Volleyball lets win slip away, falls to 3-7
Campus Times
September 25, 1998
Junior middle blocker Isa Lose prepares to pound a set from junior
setter Michelle Louie, as junior Allison Moore prepares for the block. Although
the Leopards convincingly won the first two games of their first Southern
California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference match against Whittier College,
La Verne gave up three straight games to the Poets in a 10-15, 11-15, 15-10,
16-14, 15-10, loss.
by Ryan Allen
Arts & Entertainment Editor
The University of La Verne women's volleyball team came up short in
a five-game match, losing 10-15, 11-15, 15-10, 16-14, 15-10 to Whittier
College.
"Out of our seven losses, four of those have been lost in the fifth
game where we were up in the fifth game at some point," said head coach
Don Flora, whose team dropped to 3-7.
Losing the first Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
match of the year to Whittier College was hard for the Leopards.
Junior middle blocker Sarah Henry, who finished the game with 13 kills,
two aces, seven digs and six total blocks, said, "I was hungry for
the win, we just need to work on our team goals, we need to have a winning
attitude."
The Leopards came out on fire in the first two games. In game one, La
Verne took a 4-2 lead, but Whittier would end up tying the game at 4-4.
Then ULV turned it up a notch scoring the next five points, which included
an ace by junior setter Michelle Louie.
La Verne would let up a bit, until Henry hammered a ball down the line
for a side out and then went back and served a point to extend the Leopards
lead, 10-7.
Whittier showed they were still in the match by closing the gap to just
one, 11-10. Finally, ULV put them away with an outside hit by junior outside
hitter Kim Bell to give the Leopards 13 points. Senior outside hitter Lynsey
Best, who ended the night with 19 kills and 19 digs, served game point,
which Whittier could not handle, resulting in an overpass in which Bell
blocked for the game.
In game two, the Poets came out strong, outscoring La Verne 4-0. ULV
would come back and pull within two, when Louie landed on a Whittier player's
foot and left the game with a minor sprained ankle. Freshman setter Andrea
VanWilligan stepped it up for the Leopards after Louie left the game. VanWilligan
was already in the game for junior middle blocker Allison Moore, who was
playing an unfamiliar position on the right side, but finished the game
with eight kills, four aces, 10 digs, and nine total blocks.
"I like it out there [the right side], but it is an adjustment,"
said Moore. "I wasn't completely prepared for it."
Whittier made the score 10-7, before ULV took charge of the game and
outscored the Poets 8-1, winning the second game, 15-11. Best put down the
game point with a transition roll shot which landed in front of three Whittier
defenders.
In the third game, La Verne jumped to an early 4-2 lead. Whittier answered
right back and then some.
The Poets jumped ahead 7-4, when junior middle blocker Isa Lose sparked
the Leopards with a solo block in the middle. The Leopards then tied the
game 7-7. Whittier rallied in the last half of the game and eventually won
the third game, 15-10, despite the La Verne comeback.
The pivotal game four started like the rest with one of the teams, this
time Whittier, jumping to a 4-2 lead. However, this game was filled with
concentration errors by both teams. At one point, both teams combined to
miss four serves in a row. Whittier was able to press ahead and take a commanding
10-4 lead.
Once again La Verne mounted a valiant comeback and would eventually
tie the game 14-14 off an ace by Henry. To the disappointment of the ULV
fans and to the relief of Poet fans, Whittier scored two points in a row
to close out the fourth game, 16-14.
"You got to 'seal the deal' when the opportunity arises instead
of allowing the match to change momentum and allow them to do what they
want to do," said Flora. "You got to take care of the game, instead
of letting it happen, we let the game come to us instead of taking control
of the game."
Game five was a lot like game four. However, Whittier was able to cut
back on the unforced errors, while La Verne had trouble with serving, including
missing the first serve of the game. La Verne missed three serves in all,
which accounted for three of Whittier's points because of the fifth game,
rally scoring format.
La Verne would get as close as 12-10, before Whittier finished off
the Leopards 15-10.
"It was just a sloppy game by everyone's part," said Louie.
"We have all the talent in the world, someone just needs to step up."
