Tigers Topple Visiting Orange Coast, 3-1, in Conference Match Wednesday

RIVERSIDE -- Playing one of its best matches of the season from start to finish, the Riverside City College (RCC) Tigers Women's Volleyball team defeated the unranked Orange Coast College Pirates in four sets, 3-1, in an Orange Empire Conference (OEC) match Wednesday night (Oct. 21), by the set scores of 25-20, 22-25, 25-21, 25-13, at legendary Arthur N. Wheelock Gymnasium.

The win snapped a nine-match RCC losing streak to OCC. Prior to Wednesday night, Riverside last defeated the Pirates, 3-1, in an OEC match at RCC on Oct. 15, 2010. Nevertheless, OCC holds a solid lead in the all-time series, 43-16.

Riverside (9-5 overall, 2-4 OEC) was solid throughout. In the first set, the Tigers broke a 15-15 tie and led, 18-15, thanks to three OCC attack errors. RCC frosh middle blocker Nyomi Ward (Moreno Valley / Rancho Verde HS '14) finished the set with a kill as RCC won, 25-20.

In the second set, OCC led, 12-7, only to see the Tigers rally to tie the set at 16-16. Unfortunately, RCC made four straight attack errors to give the Pirates a 20-16 lead en route to a 25-22 win.

The third set saw the Tigers lead from the start with advantages of 4-1, 10-4, and 15-9 before Ward again recorded the final kill of a set as RCC won, 25-21.

In the fourth set, RCC again led from start to finish, posting leads of 3-0, 4-1, 9-4, 11-7, 15-8, and 18-11. Down the stretch, frosh middle blocker Lauren Reed (Redlands / Redlands HS / Cal Baptist '15) logged kills for points 20, 24 and 25 to clinch the set (at 25-13) and the match.

Neither team hit particularly well, except for RCC in the fourth set when it hit .577 (17 kills, two attack errors, 26 attempts).

Reed led the Tigers with a match-high 17 kills, while Ward added 13 kills and frosh outside hitter Lauren Wells (Riverside / Woodcrest Christian HS '15) added 11 kills (and a co-match-high 21 digs).

RCC sophomore setter Melissa Moe (Riverside / Poly HS '14) had a match-high 45 assists and added ten digs, and frosh libero Sabrina Gonzaga (Perris / Citrus Hill HS '14) had a co-match-high 21 digs.

For OCC (10-5 overall, 2-4 in OEC), outside hitter Danyelle Brown led the Pirates with 14 kills, and added ten digs, and outside hitter Kaitlynn Biard added ten kills and a co-team-high 12 digs. Setter Measha Lindstrad dished out a team-high 30 assists and libero Alisa Ricciardi brought up a co-team-high 12 digs.

Both teams will continue OEC action on Friday, Oct. 23. OCC will visit the Irvine Valley Lasers and Riverside will visit the Santa Ana College Dons in a pair of 6 p.m. matches.

***

Editor's note: Through 14 matches (49 sets), Wells continues to lead Riverside in kills (151) by a wide margin. Reed is next in kills (95, 33 sets). Moe leads the Tigers in assists (438, 49 sets), is second in service aces (26) and is second in digs (125). Gonzaga leads in digs (189, 49 sets) and leads in service aces (27). Ward leads the Tigers in total blocks (42, 14 solo).

-30-