CLAREMONT, Calif. - Brenna Bell had 14 kills, but the La Verne front row combined for 18 blocks as the No. 15 Leopards were able to hand No. 11 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps volleyball its first SCIAC defeat with a 25-13, 25-19, 22-25, 25-18 win on Friday night at Roberts Pavilion. 

With the loss, CMS now slides to 12-4 overall on the season and 6-1 in SCIAC, while La Verne improves to 13-3 overall and 5-1 in league play with the win. 

Nyra Ray had 18 kills for La Verne to lead both teams, while Dede Carranza led both defenses with 28 digs.

La Verne had six blocks in the first set to jump up big and take a 25-13 win, and then added five more in the second set for a 25-19 win to go up 2-0. The Leopards were up 17-14 in the third with thoughts of a sweep, but CMS was able to battle back. Bell and Dani Beder had kills in a 3-0 run that tied the score 18-18. After the Leioards went ahead 21-20, Beder, Solvej Eversoll and Shae Delany rattled off kills to put the Athenas ahead 23-21. 

La Verne got back within oen point on Ray kill, but Delany answered with a kill to give CMS a set point, and Bell finished it off with a kill for a 25-22 win to get CMS back within 2-1. 

The Leopards got off to an 8-2 lead in the fourth set with a 6-0 run. After being down by nine, CMS got back within 15-9 on an Eversoll block and a Bell kill helped close the deficit to five, but La Verne was able to finish off the match on a Malia Capistrano ace. 

Zacky Coaston had nine block assists to lead La Verne, while Kaitlyn Bloomer had seven assists and one solo block. Georgia McGovern finished with 44 assists and 10 digs for CMS. 

The Athenas will be back in action tomorrow when they travel to Redlands.