Libero Anna Linke recorded 12 digs in Irvine Valley’s 3-0 victory over Fullerton College Wednesday night. (Photos courtesy Jim McCormack for OC Sports Zone)
Those who packed the stands in the South Gym at Fullerton College Wednesday night got what they came for … free pizza and excellent volleyball.
To see the slide show, please click on the first photo
In a well-played, up-tempo contest visiting Irvine Valley College, unbeaten and ranked No. 1 in the state, repelled several Fullerton College rallies to defeat the host Hornets 25-19, 25-21, 25-19.
The Lasers are now 16-0 on the season and 9-0 in the Orange Empire Conference. A balanced, controlled team, IVC has lost only three sets all season, the last coming when Fullerton won one game in the teams’ first-round meeting.
“Our kids really came to play tonight,” IVC coach Tom Pestolesi said. “And they played even better than I anticipated. There were times tonight where they were so good I said to myself, ‘wow! where has that been for the last month.’ ”
The Hornets, under second-year coach Megan Glennie, entered Wednesday’s clash with an enhanced sense of optimism having won eight matches in a row (dropping only two sets in the process) since the first-round loss to IVC and had moved into second place in the OEC.
And, other than the final scores, the Hornets didn’t disappoint, mounting several charges at IVC only to be rebuffed by the Lasers or slowed by unforced and untimely service or hitting errors.
The Lasers were led by Lea Kruse with 14 kills and 16 digs, setter Truth Hafey with 38 assists and 9 digs and Gsabriela Griego with 10 kills.
Fullerton received good efforts from Saylor Frew with 10 kills and 10 digs, Priscilla Gutierrez with 13 digs and Chloe Johnson with 31 assists and nine digs.
The victory was Pestolesi’s 379th (379-109) as the coach of the women’s team that won a state championship with an undefeated season in 2017.
Fullerton has little time to reflect on Wednesday’s disappointment, its next match, at home Wednesday, Oct. 30, is with Orange Coast College which has moved into a second-place tie with the Hornets in the OEC.
–Courtesy Jim McCormack, For OC Sports Zone
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