Updated: Nov. 5, 2015 | Written by Pristine Tompkin

The Tigers volleyball team defeated Fullerton, 3-1, Oct. 30 ending its six match losing streak versus the Hornets and winning its fourth match in a row.

The last time that the lady Tigers defeated Fullerton two years ago on Oct. 10, 2012.

Middle blocker Lauren Reed made a kill in the first set to break the 16-16 tie and extend the team’s lead 21-18.

Outside hitter Lauren Wells recorded a kill on a Hornet block error to take the set, 25-22.

In the second set, Fullerton trailed at the start of the match, then quickly took a 6-1 lead over the Tigers.

Although RCC forced a 19-19 tie, it was not enough as Fullerton’s Alex Winfield had the final winning kills to take the set, 26-24.

The Tigers broke another 16-16 tie in the third set to lead 19-16 thanks to three Hornet’s attack errors.

RCC won the set, 25-20 when the Hornets had another attack error.

In the fourth set the Tigers broke a 9-9 tie and posted leads of 15-12 and 18-13. Fullerton closed to the gap with the score 22-21, but in the end, RCC won the set 25-21.

The Tigers had five players with ten digs and four with seven kills.

Head coach Monica Hayes-Trainer spoke highly of her team after the match.

“The coaching staff is very impressed with the tenacity of our team,” Hayes-Trainer said. “Their discipline in their body and court position is playing a big role in how well we are doing … along with being one of the toughest serving teams in the state.”

Wells and freshman outside hitter Marissa Vialpando each posted a team high of eight kills.

Vialpando also added 15 digs and three service aces, while setter Melissa Moe had three kills, ten digs and a match-high 32 assists.

Moe was very pleased with how the team played in the match.

“I think we played very well,” she said. “We’ve been working really hard in practice to beat the teams we have lost to and to push ourselves to make it to playoffs.”

Sophomore outside hitter Amanda Barker added seven kills and a team-high 17 digs.

Vialpando stated she was very proud of her team’s performance as well.

“Our team played awesome,” she said. “We all had so much energy.”

Fullerton’s outside hitter Grace Lopez proved to be a threat to the Tigers with a match-high 16 kills and 15 digs, while sophomore setter Carly Bergen had a team-high 25 assists. Winfield had ten kills, 12 digs and 15 assists and sophomore outside hitter Azucena Duarte had a match-high 22 digs.
Riverside is scheduled to visit the Irvine Valley College Lasers on Nov. 4.