SANTA ANA - The Dons quest for their first three-match winning streak since 2007 fell short as they lost to visiting Cerro Coso College in five sets. The Coyotes (6-5) won the set by the scores of 26-24, 20-25, 26-24, 21-25 and 15-13.
The Coyotes held off a late rally by the Dons (3-6) to take the first set by a final score of 26-24. Netina Moemoe opened the set with a service ace before a Treyland Leauanae kill and an Iliana Mendoza service ace put the Dons up 4-1.
Cerro Coso would then come back to tie the set at 4-4 before taking their first lead of the set at 6-5. After a brief tie at 6-6 the Coyotes scored three points to take a lead at 9-6, a lead they would hold until the end of the match.
The Coyotes biggest lead of the set was four at 21-17, but the Dons would battle back to tie the set at 23-23. Alejandrina Alejandro then gave the Dons their first lead of the set since the early stages with a service ace that put the Dons up 24-23. But the Coyotes would score the next three points to win the set 26-24.
The Dons evened the match at one set apiece by winning the second set 25-20. The set opened with the Dons leading 3-0 after kills by Iliana Mendoza, Danielle Goldowski and Michelle Nguyen. But the Coyotes would fight back to tie the set at 4-4 before building a 9-6 lead.
After the Dons tied the set at 9-9, the Coyotes would take the lead back, up to a 12-9 lead. That lead wouldn't last long as the Dons used a 6-3 run including back-to-back kills by Leauanae before Nguyen would record three-straight kills that put the Dons up 15-13. The Dons wouldn't relinquish their lead as they went on to the 25-20 win.
The third set of the match was the most competitive set with neither team holding a lead larger than two points during the entire set. The teams played to 10 times during the set with the final tie coming at 24-24. The Dons were in position to win the set prior to the final tie, as they led 24-23. However, the Coyotes scored the set's final three points to win 26-24.
The Dons were able to force a fifth, and deciding, set with a 25-21 win in the fourth set. The win didn't come easy, however, as the Coyotes held the majority of the leads throughout the set. The Dons first lead came late in the set when they broke a 17-17 tie.
Cerro Coso would come right back to tie the set at 18-18 before reclaiming the lead at 19-18 before another tie at 19-19. The Coyotes would once again break the tie, at 20-19, before the Dons closed the set out with a 6-1 run.
The fifth set opened with the Dons scoring the first two points before establishing a 5-2 lead on Esther Arroyo's kill. The Dons would go on to take a 9-6 lead before the Coyotes used a 4-0 run to take a 10-9 lead. The Dons would then force ties at 10-10 and 11-11 but were unable to overtake the lead as the Coyotes won the set, and the match, by a final score of 15-13.
