Tigers Outlast Irvine Valley, 3-2; First Win over the Lasers Since 1998
Posted: Sep 29, 2016

Tigers Outlast Irvine Valley, 3-2; First Win over the Lasers Since 1998

Game Leaders
Irvine Valley
K: Taira Ka'awaloa - 16
B: Kylie Miller - 6
D: Lucee Fitzgerald - 18
SA: Taylor Askins - 3
Riverside
K: Lauren Wells - 18
B: Tiarah McDaniel - 3
D: Paula Romero - 23
SA: Tiarah McDaniel - 4
Team Stats
Full stats

RIVERSIDE – Defeating an opponent for the first time in a generation, the host Riverside City College (RCC) Tigers outlasted the visiting Irvine Valley College (IVC) Lasers, 3-2, in an Orange Empire Conference (OEC) match Wednesday evening (Sept. 28) at legendary Arthur N. Wheelock Gymnasium.

Riverside City (10-3 overall, 4-0 in OEC) had lost its last 34 meetings against Irvine Valley (4-3 overall, 2-2 OEC) after winning three of the first four encounters in 1997 (sweep) & 1998 (split). Along the way, RCC forfeited a 3-1 win in 2002, but it should be noted that longtime IVC head coach Tom Pestolesi is currently on a sabbatical at Hawai'i.

Regardless, the Tigers had solid play on the front row (two outside hitters with double-digit kills) and in the back row (five players with double-digit digs).

Sophomore outside hitter Lauren Wells (Corona / Woodcrest Christian HS '15), who hammered home a match-high 18 kills, had three kills and five digs in the first set. RCC led, 5-0, thanks in part to three IVC attack errors and cruised to a 25-16 win.

In the second set, IVC frosh middle blocker Kylie Miller (El Toro HS) had five kills in the set, including the set finale as the Lasers won, 25-23. Wells had five kills as well for RCC.

The third set featured 15 ties and 12 lead changes as Riverside won, 26-24. Ties at 21, 22, 23 and 24 set the stage for an IVC attack which ended the set as Riverside won, 26-24. 

In the fourth set, Irvine Valley broke a 9-9 tie and held off the Tigers, 25-17.

The fifth and final set saw Riverside trail, 0-3, before rallying to take a 7-5 lead. Wells had kills for points 13, 14 and 15 to win the match for the Tigers. 

In addition to Wells' 18 kills, sophomore outside hitter Marissa Vialpando (Moreno Valley / Riverside – Notre Dame HS '15), was close behind with 16 kills.

RCC sophomore setter Sabrina Gonzaga (Perris / Citrus Hill HS '14) had a team-high 47 set assists and frosh libero Paula Romero (Riverside / Riverside Poly HS '14) had a match-high 23 digs. Also on the RCC back row, Vialpando had 18 digs, Wells had 15 digs, Gonzaga had 13 digs and sophomore outside hitter Huafa Saulala (Morgan Hill / Live Oak HS '13 / BYU-Hawai'i) had ten digs.

Irvine Valley was led by frosh outside hitter Taira Ka'awaloa (University Lab. HS Hawai'i) with 16 kills and was one of four Lasers with double-digit kills. Sophomore outside hitter Lucee Fitzgerald (San Clemente HS), one of four Lasers with double-digit digs, had a team-high 18.  Sophomore setter Alissa Blevins (Woodlands College Park HS, TX) had a match-high 48 assists.

-30-