![Mt. SAC Women’s Volleyball Defeats Citrus, Santa Barbara CC](/sports/wvball/2018-19/photos/715G6911_sr.jpg?max_width=450)
(Walnut, CA) The Mt. SAC Women's Volleyball Team has started a new streak – three victories in a row!
After suffering five consecutive losses, the Mounties (6-8) have turned it around and are on a roll. They defeated L.A. Harbor on Friday night and came right back on Saturday September 29 with two wins over Citrus and Santa Barbara CC in the Mt. SAC Invitational.
In the first match of the day the Mounties swept Citrus, 3-0 and the second match went the distance with a five-set, 3-2 win.
Match #1 - Mt. SAC Def. Citrus 27-25, 25-20, 25-18
Mt. SAC outside hitter Jessica Morse (.545 K %) led the way with seven kills. Ashlyn Stoddard (2 SA, Dig) had four kills, while outside hitters Alysha Tullar and Jocelyn Portillo (4 Digs) added three kills each. Setter Brianda Valdez (2 K, 3 Digs) had 14 assists and libero Malia Carr led the way with 11 digs and three service aces.
Trailing by seven points, 21-14, late in the first set, the Mounties outscored Citrus 10-3 to draw even at 24-24. Highlighting that run were two kills each by Morse and middle blocker Shaianne Palos (2 Digs). The Mounties finished off the Owls winning three out of the next four points for the victory. Morse added two kills and combined with middle blocker Kristi Mertins (2 K) with a block to win the set.
The Mounties completed the sweep winning the next two sets.
Match #2 – Mt. SAC Def. SBCC 25-19, 23-25, 25-23, 23-25, 15-10
The final match of the day went the distance of five sets against Santa Barbara CC.
Morse (6 Digs) and Palos (4 Digs) led the Mounties with 18 kills each and setter Janderi Ceja (SA, 7 Digs) had an amazing match with a season-high 31 assists. It was also the high for any Mt. SAC player in 14 games this season.
Middle blocker Lindsey Lane (3 Digs) and Portillo (SA, 15 Digs) added eight and seven kills, respectively, while libero Malia Carr (5 A, 4 SA) had a team-high 20 digs. Setter Brianda Valdez (K, 3 SA, 9 Digs) added 21 assists.
The match went back and forth as Mt. SAC won the opening set, the third set and the clinching fifth set.
In the first set with Mt. SAC leading 11-6, the Gauchos never got closer than six points the rest of the way.
In set number two, SBCC trailed 12-7 but reeled off six consecutive points to take their first lead, 13-12. The Gauchos held on for the two-point 25-23 victory to even the match at 1-1.
The Mounties found themselves down in the third and led a couple of times until late in the set when they trailed 22-20 and outscored SBCC 5-1 to take a 2-1 lead in sets. Portillo had a late kill to set up set point for the Mounties.
Santa Barbara won the fourth set, as neither team had more than a three-point lead throughout.
With the match even at 2-2, the Mounties trailed 8-6 in the fifth and deciding set and then reeled off six consecutive points for the 12-8 advantage. The last three points of that run were led by three kills from Stoddard.
Morse put the exclamation point on the five-set win with a kill to end the match.
The Mounties begin SCC North action Wednesday October 3 with a home match against Rio Hondo and on Friday October 5 against 2017 South Coast Conference North Champ Pasadena City College. Both matches begin at 6:00 p.m.
Follow Mt. SAC Women's Volleyball on Twitter @MtSAC_WVB
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For additional information, please contact the Mt. SAC Sports Information Office at 909.274.4630.