RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Coming off a straight set victory over West Coast Baptist, the Red Hawks earned a split on the day as they continued their SoCal road trip.
The Red Hawks dropped the first game of the day to Life Pacific in four sets: 25-16, 23-25, 25-23, and 25-14.
The Warriors took control of the first set as they combined to hit .341 as a team with 17 kills and two hitting errors.
A pair of late kills by
Louise Oliveira and a double block by
Tiara Manns and
Kimora McKechnie helped cue three straight points to give Simpson the one-point advantage before slamming the door with three straight kills by Manns and
Elizabeth Heath to close out the second set victory.
Facing a 23-17 deficit, the Red Hawks scored five straight points to pull within two as Manns and Oliveira each posted a kill while
Brooklyn Jimenez notched an ace. However, the Warriors held off the Red Hawks' late rally to take the third set 25-23.
Life Pacific sealed the four-set victory, 25-14, as they took advantage of Simpson's hitting errors.
Louise Oliverira had a stellar game as she posted a team-high 19 kills combined with a .395 hitting percentage.
Brooklyn Jimenez led the defense with 19 digs, while
Ella Perry recorded 23 assists to go along with 10 digs.
Mariah Napoleon added 16 kills, and Manns led the team with three total blocks.
Simpson takes down La Sierra in four sets: 25-21, 31-29, 25-22, and 25-23.
The Red Hawks edged former Cal Pac rival La Sierra with Manns, Oliveira, and Napoleon leading the way with double-digit kill performances.
Simpson came roaring back in the first set as they faced a 20-18 deficit before they went on a 7-1 run. Napoleon anchored the rally as she posted five kills while Prerry added an ace.
Set two proved to be a slug fest as the Red Hawks and Golden Eagles went beyond the standard 25-points. The Golden Eagles faced a 24-20 deficit before they reeled off four straight points to tie the game as Mariana Lucrecia Gaviria Romero posted a pair of kills. La Sierra persevered, as they narrowly held onto the 31-29 second set victory to tie the match.
With the score tied at 15, the Red Hawks went on a crucial 7-1 run to take the 22-16 lead as Manns posted three kills and McKechnie notched an ace before taking the third set 25-22.
Simpson capped off the four-set victory by rallying in the fourth set as they reeled off seven straight points to take the 25-23 victory.
Mariah Napoleon played a huge role as she posted a 20-20 performance, as she posted 20 kills and 20 digs on the night.
Tiara Manns added 14 kills while
Louise Oliveira capped off a stellar day by adding 13 more kills to go along with a .360 hitting percentage.
Brooke Sarahina and
Ella Perry combined for 41 assists while Perry added three aces and 16 digs. Jimenez had another solid performance with a team-high 22 digs to go along with nine assists and one ace.
Kimora McKechnie added a team-high six blocks to go along with two aces and four kills.
The Red Hawks are back in action on Friday as they take part in the Hope International Tournament. Simpson takes on the No.1 team in the nation, Northwestern College (IA), at 3 pm.
