REDLANDS, Calif. – The first match-up on homecoming weekend belonged to the University of Redlands Women's Volleyball team (8-9, 4-6 SCIAC) who hosted Chapman University inside Currier Gym Friday night where they started quickly with a seven-point, first set win, before dropping the final three sets by a total of 11 points, 25-18, 23-25, 21-25, 20-25.
With Head Coach Savannah Cox on indefinite leave for personal reasons, assistant coach Georgia Romine-Black stepped in for her first collegiate match as head coach and the Bulldogs came out prepared and energized.
Makaila Brooks (Las Vegas, NV) returned to action in the middle for the Bulldogs, after missing the Whittier match on Tuesday, and Makenna Van Hofwegen (Buckeye, AZ) found her for the opening point of the match. Two points later it was Brooks getting the assist as Van Hofwegen dumped a ball over for a 3-0 UR lead.
The lead would grow to four, 5-1, after Avery Aminoff (Alexandria, VA) and Kaegan Wherry (Englewood, CO) both put away kills.
Chapman, though, closed to within two, 9-7, thanks to two kills and a Bulldog error. Redlands fought right back, extending their lead to nine, 18-9, following kills from three different Bulldogs, including one from Elizabeth Moyer (Surprise, AZ).
After another mini run from the Panthers, the Bulldogs closed the set out with a 7-4 run as Emma Murphy (South Jordan, UT) added a kill followed by Lyric Waterman (Aurora, CO) assisting on three points to win the opening set, 25-18.
The Bulldogs once again started quickly in the second set, leading 7-4, thanks to a pair of aces and three Panther errors.
Chapman then went on their largest run of the match, six unanswered, as they swung the momentum jumping in front, 10-7.
The Bulldogs came back to tie things up at 10-10 and were deadlocked at 17-17 and then 22-22. But the late push was not enough as Chapman pulled away late evening the match.
Lali Makaiwi's (Las Vegas, NV) ace early in the third helped the Bulldogs lead by four, 11-7. The Maroon and Grey stayed in front at 15-13 following a Murphy kill, but from that point forward Chapman finished off the set by winning 12 of the final 18 points.
In a must win fourth set the Bulldogs allowed the Panthers to have their first fast start on the night as Redlands found themselves down five in the first 13 points.
Now trailing by six, 22-16, the Panthers had a service error followed by a Brooks ace and an Aminoff kill, which forced a Chapman timeout as it was only a three-point margin, 22-19.
Those three points, though, were the closest Redlands got as they dropped the fourth and final set, 25-20.
It was a tough day for the offense, hitting .084. But Aminoff hit .241, which was a team-high and the second highest among all players.
The defense was outstanding all night, holding Chapman to a .133 hitting percentage, while posting 10 blocks. Esha Ball (Fresno, CA), who also missed the Whittier match, returned to the lineup and had four blocks, Aminoff 1.5, Murphy 2.5, and Brooks with two.
The Bulldogs now travel to Thousand Oaks, CA for a must-win match-up with California Lutheran University Saturday evening, October 26 beginning at 6:00 p.m. The last time these two teams met Redlands swept the Regals inside Currier Gym.
