CLAREMONT, Calif. (Oct. 22, 2021) – With a longshot berth in the SCIAC Postseason Tournament on the line, Caltech volleyball gave second-ranked Pomona-Pitzer Colleges everything it could muster on the road Friday night but came up just short in all three sets.

A well-played match by both sides provided numerous highlights, but attacking errors kept both hitting percentages down and ultimately doomed the Beavers as they could not gain the upper hand in any set despite registering five more kills and six more digs across the full match, with the serve-receive game playing a major role in the difference.

The Sagehens opened the night storming out to a 10-4 lead, but Caltech ran off a 10-3 midgame for a brief one-point lead. Momentum swung back Pomona-Pitzer's way with two runs of four unanswered points for a 22-17 lead and a late rally was not enough for Caltech.

The Beavers fell behind again in the second set before a mid-set rally tied things at 18-18, from where the foes traded points until a 24-23 lead for the Sagehens. Junior Dallas Taylor (Phoenix, Ariz. / Saguaro) smacked a solo kill toe fight off the set point and an attacking error put the Beavers within one of claiming the set, but three Caltech errors (including a Sagehens block) in the next five points doomed the visitors even after extras at 28-26. The writing appeared to be on the wall from there, though Caltech pulled into a tie at 11-1 in the third before going behind again and keeping pace through the end, yet unable to surge ahead.

Taylor led the way again with 11 kills on a .476 hitting percentage and added five blocks, while sophomore Claire Perhach (Carlsbad, Calif. / Sage Creek) also notched 11 kills and classmate Halle Blend (Farmers Branch, Texas / Hockaday) showcased a typical all-around line of seven kills, 30 assists, 12 digs and three blocks. Senior Megan Wang (Henderson, Nevada / Advanced tech. Acad.) paced five players in double-figure digs with 20.

Head Coach Tom Gardner and the Beavers will cling to one last postseason scenario as they host Whittier College on Saturday, Oct. 23 at 4 p.m. needing to win out over their final three matches, along with some help from each of California Lutheran University's remaining opponents.