LA VERNE, Calif. - Day two of the Pacific Coast Classic opened up early for the Leopards who took on the Carthage College Firebirds at 10:30a for game one on the day

The Leopards dominated offensively in set one hitting .333 compared to .133 for the Firebirds. Although the teams tied the score 9 times, the Leopards took the lead permanently at 11-11 to win the set 25-18.

Set two saw similar lead shifts through 10-10. Carthage then surged ahead to move the game in their favor, holding the lead through the end by taking advantage of strong net play and Leopard errors, and the set 22-25.

The Leopards came out swinging in the third, taking an early 5-1 lead before Carthage called their first time out. La Verne proceeded to score 2 points for every 1 of the Firebirds', and the Carthage second time-out was taken at 15-6. The Firebirds made it interesting for a bit, but the Leopards closed the set with a 25-16 win.

La Verne flew away with the fourth set 25-12, and the match 3-1.

Offensively, three Leopards showcased individual double digit kill stats: Ayana Mier hit .375 with 11 kills on 24 attempts and only 2 errors; Maya Ray had 15 kills on 34 attempts hitting .353; and Lauren Gott hit .310 with 15 kills on 29 attempts. As a team the Leopards hit an impressive .350 for the match; with setter Malia Capistrano contributing 42 assists and 10 digs to the effort. Libero Madison Smith secured the defense with 12 digs.

Next match for the Leopards will be tonight at 5:30 pm when they bookend the day against St. Catherine.

(picture by Shane Rodrigues)