CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps volleyball team split a pair of tight first sets and then dominated the third and fourth as it closed out the 2021 Pacific Coast Classic with a 3-1 win over Wisconsin-Oshkosh on Saturday at Roberts Pavilion.
The Athenas also began the day with a quick 3-0 win over Eastern Nazarene by set scores of 25-20, 25-11, 25-15 to move to 3-0 on the year, behind 12 kills from Melanie Williams and 27 assists from Georgia McGovern. The nightcap against Wisconsin-Oshkosh saw CMS win the first set 26-24, drop the second 25-19, but take the final two 25-12, 25-19 for a 3-1 win to complete the weekend.
Williams and Jenna Holmes, who had 21 kills in a 3-1 win over UC Santa Cruz to open the tournament, were named to the All-Pacific Coast Classic team for leading CMS to the 4-0 record.
Williams had another big day in the nightcap with 16 kills, and was supported by a big effort from Brenna Bell, who had 15 kills in 25 attempts. Jackie Jones had 16 digs and Makenna fall had 15 to lead the defense, while McGovern had 32 assists and Spencer Hagenbuch added 21.
The first set saw CMS take a 23-22 lead on an ace from Dede Carranza, but Wisconsin-Oshkosh was able to fight off a set point to tie the score 24-24. A service error gave the Athenas a second chance at the set, and bell finished it off from McGovern to put the Athenas ahead in the match.
Wisconsin-Oshkosh used a 6-0 run to take a 16-9 lead and pull away for a 26-19 lead to level the match at a set apiece, but the Athenas regrouped for some of their best volleyball of the weekend. A 7-0 run gave CMS a commanding 21-8 lead, keyed by two kills and a block from Williams in the run, who combined on the block with Kelsey Polhemus, who added a kill during the stretch as well.
Williams had three more kills to help CMS to a 6-2 lead to start the fourth set, before the Titans crept back within 7-6. Audrey Sawyer had two kills in a 4-0 run to give the Athenas back control of the set, and a Polhemus kill pushed the lead to 10 points at 20-10. CMS led 23-11 before a late Wisconsin-Oshkosh run made the score look closer, before Bell was able to finish it off for a 25-19 win and a 3-1 victory.
CMS will return to action next weekend for the East-West Challenge at Cal Lutheran, with a couple of big match-ups against No. 1 Trinity and No. 3 Emory, as well as WashU, which CMS defeated in the 2019 NCAA Tournament.
