LA VERNE, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps volleyball team came out slow and dropped the first set 25-15, but responded to take the final three sets 25-20, 25-16, 25-23 and earn a 3-1 win over La Verne on Saturday at the La Verne Sports Pavilion.
Shae Delany had 10 kills and 25 digs for the Athenas, who get back level at 2-2 in conference play, while raising their record for the season to 6-7. La Verne slips to 5-6 overall and 2-2 in the SCIAC with the loss.
The second set was close at 18-16 with the Leopards looking to come back and take a 2-0 lead. CMS used a 3-0 run to gain the separation it needed coming down the stretch, with
Phoebe Shorney,
Ari Clarkson and
Stella Gajar rattled off successive kills. Clarkson and Gajar combined on a block to make it 23-18 and
Solvej Eversoll finished off the set with a kill for a 25-20 win to even the match at a set apiece.
Shae Delany had two straight aces in a 4-0 run to start the third set and put the Athenas ahead 4-1. CMS gradually built its lead up to 17-9 on a Shorney kill, and a
Samantha Riter ace made it 24-14, before the Athenas finished off the set 25-16.
Clarkson had back-to-back kills in the fourth set to start a 4-0 run that put the Athenas ahead 13-7. A Delany kill made it 17-9, before La Verne went on a 7-0 run to get it to within a single point. However, Gajar had a kill, and Delany answered with two straight to make it 20-16.
The Leopards again got to 22-21, but an error and a Clarkson kill pushed the lead to 24-21. La Verne fought off two match points, but Shorney came through with the decisive kill to clinch the match 25-23.
Delany had 25 digs to pace the Athenas defensively, while
Hayden Lin added 16 to go with 24 assists, and
Skye Dunn had 15 digs. Shorney matched Delany for team-high honors with 10 kills, while Clarkson had nine and Gajar chipped in with eight, to go along with seven blocks.
CMS will be back in action when it travels to Azusa Pacific on Tuesday night.
