Volleyball comes up short in key conference matchup

Photo courtesy of Larry Newman

Chapman volleyball fell to the 20th-ranked Claremont Mudd-Scripps Athenas with a score of 3-1 last Tuesday night.

Senior outside hitter Brooke Leslie said it was a tough loss, especially given the team’s preparation.

“I think we were really motivated going into that game just because they had come off of a loss against Redlands,” Leslie, a public relations, advertising and entertainment marketing major, said. “We really wanted to come out strong.”

And they did just that. During the first set, the Panthers were down six points and did not pull ahead until the Athenas reached the 20s first. At 23-20 with Claremont in the lead, Chapman was able to go on a 5-0 scoring run to take the first set with Leslie at the service line.

“I think there was a turning point, I don’t remember what point, maybe 14-11, Olivia Harrison had a really great kill, and we kept going to her,” Leslie said.

That momentum shift gave the Panthers exactly what they needed to clinch the opening set. The team also clocked in an average hitting percentage of 0.227 during the first set, though this number would only decline as the match went on.

Both teams came out strong for the second set, the Panthers still riding the adrenaline of their comeback and the Athenas determined to flip the script. Claremont only had 11 kills compared to Chapman’s 17 in the second set, but that was all it took to take back the second set with a score of 25-21. The Athenas went on to win the next two sets 25-18 and 25-14 to secure a final score of 3-1. 

“They’re ranked 20th in the nation, they play well together. For us to beat them, we had to play well the whole match,” head coach Mary Cahill said. “We had a couple of hiccups, and they took advantage of that.”

The Panthers' blocking has been a major asset this season, with sophomore middle blocker and business administration major Ava Bradbury leading the team with 69 blocks. Bradbury is also ranked 3rd in the nation with 1.39 blocks per set in Division III volleyball. However, during this match, Chapman only recorded four blocks compared to Claremont’s 15.

“I’d say (Claremont) runs a pretty quick offense and are also able to distribute the ball across the court,” Harrison said. “It makes it difficult as blockers, we need to stay disciplined and make sure we’re not cheating or moving early.”

“For next time we play them, it's good to know that their block is always going to be closed and we need to use it to our advantage instead of getting shut down,” Leslie said.

Despite the blocking performance, the Panthers produced better defensive numbers this game. Cahill said the team spent more time strengthening their serve receive and defense, and this match showcased their improvement. Junior business finance major Lia Ono was clad in the libero jersey Tuesday night, and junior economics major Clara Cronin was subbed in as a defensive specialist. 

“I felt like I was getting blocked left and right, but they were there to cover me every time,” Leslie said. “Momentum really does come from defense, and when you’re able to keep the ball going, that’s what creates that momentum.”

Senior middle blocker and psychology major Olivia Harrison — who has the best hitting percentage in the conference — led the team with 14 kills on the night, followed by senior outside hitter and political science major Olivia Sampson with 12. Both teams were neck and neck in digs and kills — the Panthers with 86 digs and 56 kills, and the Athenas with 87 digs and 57 kills. Chapman has remained winless against the Athenas since Oct. 1, 2019.

Since this match, the Panthers have lost 3-1 to California Lutheran University and have beaten the California Institute of Technology 3-0. Their current SCIAC record sits at 3-4, and they are on the outside of the five playoff spaces with nine contests left to play. Their next match is against Pomona-Pitzer at home on Friday. 

Going forward, the team plans to continue working on serve receive, along with practicing more offensive strategies to put the ball down. If they hone their skills, the Panthers can still make a push for the playoffs.