WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL: FC PUTS THE SQUEEZE ON ORANGE COAST

The Hornets rallied on the road to pull off a grueling five-set win over the Orange Coast Pirates Friday night 3-2: 27-29, 17-25, 28-26, 25-17, 15-13.

After opening things with wins in the opening two sets (29-27, 25-17), the Pirates held a 24-22 lead in the third set, only to watch the Hornets respond with a 28-26 win to stay alive. They followed that up with wins over the final two sets (25-17, 15-13) to complete the improbable comeback.

The win lifts Fullerton into third place in the Orange Empire Conference with a 2-1 record and a 7-4 overall record. The loss slips OCC to 1-2 (5th place) in the OEC and 9-3 overall.

FC's own Grace Lopez led the offense with 23 kills, while Alex Winfield added 13. Mikki Sale anchored the FC defense with 17 digs, while setter Carly Bergen dished out 38 assists.

Fullerton carried that momentum into the fourth set and blasted out to a 22-12 lead before finally evening the match at a set apiece.

Coast led early in the 15-point fifth set, 6-5, before Fullerton scored four in a row to grab a 9-6 lead, forcing the Pirates in to another timeout.

The Pirates responded with back-to-back points and after both teams traded blows, Coast again used a two-point run to even the fifth set at 12, sending the Hornets into a timeout.

But Fullerton ended the match with a 3-1 run and ended the match with a block by Shawnee Longmeyer.

Up Next: Fullerton will play at Irvine Valley College (6-3, 3-0) on Wednesday, October 14th @ 6:00 pm.

* Photo by Ricardo Zapata

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