RIVERSIDE (9-25) – The Banana Slugs played their fourth match in two days as they took on Chapman University in Riverside as a part of the La Sierra Classic. The Banana Slugs won an extremely tight match 3-1.

In their last match, the Banana Slugs lost 3-0 to La Sierra University earlier today in Riverside while the Panthers swept Pomona-Pitzer 3-0 in Orange yesterday. 

In the first set, the Panthers started the set on a 4-0 spurt capped by a Banana Slugs' attack error. The closest the Banana Slugs would come would be one, at 4-3, on a Kate Lyon kill. The Panthers would gain their largest lead of the set at twelve, at set point, on a Banana Slugs' attack error. The Panthers would win the first set 25-13 and took a 1-0 lead in the match.

In the second set, the Banana Slugs would start the set on a 4-0 spurt, capped by a Panthers' set error. The four point lead was the largest of the set for the Banana Slugs. The Panthers would then go on a 10-6 spurt of their own, capped by an Abby Smith kill, to tie the set at 10-10. The two teams would play back and forth volleyball with neither team gaining a lead larger than two. The Banana Slugs would take the lead for good at 24-23 on a Tatum Novitzky kill. The Banana Slugs won the second set 25-23 and tied the match at 1-1.

In the third set, the Banana Slugs started the set on a 6-0 run capped by a Novitzky kill. The Panthers would crawl back into the set and would tie the set on three occasions; the third occasion coming at 24-24 on a Smith kill. The Banana Slugs would score the next two points and win the third set 26-24 and took a 2-1 lead in the match.

In the fourth set, the Panthers would gain their largest lead of the set at three at 3-0. The Banana Slugs would then go a 9-5 spurt capped by an Alana Susbilla kill to give the Banana Slugs the lead at 9-8. After Sierra Yuen gave the Banana Slugs their largest lead of the set at three at 15-12, the Panthers would go on a 6-0 run, capped by a Smith kill, to take an 18-15 lead. The Banana Slugs would get back into the set and would take the lead for good, at 23-22, on a Panthers' attack error. The Banana Slugs won the fourth set 25-22 and won the match 3-1.

For UC Santa Cruz, Kallan Bedard had twelve kills and for Chapman, Courtney Justus had a match high thirteen kills. Susbilla had a match high thirty assists for UC Santa Cruz and Kaitlyn Raymundo had twenty-five for Chapman. Monica Lee led the Banana Slugs with a match high twenty-two digs and Sara Utsugi also had a match high twenty-two digs for the Panthers.

The Banana Slugs will have their next match on Friday as they will take on NAIA member Menlo College at 6 pm in Atherton.