Volleyball No. 1 in SCIAC
Campus Times
October 24, 1997
The University of La Verne women's volleyball team traveled to Eagle
Rock and defeated Occidental in straight games last Friday, 16-14, 15-12,
15-6.
La Verne would then come home on Tuesday to defeat Pomona-Pitzer, 15-5,
13-15, 15-13, 15-9, the only team that has beaten them in conference play
this year.
The victory against Pomona Pitzer not only made seven wins in a row
for the Leopards, but it also fortifies La Verne as the No. 1 team in SCIAC
with a 6-1 record. The team is 10-9 overall.
The big win for La Verne came Tuesday when Pomona Pitzer would try to
beat the Leopards for the second time this year. With at least two of La
Verne's starters fighting a cold it would be a tough challenge.
The first game was all La Verne. Sophomore middle blocker Allison Moore
racked up four of her 15 kills in the first game, and sophomore middle blocker
Sarah Henry would add three of her 15 kills and two of her five blocks to
help La Verne crush Pomona-Pitzer, 15-5.
The second game Pomona scored seven straight points to give them a commanding
lead. It was not until the Leopards called a time out when the score was
6-11 in Pomona's favor. Henry would then serve two aces in a row, causing
Pomona to call another time out. After that time out a solo block by Moore
would make the score 9-11. ULV would eventually close the gap at 12-13,
but it was too little too late. The Sagehens eventually won the second game,
13-15.
Head coach Jim Paschal said, "A lot of times it is a let down to
win the first game. We let down in intensity; and let down in communication."
"Usually we let down in the beginning of a game, it was more mental
than anything." said junior outside hitter Lynsey Best.
La Verne started off slow in the third game as well, but this time Best
would add five of her 14 total kills along with Henry's five kills and two
solo blocks to edge out the Sagehens 15-13 in a come from behind third game
victory.
The fourth and final game was all La Verne, with senior setter Mercury
Simonian's match-high 46 assists, the Leopards would jump to a 12-0 lead
and eventually win 15-9 to secure their No. 1 SCIAC ranking and avenge their
only conference loss this year.
After the game, Henry said, "I feel we did not play as good as
we should have. But fortunately, we got intense and pulled it through."
