Irvine Valley's women's volleyball team won its fifth straight match and recorded its third sweep in the last four contests with a 25-13, 25-18, 25-16 victory over Santiago Canyon in an Orange Empire Conference match at home on Friday night.
Irvine Valley improved its record to 9-4 overall and 7-3 in conference. Santiago Canyon, in its first year as a program, saw its record slip to 2-12 overall and 0-9 in conference.
Irvine Valley cruised in the first set, jumping out to a big lead and then closing the set out with a kill by freshman outside hitter Taira Ka'awaloa.
Ka'awaloa entered the match fifth in the conference in kill per set and fifth in hitting percentage.
The Lasers led, 7-5, in the second set and then went on a 13-3 run to take control at 20-8.
Santiago Canyon kept battling and climbed back into the set before IVC ended it at 25-18.
Irvine Valley once again got out to a lead in the third set. A kill by sophomore middle blocker Hailey Riden and an ace by freshman setter Savanah Schroeder pushed IVC's advantage to 17-9.
A kill by Ka'awaloa made it 19-10 and back-to-back kills by sophomore opposite Juju Cannon lifted Irvine Valley's lead to 21-11.
A kill by sophomore outside hitter Lucee Fitzgerald gave Irvine Valley match point at 24-15, and IVC won the match two points later when Santiago Canyon was called for a lift.
Cannon led IVC with 10 kills and hit .471 on the night. Ka'awaloa had eight kills and 12 digs and Fitzgerald and Riden each finished with six kills. Sophomore setter Alissa Blevins had 16 assists and freshman setter Savanah Schroeder ended with 15 assists and five aces.
Irvine Valley has a big stretch of matches now coming up. The Lasers play teams they lost to over the next three contests.
The Lasers are at conference-leading Cypress next Wednesday at 6 p.m. and then play host to Riverside next Friday at 6 p.m.
IVC lost to both of those teams in five sets during the first round of conference play.
