora is looking forward to the playoffs and possibly beyond.

"We have an opportunity to be as good as we want to be," he said.