Cats remain hot in OEC play

The Saddleback women's volleyball team remained in first place in the Orange Empire Conference (OEC) with a 3-1 victory over Golden West College on Friday night inside the gymnasium.  The Bobcats now lead the conference by a half game over Irvine Valley.

Saddleback and Golden West were tight through two sets, with both picking up a hard-fought win.  Saddleback rallied from an early deficit to turn back the Rustlers, 25-22, in the opener before dropping a second set that took nearly 45 minutes, 25-27.

Saddleback then found its stride, cruising past Golden West 25-17 in the third set to put the Rustlers on the defensive.  The Bobcats didn't crack under the pressure, beating back Golden West with a 25-21 win in the fourth to win the match, 3-1.

Stila Fresenius led the Bobcats with 26 kills for the night while Bryn Craig-Kromm was stellar in the defensive end, recording 18 digs.  Olivia Gonzalez led the team with 46 assists.

Saddleback is now 10-3 overall and 6-1 in Orange Empire Conference play.  The Bobcats moved up to No. 14 in the southern half of the state in the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) following the win, which is a huge factor in determining playoff seeding down the road.

Saddleback will continue OEC play at Cypress College on Wednesday.  The Bobcats and Chargers are scheduled to start at 6:00 PM in Cypress. 

GAME NOTE:  Saddleback head coach Brian Hughes is now four wins shy of 100 wins for his career at 96-85 overall.  He is currently second all-time in program wins behind Nancy Bessette, who had 111 wins from 1976-1986.