REDDING, Calif. - The women's volleyball team continued its three-game home stand tonight as they took on Embry-Riddle from Arizona.
The match was a Friday night thriller as the Red Haws and Eagles duked it out for five sets.
However, the Eagles were able to edge the Red Hawks 3-2.
The first set found the Red Hawks in total control as they led as much by seven points twice.
A 9-2 Red Hawk run helped create breathing room that never seemed to disappear as they went on to take set one by the score of 25-19.
The Eagles came out firing in set two as they grabbed an early 8-2 lead. But the Red Hawks hung around and pulled the score even at 18.
A 6-3 Eagle run doomed the Red Hawks in set two as ERAU evened the score at one apiece.
Set three was another back-and-forth battle as Simpson and Embry-Riddle exchanged rallies. However, a late 5-0 Eagle run helped create enough separation to ice the game 25-20.
Simpson showed a lot of heart as they found themselves down 11-4 as if it looked like the Eagles would walk through set four.
But the Red Hawks stuck around and had a big 6-0 run to tie the score at 20.
A 5-3 Red Hawk run starred its key middles,
Katie Graham and
Julia Zamfir. Started by Graham's key kill and then later finished off by
Julia Zamfir's big block in the middle to send the game to a fifth set.
The Eagles mounted an early 3-0 lead. But Simpson would even the score at three in a blink of an eye.
However, a couple of long Eagle rallies helped them escape Redding with the hard-fought win.
Graham and Zamfir had quite the game in the middle as they combined for 15 kills and eight total blocks.
Kayla Somontan had a big game as she registered 47 assists and 13 digs.
Madison Kammuller led the team on defense with 17 digs.
With the loss, Simpson finds itself 1.5 GB Westcliff for the final playoff spot with three games left.
The Red Hawks will look to close out its home stand strong against Park-Gilbert University tomorrow at 3 PM.
