PASADENA, Calif. — The Caltech volleyball team earned a straight-set victory over the Occidental College Tigers on Saturday as the group competed in its penultimate home match of the 2023 season. The team defeated their rivals 25-23, 25-17, 25-20 to pick up its sixth win of the year and fourth 3-0 victory.

It was a highly anticipated matchup between the Beavers and visiting Tigers as the two teams battled into a deciding fifth set in their first meeting in Los Angeles. This time, the Beavers wrapped up the contest quickly after winning the first set and continuing their strong play throughout the second and third.

Caltech earned its first point of the afternoon off a Tiger service error before senior setter Carolyn Lu rose up for a ferocious kill. Lu notched the team's third point a few moments later after receiving the feed from senior setter Halle Blend.

The team recorded a stunning five kills in six points later in the set to take a 9-4 lead. Sophomore OH Sophia Parker posted two successful attacks in the run while Blend and senior MB/OPP Helen Brackney each connected for one.

Sophomore OH Marissa Till picked up her first kill of the day a few points later with setter/DS Giulia Murgia providing the assist.

Back-to-back aces from first-year libero Celine Wu extended the score to 12-6; kills by Blend, Parker and senior OH/OPP Claire Perhach highlighted the later part of the set after Oxy climbed back. A commanding kill from Parker off the pass from Blend capped off the first set as Caltech took the 1-0 lead.

The second set proved the most dominant performance of the day from the Beavers as they took the early lead and never looked back. After winning the opening point, the team built a lead that Oxy could not match as the squad cruised to the 25-17 set victory. Parker was nearly unstoppable in the second set as she nabbed six kills.

The third set began where the previous one ended as Caltech scored first. The Tigers responded with a nice point off a rally, but the Beavers answered right back with five straight points off four kills and a service ace. Perhach and Lu each logged a kill while Parker connected on back-to-back attacks; Till notched the ace.

Occidental took over the lead later in the action, though the Beavers scored an incredible seven straight points to take back control in the middle part of the set. The run featured two kills from Parker, back-to-back kills from first-year OH Alize Bakker, one from Blend and an ace from Murgia.

The team built up a lead as large as nine points before taking the third set 25-20 and sweeping their opponents.

The Beavers recorded 43 kills on the afternoon – their highest this season in contests decided in three sets. Their hitting percentage of .267 is the squad's fourth-best thus far this year.

Caltech recorded 37 assists to Oxy's 27 and eight aces to Oxy's six; they logged just six service errors to the guests' 11. The team recorded zero block errors; they had six reception errors to the visitors' eight.

Parker nearly earned her career high in kills; the standout connected on 16 kills to lead all players. Blend led all players in assists with 17, followed closely behind by Murgia with 16.

Wu played a major role in keeping rallies alive; she recorded 15 digs to lead the match. She also tied for the most aces in the matchup, with three.

Parker reached 20.0 blocks on the season; she now ties Perhach for the most on the team this year.

Head coach Tom Gardner expressed joy with the team's commanding all-around performance.

"It was great to see the team back to our winning ways with a three-set sweep," said Gardner. "I am especially proud of the hard work and focus displayed in the victory. A combination of strong offense, tough serving and solid defense — especially from our libero, Celine Wu — made it exciting for our Homecoming crowd to watch," he said.

"We really appreciate their support and are glad we could produce a win."

Next up for the Beavers is a road game on Tuesday, Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. before the squad returns home for its Senior Day matchup against the University of Redlands on Friday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. Follow the action at gocaltech.com/coverage.

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