No. 2-ranked women's volleyball team sweeps at Riverside

Courtesy of On My Game Photography
Courtesy of On My Game Photography

Irvine Valley's women's volleyball team remained unbeaten with another sweep on Friday night.

The Lasers went on the road and beat Riverside, 25-23, 25-15, 25-19, in an Orange Empire Conference match.

IVC, ranked second in the state, scored the first four points of the match, went up, 8-3, and held on from there in the opening set.

Riverside tied the first set at 20 and then at 23, but back-to-back hitting errors by the Tigers gave the set to Irvine Valley.

The Lasers scored eight of the final nine points in the second set to cruise.

And in the third set, IVC went up, 20-12, before earning the win with a kill by sophomore outside hitter Lea Kruse.

Kruse finished with 11 kills and eight digs, sophomore outside hitter Alaina Gendale had 10 kills and 13 digs and hit .320.

Sophomore middle blocker Kristin Austin, who was named a state player of the week last week, continued her strong play with nine kills, four blocks and hitting .643.

Sophomore outside hitter Gabriela Griego finished with eight kills, sophomore libero Anna Unke had six digs and sophomore setter Truth Hafey, who leads the state in assists, ended with 35 assists and two aces.

Irvine Valley hit .314 as a team to Riverside's .158.

Irvine Valley plays again next Wednesday at home in a conference match against Orange Coast at 6 p.m.