Fernanda Ruiz gets a kill in the Dons OEC match against Fullerton College.
Fernanda Ruiz gets a kill in the Dons OEC match against Fullerton College.
November 7, 2014

Dons Drop Conference Match to Fullerton College in Straight Sets

The Dons lost the season series to Fullerton as the Hornets won the match by scores of 25-19, 25-16 and 25-13.

Box Score

SANTA ANA - The Dons lost to visiting Fullerton College in straight sets of an Orange Empire Conference match. Fullerton (14-4, 7-4) defeated the Dons (4-14, 1-10) by scores of 25-19, 25-16 and 25-13.

Esther Arroyo opened the match with a kill before Fullerton went on a 5-0 run to take an early 5-1 lead. The Dons would battle back, however, and pull within two points at 9-7 on a Chloe Anderson kill. The Dons would keep it at three points several times on kills by Fernanda Ruiz, Iliana Mendoza and Arroyo.

Fullerton would pull away to a six-point lead at 17-11 but the Dons wouldn't relinquish the match that easily. Using a 9-3 run capped off by a Hailey Johnson kill, the Dons pulled within three again at 20-17. However, Fullerton would close out the set with a 5-2 run to win it 25-19.

The Dons grabbed the first point again to start the second set but, like the first set, Fullerton answered with a run. This time the run was just three points as the Hornets went up 3-1 before a Mendoza kill made the score 3-2.

From there, the Dons were able to tie the set twice at 4-4 and 6-6, the second time coming on an Arroyo service ace. But both times, the Hornets broke the tie keeping the Dons from reclaiming the lead. The Dons would again keep the set close with a Zaria Saunders kill keeping the Dons within three at 15-12, but Fullerton proved to be too much as the Hornets pulled away to the 25-16 win.

The final set was close early with a pair of kills by Mendoza, an Anderson kill and an Arroyo kill putting the Dons down just one at 5-4. But that would be the closest the Dons would get for the remainder of the set as the Hornets pulled away, eventually winning 25-13.