CLAREMONT, Calif. – The University of Redlands Women's Volleyball team (4-6, 1-4 SCIAC) had the big task of playing the No. 5 team in the nation, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS), on the road Friday evening and they dropped the match in straight sets 25-15, 25-13, 25-22.

Opening the match with the first offensive point of the set for Redlands was Kaegen Wherry (Englewood, CO) who had a kill off an Ella Goettsche (Eastvale, CA) assist to bring the Bulldogs within one, 3-2.

After being tied at three thanks to a second kill for Wherry, the Bulldogs stayed close, trailing by only two through 16 points, 9-7. After winning a point to get back within two, the Athenas responded with a 7-0 run as they led by nine, 16-7.

Redlands did not go away quietly as they won four of the next five points with Avery Aminoff (Alexandria, VA) recording a kill and Lali Makaiwi (Las Vegas, NV) serving an ace as the Bulldogs took advantage of two Athena errors to draw within six, 17-11.  CMS would take a double-digit lead late in the set, and despite three-straight set points defended thanks to kills from Wherry and Kiki Stradford (Mission Viejo, CA), the Athenas would take the set 25-15.

Wherry continued her strong start as her kill made it 2-1 in the second. The set would be tied on three different occasions soon after as Laural Pittman (Los Angeles, CA) posted a kill and Makaila Brooks (Las Vegas, NV) tied it at four thanks to her kill. CMS, however, would find their rhythm as they took the set 25-13.

Despite trailing 2-0, the Bulldogs held an early 4-1 lead in the third set thanks to a kill from Stradford off a Lyric Waterman (Aurora, CO) assist and then three Athenas errors, one of which came thanks to an assisted block for Lilia Donaldson (Boulder, CO) and Stradford.

Redlands was tied at six all, but CMS would go on a 13-7 run. The Bulldogs, though, responded with a 5-1 run to draw within two, 20-18, thanks to a stretch that saw Donaldson record a kill and Makaiwi serving two aces. They then tied the set at 21 following a Wherry kill and ace, but four of the final five points were won by CMS as they completed the sweep.

Redlands now turns their attention to Pomona-Pitzer on Tuesday evening, October 3 inside Currier Gym beginning at 7:00 p.m.