Bobcats end slide with sweep of RCC

The Saddleback women's volleyball team broke out of a three-game losing streak with a 3-0 win at Riverside City College on Friday night.  The Bobcats are tied for fifth place in the OEC with six matches remaining.

Saddleback remained in the hunt for a playoff spot after sweeping Riverside for a second time on Friday.  The Bobcats won 28-26, 25-20 and 28-26 to improve to 10-6 overall and 5-5 in Orange Empire Conference play.

The first set was tight, with neither team ever leading by more than three points.  Saddleback and Riverside had seven lead changes in the opener, with the Bobcats finally putting away the Tigers for a 28-26 win.  Saddleback had 17 kills in set one, with Sydney Brown recording five.

Set two was a bit different as it featured a handful of streaks by both squads.  The Bobcats had the most important one, winning the last five points for a 25-20 win.  Saddleback finished off the Tigers with a pair of aces by Kenzie Huston and a kill from Lilyann Horner for a 2-0 lead in the match.

Set three was another tight one in the end, with Saddleback hanging on for a 28-26 win.  The Bobcats led by as many as nine points after Horner had a kill to extend the lead to 16-7.   Riverside stormed back to win 16 of the next 22 points in taking a 23-22 lead.  The lead was short-lived, however, as Saddleback never trailed again in outlasting the Tigers for a 28-26 victory.

Horner (16) and Brown (14) combined for 30 kills on the night while Logan Daniels led the Bobcats with 30 assists. 

Saddleback is now tied with Fullerton College for fifth place in the Orange Empire Conference (OEC) following the win.  With at least five OEC teams making the playoffs in all but one season over the past 10 years, and six making the playoffs in both 2009 and 2010, the final six matches will determine whether or not Saddleback makes the 18-team field.  Saddleback plays again next Friday at Golden West College.  The Bobcats and Rustlers are scheduled to start at 6:00 PM.