CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Caltech volleyball team put up a battle in the first and third sets, but Claremont-Mudd-Scripps was able to hold them off and take a 25-22, 25-9, 25-20 win on Friday evening at Roberts Pavilion. 

With the win, CMS improves to 14-5 overall and 8-2 in the SCIAC, staying within two games of La Verne at 10-0, which defeated Pomona-Pitzer in four sets before tomorrow's match-up with the Athenas at La Verne. Caltech falls to 3-18 overall and 0-10 in the SCIAC with the loss. 

The Beavers were down to six players at one point this week due to illness, but gave CMS a tough fight in the first set before the Athenas prevailed 25-22. Caltech led 20-18 before a 4-0 run from the Athenas put them back in front after three straight aces from Broke McKee. Shae Delany answered a Caltech point with a kill, and after the Beavers got it within 23-22, Ari Clarkson had a kill and a bad set ended things at 25-22. 

The second set saw CMS roll to a 25-9 win, using a 10-0 run to take a 12-2 lead, behind two straight McKee kills and two straight aces from Samantha Riter. Another 6-0 run made it 24-8, with a Shelby McIlroy ace, two blocks from Solvej Eversoll, two kills from Ari Clarkson and a kill from Quincy Rodin in the run. Rodin capped off the set with a kill. 

Caltech again hung tough in the third, before a 5-0 run from the Athenas made it 11-7 after a Delany kill. It was still 20-16 late, before Ashlee Sento and Delany had two straight kills, and Sabine Kemos was able to end it at 25-20 with a solo block. 

McKee led CMS with 10 kills, while Clarkson had nine kills in 13 attempts, and Delany had nine kills in 18 attempts. Delany also had a team-high 14 digs, while Mia Urosevic had 12. Riter led the Athenas with 24 assists. 

CMS will be back in action tomorrow for the big showdown with No. 1 La Verne on the road, before returning home to face Redlands on Tuesday.