Iliana Mendoza drops an attack over the net in the Dons straight-set loss to Cerritos College.
Iliana Mendoza drops an attack over the net in the Dons straight-set loss to Cerritos College.
September 5, 2014

Dons Fall to Cerritos in Straight Sets in First Home Match of the Season

The Dons hosted Cerritos College for their first home match of the season but fell to the visitors in three sets by scores of 25-16, 25-16 and 25-19

Box Score

SANTA ANA - The Dons fell to visiting Cerritos College in straight sets of their first home match of the 2014 season. The set scores were 25-16, 25-16 and 25019.

In the first set, Chloe Anderson's kill and Esther Arroyo's block evened the set early at 3-3, the first of three early ties between the two teams. Arroyo's second kill of the match forced the third tie t 6-6 before Cerritos claimed the lead for good at 7-6. Despite trailing, the Dons got one more kill from Arroyo before getting two kills apiece from Anderson and Iliana Mendoza while Fernanda Ruiz recorded a kill of her own.

The second set opened with Cerritos scoring three-straight points before an Anderson kill made it 5-2 early on. Later in the match, Arroyo would put the Dons on top for the first time with a kill at 11-10 before Mendoza gave the Dons a 12-11 lead with a kill and Arroyo extended the lead to 13-11 with a service ace. Cerritos would come back to force a tie at 14-14, part of an 11-2 run to close out the set.

The Dons grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the third set with a kill by Ruiz and a block by Mendoza and Ruiz. But Cerritos would score the next four points to take a 4-2 lead, one they wouldn't relinquish for the remainder of the set. Mendoza would add two more kills in the third set while Zaria Saunders notched one of her own as the Dons made a late push. However, it wasn't enough as Cerritos closed out the set, and the match, by a score of 25-19.