RCC Volleyballers Topple Santa Ana, 3-1, in Orange Empire Conference Opener Friday

RIVERSIDE --  In the Orange Empire Conference (OEC) for both, the Riverside City College (RCC) Tigers women's volleyball team topped the visiting Santa Ana College (SAC) Dons, 3-1, Friday night (Oct. 3).

Riverside (4-6 overall, 1-0 OEC) won the match by the set scores of 25-20, 19-25, 26-24, 25-18, 15-11.

RCC was led by sophomore outside hitter Naomi Tilford (Vista / Vista '11 / San Diego Mesa CC) with a co-match-high 13 kills. Frosh setter Melissa Moe (Riverside / Poly '14) had 18 assists and sophomore setter Sarah Kelly (Riverside / John W. North '13) had 12 assists to aid the Tigers' cause. Sophomore outside hitter Euricce LeSure (Redlands / Redlands '13) added a team-high 14 digs.

Tilford had three kills in the first set and four kills in each of the next two sets. In the first set, the Tigers broke a 19-19 tie and led, 22-19, and, 24-20, on kills by sophomore middle blocker Sheyenne Reyes (Riverside / John W. North '09).

In the fourth set, the only one which was not relatively close throughout, after trailing, 0-1, RCC posted leads of 5-1, 9-3, and 17-7. SAC closed to within, 21-16, before the Tigers kept the Dons at bay.

For Santa Ana (3-5 overall, 0-1 OEC), the Dons were paced by frosh middle blocker Chloe Anderson (Irvine HS) with 13 kills with sophomore middle blocker Esther Arroyo (Santiago HS) close with 12 kills. Frosh setter Hailey Johnson (Templeton HS) had a match-high 31 assists and sophomore libero Myriah Kunipo-Aguirre (Carson HS) had a matrch-high 20 digs. 

With the win, the Tigers lead the all-time series, 51-6, with all decisions coming in this, the 29th season of OEC competiton (since 1986-87).

Riverside will continue OEC action on Wednesday, Oct. 8, when it visits the Irvine Valley College (IVC) Lasers in a 6 p.m. match. Santa Ana will host the Orange Coast College (OCC) Pirates in a 7 p.m.

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