RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The Embry-Riddle
women's volleyball team rallied from an opening-set loss and forced a decisive fifth set before ultimately falling to La Sierra, 3-2 (25-22, 16-25, 25-14, 18-25, 15-9), on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Pavilion.
The opening set featured 11 ties and several lead changes as neither team was able to create separation. Embry-Riddle erased a late deficit and tied the score at 21-21 following kills from Haeden Baker and Anela Chew, but La Sierra closed the frame with four of the final five points to claim a 25-22 victory.
The Eagles responded in the second set. After a tight start, Embry-Riddle used a dominant 10-1 run to build a commanding lead. Consecutive kills from Brooke Eglinton, Anela Chew, and Makalani Carey helped spark the surge as the Eagles cruised to a 25-16 win, evening the match at one set apiece.
La Sierra regained momentum in the third set, jumping out to an early advantage and never looking back. The Golden Eagles hit .444 in the frame and took the set 25-14 to move within one set of victory.
Embry-Riddle delivered one of its strongest performances of the afternoon in the fourth. With service aces from 'Ale'a Cabral and Sydney Sniffen, the Eagles fueled a 25-18 victory. Embry-Riddle used a 10-3 stretch midway through the set to create separation and force a deciding fifth set.
In the final frame, the two teams traded points early before La Sierra used a mid-set run to take control. The Eagles fought to stay within striking distance behind kills from Chew, Baker, and Eglinton, but the Golden Eagles secured the 15-9 set win and the match.
Offensively, Embry-Riddle was led by Brooke Eglinton, who posted a team-high 13 kills while hitting .289 and adding eight digs. Anela Chew added 12 kills, nine digs, and an ace, while Haeden Baker contributed five kills and three block assists. Makalani Carey also chipped in five kills.
Setter Alice Tuci directed the Eagles' offense with 29 assists while adding 22 digs, three block assists, and three kills. Defensively, Sydney Sniffen anchored the back row with a match-high 20 digs and also recorded two service aces. Embry-Riddle finished the match with 67 team digs and seven service aces.
