LANCASTER, Calif. – With a group of young players getting their chance to compete, the University of Redlands Women's Volleyball team (9-11) earned their first win since the beginning of the month as they swept West Coast Baptist College (WCBC) 25-7, 25-16, 25-19 on Thursday night.
After conceding the opening point to the Eagles, two-straight kills for Isabella Garey (Alexandria, VA) followed by three in-a-row for Kaitlyn DeLong (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA) off assists from Julia Hodges (Virginia Beach, VA) and Maddy Schonauer (Bakersfield, CA) put the Bulldogs ahead 5-2.
The Bulldog run would extend to 14-1 following three more DeLong kills and the first of the night for Makena Ruegsegger (Kihei, HI).
The Eagles tried to kill the run with a timeout, and while they did win the first point out of the break, the Bulldogs finished off the set taking 11 of the final 15 points thanks to kills from Emma Murphy (South Jordam, UT), Kasey Engel (Portland, OR), and Kate Putzier (Overland Park, KS). Lilly Klinedinst (Lompoc, CA) also had two service aces during that stretch.
The second set was much more competitive with the teams tied at seven through 14 points. Five WCBC errors and a Putzier kill then created separation for the Bulldogs at 13-8.
The Eagles would again make a run, this time their longest of the night winning five of the next six points, getting within a point, 16-15. Whitney Farrell (Bend, OR) would help reset the team by finding Garey for a kill, which led to a 25-16 set win.
Some of the second set inconsistencies popped up at the start of the third as Redlands faced their largest deficit of three, 7-4. The lead was short lived for the Eagles though as Murphy posted two kills helping the U of R reclaim the lead, 8-7.
In the later stages of the third it was WCBC in the lead, 16-15, before Redlands closed the match on a 10-3 run, which included a pair of kills for Ruegsegger and the first for Josie Harrop (Sherwood, OR).
DeLong had a career evening, just missing a double-double by two digs as she had 12 kills, a career-high, and eight digs. Putzier also had a career-high in kills with nine, Ruegsegger had a career best six, and Garey chipped in five. Farrell and Schonauer both had 13 assists. It is a career-high for Farrell and the most for Schonauer in two months.
Redlands returns to Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) play this Saturday, November 2 as they travel to first place and No. 19 ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps beginning 4:00 p.m.
