Tigers go 2-2 at Slug Fest

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (Sept. 26, 2009) – Occidental College picked up a pair of wins over teams they had already met in 2009, but fell in a another pair of games as the Tigers finished the 2009 UC Santa Cruz 2-2.

Oxy opened the weekend with a 3-0 win over La Sierra University behind a nine kill performance from freshman Kasey Rose. She hit at a .533 clip while classmate Logan Boyer-Hayse hit .571 with eight kills and no errors while adding a pair of solo blocks. Ginger Grimes was responsible for 20 assists and libero Anna Kurnizki finished with a team-leading 10 digs.

After winning the opening set against host UC Santa Cruz 25-23, the Tigers fell 25-10, 25-20 and 25-9 to the Banana Slugs. Boyer-Hayse notched seven kills while Rose and Kathryn Bockmon each tallied six. Grimes led the charge with 21 assists and 15 digs as Boyer-Hayse and Rose were each credited with a solo block.

UCSC hit .387 as a team in two of the three sets and put three players in double figures for kills.

Day two was much the same as Oxy opened with a 3-0 victory over West Coast Baptist, winning by scores of 25-19, 25-10 and 25-21. Rose picked up 11 kills for the Tigers adding eight digs with Boyer-Hayse recording both nine kills and nine digs. Grimes, who finished with 12 assists, split time with Megan Upp who finished the game with  eight assists of her own. Junior Ashley Rosenbaum had a great game with five solo blocks as well as a pair of block assists to go along with a pair of kills.

The final game of the weekend went in favor of Luther College, 3-1, although all four games were tough competition. Trailing two sets to none after fighting to the bitter end in the second, falling 26-24, the black and orange pulled out a 25-22 win in the third game. Luther came back to win the fourth 25-17.

Rose finished off her solid weekend with a career-high 16 kills while she also led the team with three solo blocks. Gwynne Davis also reached double figures with 11 of her own kills, adding two solo blocks. Grimes set the ball 31 times and Kurnizki led the pack with 14 digs.

The Tigers return home to Eagle Rock for a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference showdown with the University of Redlands on Tuesday, Sept. 29 beginning at 7:30 p.m. at Rush Gymnasium.