Volleyball Secures First Conference Victory of the Season at Home

Citrus College Volleyball picked up its first conference victory of the season at home on Wednesday night, defeating Antelope Valley College in four sets (22-25, 25-18, 25-20, 25-22). 

With the win, the Owls improve to 9-7 overall and 1-1 in conference play, while the Marauders drop to 9-2 and 0-1 in conference. 

The night opened with a tightly contested first set that AVC edged out, 25-22. Citrus answered with a dominant second set, jumping out to a commanding 16-8 lead before closing it 25-18. 

The pivotal third set saw the Owls storm back from a 20-18 deficit by rattling off seven straight points to steal the frame, 25-20. In the fourth, Citrus overcame an early 5-0 deficit, trading points with AVC until an Emma Cristales kill sealed the match. Savannah Mendoza's late serving run also helped swing momentum in the Owls' favor. 

Sophia Martinez led all players with 18 kills to go along with 14 digs, two aces, two assists, and a block assist. Cristales added 16 kills, seven digs, and three aces, while Shaylen McFoy turned in a strong defensive effort with a season-high four solo blocks, eight kills, and a block assist. Setter Lily Whitney paced the offense with a season-best 40 assists, chipping in four digs, a solo block, and a kill. 

Citrus will look to build on its conference momentum when they host Santa Monica College this Friday, October 3, at 6 p.m.