Volleyball Opens Season with Split

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (September 9, 2007) - New faces contributed to and an opening day win at Rush Gymnasium for the Tigers Volleyball team. With just five returning players and seven freshman the youth and talent of the 2007 squad is sure to play gritty, aggressive volleyball.

In game one of the double-header, Occidental defeated West Coast Baptist in straight sets with game scores of 30-18, 30-20, 30-27.

Senior Sonia Huizar and sophomore Jaime Nikami each finished with seven kills while senior Emily Wagner and sophomore Ashley Rosenbaum each tallied six. Nikami had 15 assists in the match while Wagner and freshman Kathryn Bockman recorded 11 digs apiece. Rosenbaum had three solo blocks for the Oxy defense.

In the second match of the day the Tigers fell to Bethany University in three games (30-12, 30-17, 30-18).

Bockman and fellow freshman Ginger Grimes led the way for Occidental with seven kills apiece. Another freshman, Lehela Cleveland, joined Wagner and Nikami with five kills each.

Nikami led the squad with 17 assists and 15 digs. Wagner also had an 11-dig performance. Rosenbaum added two more solo blocks.

Today four other Tigers appeared in Occidental orange and black for the first time including Lisa Fukuzato, Paige Jimenez, Kate Meyer and Victoria Rutledge. Fukuzato had a kill in her only attempt against Bethany and added a second kill against West Coast Baptist. Meyer recorded eight digs in her first Tigers appearance.

Occidental drops to 1-1 on the season. They will open play in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference on Tuesday, Sept. 11 when they host the defending SCIAC Champion University of La Verne Leopards at 7:30 p.m. in Rush Gymnasium.