LA VERNE, CA - The No. 1 University of La Verne women's volleyball team was pushed to the limit Friday night, but the Leopards showed why they sit atop the national rankings. In front of an electric crowd, La Verne clawed its way back from early adversity and held off Cal Lutheran in a five-set thriller (19-25, 25-22, 25-17, 24-26, 15-13) to remain unbeaten at 13-0 overall and 4-0 in SCIAC play.

The night didn't start the way the Leopards envisioned. Cal Lutheran came out firing, taking control of the first set and silencing the home momentum with a 25-19 win. But as they've done all season, La Verne responded. Behind steady passing and a balanced attack, the Leopards evened the match in the second, then rolled through the third set 25-17 to swing the momentum back in their favor.

Just when it looked like La Verne might close it out, the Regals battled back. Cal Lutheran erased late deficits in the fourth and stunned the Leopards with a narrow 26-24 win, forcing a decisive fifth set. With their perfect record on the line, La Verne dug deep. Trading points back and forth, neither side would budge until the Leopards strung together the final push, sealing the match 15-13 as the crowd erupted.

The stat sheet told the story of a complete team effort. Mya Ray delivered 16 kills, six aces, and 11 digs, while Lauren Gott matched her with 16 kills and added 20 digs. Mariah Ray chipped in 10 kills and five blocks, and Zacky Coaston anchored the net with eight block assists. Setters Vanessa Marquez (24 assists, 10 digs) and Malia Capistrano (16 assists, 19 digs) kept the offense balanced, and Keilani Mumolo patrolled the back row with a match-high 24 digs.

The Leopards finished the night with 58 kills, 98 digs, and 24 total blocks; a testament to the balance, depth, and composure that have fueled their rise to the top of the national rankings and carried them through another hard-fought win to keep their unbeaten streak intact.

Up Next

La Verne (13-0, 4-0 SCIAC) looks to extend its undefeated run this afternoon when they travel to Pasadena to face Caltech at 4 p.m.