Caltech Volleyball took on Chapman Tuesday night at Braun Athletic Center, with several standout performances from key players.
The Beavers opened the first set with a 4-0 run and led 8-4 early. They put together their most productive set of the night in the third, tallying 16 kills in the set and rallying from a 17-14 deficit to tie it at 18-18 and again at 19-19 on a kill by sophomore
Rena Zhang (Peoria, Ill. / Dunlap High School), one of her 10 kills on the night.
The second set was the Beavers' signature stretch. After Chapman jumped out to a 3-1 lead, Caltech tied it at 3-3 and took its first lead at 4-3 on a kill from junior
Noelle Wilkinson (Bentonville, Ark. / Thaden School). The Beavers did not trail again. Back-to-back aces from freshman
Katie Mystkowski (Newcastle, Wash. / Overlake School) helped build a 7-4 advantage. The set was tied eight times, but Caltech broke it open with a 7-0 run, led by Zhang, who served six of the seven points, including three aces, to build a 17-10 lead. Chapman rallied to tie it at 21-21 and again at 23-23, but each time the Beavers answered with back-to-back points, the last of them sealing the 25-23 win. Five of Caltech's seven aces on the night came in the second set.
Senior
Alize Bakker (Portland, Ore. / Westview) led the Beavers with 15 points, all on kills, and hit .302 for the match. Zhang added 14 points helped by four aces, and senior
Juniper Schwartzman (Galesburg, Ill. / Galesburg HS) contributed 7.5 points on five kills, an ace, a solo block and a block assist. Wilkinson chipped in five kills, and Mystkowski finished with two aces.
Bakker also led all players with 17 digs, the second time in three matches she has had at least that many. Zhang contributed 12 digs as well to extend rallies.
Head Coach
Tom Gardner and the Beavers head to Claremont next to face the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Athenas on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 4 p.m.
