PASADENA, Calif. (Sept. 7, 2021) – Faced with a 2-0 match deficit at home Tuesday night against a quality La Sierra University squad, Caltech volleyball kicked it into high gear and dominated the third and fourth sets behind laser-accurate hitting. With their backs against the ropes, the Beavers fought back and never conceded the lead in their 25-18 and 25-16 set scores, including a 7-1 run to open the fourth set before ultimately falling to the visiting Golden Eagles in a second consecutive five-set epic to open the season. 

Junior Dallas Taylor (Phoenix, Ariz.  Saguaro) and senior Alison Noyes (Falmouth, Maine / Falmouth) rarely missed on the night, smacking a combined 30 kills on fantastic hitting percentages of .500 and .393, respectively. Taylor's 17 kills were a match high and by far a career high, topping the previous mark of seven she had set in the season opener, while she added another team-high four block assists to account for 19 of the Beavers' 61 indvidual points. She came on particularly strong in carrying momentum through from the third to fourth set, notching points on five of the first six scores as Caltech jumped out to a 6-0 lead and ended the set with a blistering seven kills on eight total attacks.

Two other Beavers turned in especially notable performances, with senior Hannah Fan (Saratoga, Calif. / Saratoga) coming just shy of a double-double with nine kills and another double-digit dig match at 16. Head Coach Tom Gardner also was visibly pleased with the performance of sophomore Halle Blend (Farmers Branch, Texas / Hockaday) at setter, as the cerebral fulcrum picked up another 40 assists on 54 team kills to go with eight digs, three kills, a service ace and a block assist.

La Sierra came out strong in the decisive fifth set and Caltech fought back after conceding the first three points but could not tie it up. The Golden Eagles' quick pace, especially in the later sets, led to a 14-2 advantage in service aces to help them over the top despite a .215-.183 deficit in hitting percentages over the full match. 

Gardner and the Beavers remain on their home court for their next match, when the Marymount California University (NAIA) Mariners arrive on Thursday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m.