First-place Panthers keep hot streaks alive

ORANGE, Calif. – The Chapman University volleyball team continued its torrid start to the season with a four-set win (25-18, 25-12, 24-26, 25-16) over visiting Pomona-Pitzer Colleges in SCIAC action at the Hutton Sports Center on Saturday night. The first-place Panthers improved to 4-0 in SCIAC play and have won 10 of their last 11 matches.

Chapman (10-2 overall) also extended its home winning streak to seven dating back to 2011.

With the fourth set tied at 12, the Panthers rallied for eight straight points, including three kills from junior OH McKenna Roice, to take a 20-12 lead. After a mini rally by the Sagehens to cut the lead to four, Chapman answered with the final five points to take the set soundly, 25-16. Roice earned seven kills in the set and a season-high 16 in the match to go along with a pair of blocks.

Chapman also won the first two sets by taking advantage of hot streaks. With the first set tied 17-17, the Panthers rattled off eight of the next nine points to win 25-18. Senior MB Kate Ferrin had a pair of kills during the Chapman run and finished with a season-high 20 kills in the match to lead all players. The Panthers never trailed in the second set to win 25-12.

Panthers' senior OH Ashleigh Gideon added 17 kills and 19 digs and junior libero Carleigh Mueller finished with 33 digs, 13 of which came in the final set. Chapman's digs out-numbered Pomona-Pitzer 110-76 in the match. Junior S Corrine Ostrovsky finished with 60 assists, just two shy of her career-high set against Occidental last week. It marked the fourth consecutive match Ostrovsky has tallied 50 or more helpers.

Pomona-Pitzer (7-6, 2-3 in SCIAC) came from behind to win the third set 26-24. The Sagehens had trailed 17-14 but rallied to take a 20-18 lead and held on from there. Freshman OH Michelle Schultz had five of her team-high nine kills in the set and added 12 digs in the match. Sophomore S Dani Kritter earned 20 digs and 18 assists.

Chapman will hit the road for four of its next six matches, beginning with a showdown at La Verne (10-2) – two of the top SCIAC teams on Tuesday night.

by Doug Aiken
Sports Information Director

Box score: http://www.chapmanathletics.com/sports/wvball/2012-13/boxscores/20120922_pn44.xml

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