LA VERNE, CA – The University of La Verne volleyball team fell to the Cal Lutheran Regals in dramatic fashion on Saturday night. All six seniors were celebrated in front of a full crowd and middle blocker
Zacky Coaston led the team offensively and defensively, with 13 kills and eight total blocks.
The Leopards end the regular season 13-10 overall and 8-6 in the SCIAC to finish in fourth place. The Leopards advance to the SCIAC Tournament and will host No. 5 seed Chapman Univeristy on November 10 in The Tents at 7 p.m.
The Leopards ran the score up quickly in the first set. Outside
Allison Mason started the game with a consistent serving run, allowing La Verne to take a quick lead. Mason finished the night with a .231 hitting percentage and nine digs. A combination of errors from the Regals and decisive swings from Coaston led the Leopards to a speedy 25-13 victory in set one.
The Regals struck back in set two and three. Middle blocker
Abigail Montana and
Mariah Ray put up an aggressive attack, earning a combined 7 kills and five blocks. Cal Lutheran took set two, 25-18 and set three 25-12.
The Leopards lit a fire in set four, rearing back with vengeance. Setter
Malia Capistrano served seven in a row, allowing her offense to shine. Right side
Alanna Jones took control, scoring nine on the night and snagging a solo block and a dig. Capistrano set both her and Coaston up for success; Capistrano earned 21 assists, followed closely by
Jordyn McCoy with 19. Coaston dominated in the middle, scoring a total of 17.5 points, via 13 kills, eight blocks and two assists. Libero
Morgan Watkins found the minimal gaps in the block and tallied 23 digs. La Verne grabbed set four, 25-11.
The final set was close, filled with timeouts and challenges from both coaches. A swing from outside
Emma Yogan and an error from Cal Lutheran tied it all up at 9-9. The Regals took the lead despite valiant effort outside
Lauren Gott, who earned six kills and 13 digs on the night. The Regals finished ahead 15-12.
