In spite of some stellar hustle by Indigo Allen and an early lead in the first set, the Bruins looked sluggish and went down 7 to 10. The Bruins kept attacking the left side defense and failed to convert the attacks into points time and time again.
SLCC was able to tie the score at 10 and go up by two on a strong showing by Carol Grasso and an EAZ miscommunication.
EAZ tied the score at 13, but the Bruins were able to 4 unanswered points to make the score 17 to 13. The Gila Monster’s Jandra Fabian took over the next point going up three times with each hit stronger than the one before.
Bailee Kendall answered Fabian’s aggressiveness with a vicious spike into the legs of an EAZ defender – making the score 18 to 14.
With SLCC scoring 3 points for every one point for EAZ, the Bruins won the set 25 to 19.
Set 2
Fabian went down early in the set with an ankle injury, but she stayed on the court leading her team to a 3 to 0 lead in spite of the magic worked by SLCC’s Ailin Donati, who seems to be able to set the ball wherever she wants.
The Bruins finally got on the board with a set down by Janessa Koelliker, who also blocked a shot after EAZ scored. The score was 2 to 4.
The Bruins continued to attack the left side with little success going down 3 to 6.
Sequoia Lofton led the charge back with 3 points, 1 on a block, to tie the game up at 8, and the Bruins took the lead on another magical set by Donati.
Grasso featured on the next 3 points, though only 2 were for SLCC. The other was a cross court shot that went out. SLCC was up 11 to 9.
EAZ’s left side defense continued to hold strong, but Kendall was able to overpower the blockers to lift SLCC 16 to 13 over the Monsters.
In spite of the brilliant play of Adria Downs’ spike and block and Grasso’s 2 digs, one on the floor, EAZ was able to get to 20 points. The Bruins still led with 23 points.
Set 2 ended with Kendall overpowering the left side defense again to make the score 25 to 22.
Set 3
The Monster’s Fabian fired her team up with some diva antics that included yelling at the official as he directed her to cross under the correct part of the net. Her antics continued on the sideline and seemed to loosen her team up.
The Bruins tied it up at 6, but couldn’t seem to get any closer falling in the set 17 to 25.
Set 4
It seems that all of the Bruins’ attacking on the left side had its effect as the Gila Monster defense seemed to collapse in the set. Kendall just kept coming using her power to score 4 points and take SLCC to a 7 to 5 lead.
EAZ went up 1 as SLCC served out, was blocked at the net, and Grasso’s shot went a bit wide. Undiscouraged, Grasso came back to score 3 of the next4 Bruin points and lead the team to an 11 to 8 lead.
Grasso also featured on points 13 and 14 where her hustle led to Kendall’s putting the ball down. The Monsters remained at 11 as the Bruins rolled up 4 unanswered points.
The set ended with Kendall overpowering the left side defense once again, and EAZ hitting the ball out of bounds to make the score 25 to 19.
The Bruins play again at 1 p.m. on Aug. 31 on the Taylorsville Redwood Campus in the LAC. Students get in free with their OneCard.
