CLAREMONT, CA– The win streak continues. The University of La Verne volleyball team deftly dominated the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) Athenas on Tuesday night at Roberts Pavilion. The Leopards went into this match with an 11-0 record, standing as one of only three undefeated teams in the country. The Athenas have always been a formidable team in the SCIAC, but they were no match for the Leopards; the match ended in a quick 3-0.
The Leopards and Athenas last met in the 2024 SCIAC Tournament Championship, where La Verne swept CMS for the title. Tuesday's match followed a similar script. The Leopards jumped ahead early, turning a 2-1 start into a commanding 19-8 lead that forced a CMS timeout. The Athenas rallied to close the gap at 19-14, but La Verne answered immediately, led by five kills from
Mya Ray and another from
Lauren Gott to put the set away with authority.
As the second set started, it was clear the Athenas needed to realign themselves, and do so quickly. The Leopards did not let that happen; with Ray,
Valerie Gallegos, and Gott at the net, the Athenas faltered, and the set ended in an anticlimactic 25-18.
Up two sets to none, the Leopards held the advantage but knew the match wasn't over. CMS came out firing with three quick points, only for La Verne to respond as the teams traded blows all the way to a 21-21 tie. From there, the Leopards closed the door, fueled by clutch kills from the Ray sisters, a timely ace from Gallegos, and a few CMS errors, sealing the sweep with a 25-22 victory.
Standouts for La Verne included Gallegos, Ray,
Lauren Gott, and
Zacky Coaston. Gallegos was dominant at the service line, helping the Leopards rack up nine aces on the night. Offensively, La Verne outpaced CMS with a hitting percentage between .100 and .131, higher than the Athenas, a margin that all but guaranteed success. Setter
Vanessa Marquez also made her presence felt on defense, leading the team with 14 digs.
As the Leopards continue their second week of SCIAC play, excitement grows. The Leos take on the Regals of Cal Lutheran at home on October 3rd at 7 p.m. during Homecoming Weekend.
