Bobcats blast Hawks to stay in the hunt

The Saddleback women's volleyball team picked up an Orange Empire Conference (OEC) victory with a 3-0 decision over Santiago Canyon College on Wednesday in Orange.  The Bobcats remain in the playoff hunt with four matches remaining.

Saddleback made quick work of Santiago Canyon, beating the Hawks 25-14, 25-9, 25-10 for their ninth sweep of the season.  The Bobcats improved to 13-7 overall and 5-7 in the OEC, which puts them in sixth place in the standings.  It was the second straight sweep of the Hawks this season.

With the match well in hand throughout, Saddleback took the opportunity to get plenty of players in the match.  A total of 13 different players saw playing time.  Sydney Brown led the Bobcats with 10 kills while Olivia Gonzalez led the team with 12 assists.  Saddleback had 13 service aces on the night, with Brown recording seven.  Brown, Gonzalez and Sarah Patin all tied for a team-high five digs on the night.

Saddleback is currently sitting at No. 21 in Southern California in the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) with four matches remaining on the schedule.  The top-18 teams from the region will make the playoffs, which start on November 19.

Saddleback will host three of the final four matches of the regular season, starting with Irvine Valley College on Friday at 6:00 PM.  IVC is currently the top-ranked team in Southern California in the RPI, but the Bobcats beat the Lasers (3-2) in the opening round of conference play.  It was the second straight victory for Saddleback over Irvine Valley dating back to last season.