CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps volleyball team honored its four seniors prior to the contest for Senior Day, and then came through with a five-set win over La Verne, 21-25, 25-20, 25-21, 23-25, 15-12, on Saturday afternoon at Roberts Pavilion.
Samantha Riter,
Anna Ryan,
Shae Delany and
Solvej Eversoll were honored prior to the contest for their final weekend home match. Eversoll had nine blocks to give her 118 on the year, the most for an Athena player in the last 33 years, placing sixth all-time in team history. Riter had 22 assists to give her 965 in her career, while Delany had 17 digs to give her 981, as they both close in on the 1000 mark. Ryan added five kills for the Athenas as well.
Ari Clarkson led CMS with 15 kills, including a crosscourt kill in the corner on match point in the fifth set for a 15-12 win, as the Athenas improved to 13-10 and 8-4 in league play. La Verne fell to 12-9 on the year and 7-5 in the conference, as CMS took control of the No. 3 seed with the win, avoiding the opening round game between the No. 4 and No. 5 seed if the standings hold.
CMS went ahead 10-4 in the fifth set after a sequence of kills from
Lauren Staples, Delany and Eversoll. However, the Leopards responded with five points in a row to get right back in it at 10-9. Delany and Eversoll then combined on a big block to stop the run, and
Phoebe Shorney and
Shae Delany followed with kills to make the score 13-9.
After La Verne closed to within 13-10, Eversoll picked up her ninth block, this time with Shorney, to put CMS one point away at 14-10. The Leopards won the next two points to try to get back in it, but Clarkson came through with the crosscourt kill off a pass from Shorney to win it, after setter
Hayden Lin had a couple of key digs to keep the point alive.
CMS also had a key run in the third set with the match tied at a set apiece, and La Verne up 21-19. The Athenas rattled off six points in a row to take a 25-21 win and move ahead in the match 2-1. Eversoll had back-to-back kills to make it 23-21, and Shorney had a kill to put the Athenas ahead 24-21, before an ace from Delany finished off the set.
CMS will back in action on Tuesday when it hosts Azusa Pacific for a non-conference match before ending the regular season at Caltech on Saturday.
