PASADENA, Calif. (Oct. 19, 2021) - It is a terrific accomplishment to beat any opponent in the highly competitive SCIAC, but an entirely different story to win against a program that you've never even taken a set against - exactly what Caltech volleyball accomplished on Tuesday night in a rousing 3-1 victory over the Chapman University Panthers.

 

"I'm extremely proud of the team," Head Coach Tom Gardner said. "They didn't let the adversity of losing the third set hinder them moving forward and they kept up their energy, our game plan, and belief through the end of the match."

 

While it was a collective effort that netted the Beavers the victory, several individuals stood out in the historic win, specifically the play of the team's often-dominant middle blockers. Junior Dallas Taylor (Phoenix, Ariz. / Saguaro) smacked 16 kills while hitting at a .448 clip and added five block assists for 18.5 points on the evening. Senior Alison Noyes (Falmouth, Maine / Falmouth) added 12 points with 11 kills and 2 block assists while senior Sydney Richardson (Granite Bay, Calif. / Roseville) chipped in another 12 points, hitting .267 with nine kills on 30 attacks while adding four block assists. Sophomore setter Halle Blend (Farmers Branch, Texas / Hockaday) drove the offense; in addition to distributing 42 assists, she added seven kills while also supporting Caltech's standout defensive play by making 17 digs, with Chapman frequently hitting to her position on the floor in an attempt to keep her from setting the offense. Though she registered just one service ace, her tricky serve forced Chapman out of system frequently, leading to several points won by the Beavers.

 

Caltech struggled through some early errors that allowed Chapman to go ahead 7-3 in the first set. Though the Beavers quickly recovered to even the score, the visitors responded immediately with another five straight points to surge back ahead 13-8. As has been the case at several times this season, the team then rallied behind Blend's service game to pull back within one and turned up the gas down the stretch with a five-point run of its own before closing things out for the 1-0 lead at 25-21. The foes traded points to begin the second set before another six-point run for the Beavers put them up 10-5 and the hosts continued to stretch out the margin from there en route to a decimating 25-11 victory. 

 

The visitors - entering the night ranked third in the SCIAC at 8-3 - refused to give in yet, notching the first four points of the third set fighting off a series of Caltech runs to tie things at 10-10, 12-12 and 15-15 to eventually score seven of the final 10 points in a 25-20 win. The crucial fourth set then began with big kills from both sides over the opening 10 points, after which Caltech stood on top 7-3. Chapman fought back within one at 11-10 and made one final rally at the death, nearly flipping a 22-19 Beavers lead by knotting things at 24-24, but a strong kill by Noyes after her own attack error on the previous point brought Caltech within one of the landmark win and a Chapman error sealed the victory.

 

Senior outside hitter Isabell Yang (Arcadia, Calif. / Arcadia) and sophomore Claire Perhach (Carlsbad, Calif. / Sage Creek) combined to contribute 15 kills with only five errors, keeping the Chapman front row from keying on any one position or player. Both players were critical in serve receive, with Yang also adding 15 digs. Senior libero Megan Wang (Henderson, Nev. / Advanced Tech. Acad.) anchored the Caltech defense with 21 digs and added six assists, stepping in frequently to play the second ball and helping Blend support the Beavers offense. Sophomores Angel Wang (Colorado Springs, Colorado. / Pine Creek) and Gabriella Twombly (Weston, Fla. / Archbishop McCarthy) were also outstanding on defense, contributing 11 and six digs respectively, including several spectacular corner saves.

 

"Every member of the team contributed to tonight's win," Gardner, now in his eighth season with the Beavers, said. "With the result, we tied the school record of four SCIAC wins set in 2019. We clearly have our momentum back and only wish we had found our groove earlier."

 

The Beavers kept alive their hopes in pushing to make the SCIAC Postseason Tournament and will next face Pomona-Pitzer Colleges in Claremont on Friday evening. The match will be played in the larger, recently constructed Roberts Pavilion on the Claremont McKenna College campus starting at 7 p.m.  The Beavers, 9-11 overall and 4-8 in conference play, will need help as only four teams make it to the postseason tournament, currently finding themselves in seventh place with four matches to play. They recorded their highest previous conference finish of eighth place in that 2019 season.