Owls Outlasted By Cougars In Five

Glendora, CA -- The Citrus College Volleyball team missed a golden opportunity  on Wednesday night when they played host to #25 College of the Canyons. The Owls were up two sets to one on the visiting Cougars, but allowed Canyons to win the final two sets. The Cougars eventually outlasted the Owls in five 21-25, 25-19, 18-25, 25-21, and 15-10.

Things started off well enough for the Owls as they scored the first four points of the match. Freshman Danielle Hundley pounded home the first kill of the night on the first point, while sophomore setter Amanda Stone added a kill and an ace in that first four points. Canyons wasn't going to let it be that easy though as they drew neck and neck with Citrus, eventually taking a 17-16 lead just over two-thirds of the way through.

The Owls came back with three straight points though, getting back to back kills from sophomore Ana Bui and a third from sophomore Kayla Eddings to take back the lead and never give it back that first set.

In the second, Canyons turned the table on the Owls. The Cougars staked themselves to an early 9-4 lead and never really let Citrus get into the match. Citrus would pull to within one at 15-16 after four straight kills by Bui, but the Cougars scored four unanswered and the Owls never made it close in that set again.

The third played out much like the first. Citrus scored the first four points, this time though thanks in large part to some Cougar errors and of course a Bui kill. Canyons would tie the match up at 12-12 midway through, but kills by Eddings and Stone gave the Owls some breathing room. After that it was all Citrus, as they used a late 6-1 run to put the match away for good.

In the fourth the two teams traded points. The set would be tied up four times in the first 10 points. It would be tied again midway through the fourth at 12-12, a point in which the Cougars took off. Canyons scored six straight points changing the entire momentum of the match. Citrus would try to rally late taking a 24-15 deficit and cutting it to 24-21, but it wasn't enough as the Cougars sent it to a fifth and deciding set.

The first half of that first set would be close as they were tied five times in the first 14 points, and as late in the match as at 7-7. That's when the Cougars took over. Canyons scored six of the next eight points and never looked back as they ultimately won the match in five.

In the loss, Citrus was led by Hundley's match high 19 kills. Sophomore libero Kiyhanna Dade had a season and team high 28 digs, while sophomore Amanda Stone also notched a season high with 41 assists.

With the loss, Citrus falls to 11-8 overall and 5-3 in WSC South play. The Owls will try to right the ship on Friday when they host Glendale College, who they lost to earlier in the year in five sets in Glendale. That match is set for a 6:00 PM start.