Iliana Mendoza winds up for an attack in the Dons match against Mt. San Jacinto College.
Iliana Mendoza winds up for an attack in the Dons match against Mt. San Jacinto College.
September 11, 2013

Dons Comeback Attempt Falls Short in Four-Set Loss to Mt. San Jacinto

After falling behind 2-0, the Dons won the third set and nearly forced a fifth set before ultimately falling in four to Mt. San Jacinto College.

Box Score

SANTA ANA - After winning their first set of the season in the third set, the Dons nearly forced a fifth set against Mt. San Jacinto College but were unable to complete the comeback in a four-set loss. The final game scores were 25-5, 25-17, 21-25 and 25-20.

The Dons (0-3), helped by two early kills from Iliana Mendoza, took a quick 3-0 lead in the first set. However, Mt. San Jacinto (4-0) took control of the game with a 25-2 run to win the first set.

The Eagles continued to cruise in the second set as they took a 5-0 lead before the Dons battled back with a 7-2 run, tying the set at 7-7. That run was answered with an 11-3 run by the Eagles as they jumped out to an 18-10 lead before winning the set 25-17.

The two teams played to a 10-10 tie to start the third set before the Dons pulled ahead to a 16-13 lead on Michelle Nguyen's kill. The Eagles would come back to tie the set at 16-16 but the Dons took control of the set, winning it 25-21 for their first win of the season.

The early stages of the fourth game belonged to the Eagles who held a 10-4 lead before going on to a 15-8 lead. But the Dons slowly chipped away at the lead, getting as close as two points at 21-19 on a service ace by Nguyen, before the Eagles stopped the rally and won the fourth set, and the match, by a final score of 25-20.

Next up, the Dons host Chaffey College, Rio Hondo College and Saddleback College for a quad match to be held in the new gymnasium at Santiago Canyon College. Dons face Rio Hondo College at 3:00 p.m. and Chaffey College at 5:00 p.m.