Glendora, CA (Volleyball) -- The Citrus College volleyball team played like two teams, one good, one bad, in Friday night's four set loss to Santa Monica College. The Lady Owls came out firing, winning the first game, then forgetting to even put up a fight in the second and third sets, before finally succumbing to the Corsairs in the fourth.
In the first set Citrus opened up the game jumping out to an 18-14 lead, following a service ace from freshman Emily Allaway. The Lady Owls continued to hold onto their lead, holding off a furious Santa Monica rally, eventually winning the first set 26-24, closing the game with back to back kills from Natalie Bailey and Becca Dean.
After jumping out to an early lead, and then hanging on for dear life in the first set, the Citrus volleyball team folded in the second and third sets losing 9-25 and 18-25. In the second set alone the Lady Owls mustered just three kills all while commiting 10 attack errors and four serve receive errors.
With two disastrous sets behind their backs, the Lady Owls began to show signs of life again in the fourth set. Citrus sprinted out to a 10-6 lead following another Dean kill. The Corsairs would respond by scoring six of the next eight points tying the game up at 12 a piece. Both teams would battle back and forth, with both teams settling in for an exciting finish with the game all squared up at 21-21. With the pressure on, Citrus folded as Santa Monica scored the final four points of the game, three coming on Citrus attack errors.
In the loss, Citrus was led by Dean and Bailey who recorded a team high six kills a piece, while freshman setter Britni Dearden compiled a game high 25 assists. With the loss Citrus falls to 4-13 overall and 2-4 in Western State Conference South play, while Santa Monica improves to 3-8 overall and 2-4 in conference play.
The Lady Owls will be the recipients of a bye on Tuesday, before beginning the second half of conference play on Thursday as they travel North to take on Bakersfield College. Game time is set for 7:00 PM.
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